Franchise Notes

T'WOLVES: In St. Paul, Charley Walters reports the T'Wolves, despite advancing to the Western Conference Finals, "probably will lose about $8[M]" due to the $16M luxury tax the team must pay. If not for the tax, the T'Wolves "would show an operating profit." The team also indicated that it currently has a 93% season-ticket renewal rate for next season (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/2).

Cohen Hoping To Find Investors For About 10% Of Franchise

NHL PANTHERS: In Miami, Barry Jackson reported NHL Panthers Majority Owner Alan Cohen "would like to find more investors so he can reduce his interest from 68[%] to somewhere in the 50s." David Epstein "is receptive to selling his minority share partly because he has no input in team decisions." Former NFLer Bernie Kosar "also has no input but plans to keep his 5[%]" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/30).

FLYERS: In Philadelphia, Tim Panaccio reported Flyers Chair Ed Snider "insists the team lost money this season, [despite] going three rounds in the playoffs." Panaccio: "If that's the case, then maybe he needs to clean house and fire everybody in the organization. ... No one believes the Flyers lost money, even if [their] payroll was $62.5[M] with another $5[M] in deferred salaries" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/30). In N.Y., Larry Brooks wrote that if the Flyers "really lost money — and not simply on a team accountant's set of books — then every person in that organization should be fired, beginning with Snider, team president Ron Ryan and [GM] Bob Clarke" (N.Y. POST, 5/30).