The Portland Path Blazers will quickly be underneath new administration, because the proprietor of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes has submitted the profitable bid.
The Portland Path Blazers are about to be rocked—or no less than run by—a (Carolina) Hurricane.
Per Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick of Sportico, Dallas-based billionaire Tom Dundon and his companions are set to buy the Path Blazers group from the property of the late Paul Allen at a valuation of $4 billion. Dundon can be the only real proprietor of the Carolina Hurricanes franchise within the Nationwide Hockey League.
Along with dual-ownership of the Blazers and Hurricanes, the 53-year-old Dundon is the chairman of Pickleball.com and likewise served on the board of the defunct Alliance of American Soccer.
Presently on the helm of Dundon Capital Companions, Dundon bought a majority stake within the Hurricanes in 2017 from authentic proprietor Peter Karmanos Jr., who had been with the group since its days because the Hartford Whalers.
Dundon grew to become the only real proprietor at $425 million 4 years later and was valued at $1.3 billion in 2024, per CNBC. For the reason that 2021-22 season, no group within the NHL has earned extra factors within the common season than the Hurricanes, who superior to the Japanese Convention Finals for the third time in seven seasons final spring.
Path Blazers To Keep in Portland Beneath New Possession
The Allen property put the Blazers franchise up on the market in Might. Allen, who handed away in 2018, had bought the franchise from Larry Weinberg in 1988. Portland reached the NBA Finals twice underneath his watch and, since his takeover, has earned the eighth-best win proportion within the NBA.
With Blazer possession duties principally overseen by Allen’s surviving sister Jody, the property will nonetheless retain its stakes in each the Nationwide Soccer League’s Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Sounders of Main League Soccer.
Dundon takes over a Blazers squad seeking to finish a four-year playoff drought, although there’s been sufficient hope over the previous few seasons to increase the contract of head coach Chauncey Billups. The Blazers have a number of younger veterans on the uptick, together with Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Notable offseason acquisitions embrace Deni Avdija and seven-foot first-round decide Yang Hansen, whereas the group additionally introduced again former franchise face Damian Lillard after he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.
In a report for ESPN, Shams Charania said that Dundon and Co. plan to maintain the franchise in Portland. The group offered possession of its area, Moda Heart, to the town final yr however they at present personal a lease to play there via no less than 2030.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
