Hockey champions laying off 30 workers because of virus
Just months after winning the Stanley Cup, officials with the Tampa Bay Lightning says they're eliminating 30 positions in a sign that even winning a championship doesn’t spare a team from the effects of the coronavirus
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Just months after winning the Stanley Cup, officials with the Tampa Bay Lightning said Monday they are eliminating 30 positions in a sign that even winning a championship does not spare a team from the effects of the coronavirus
The positions were across the company and effective immediately, team officials said. The layoffs represent less than 10% of the team's workforce.
“Rest assured, these decisions were not made lightly,” Lightning and Vinik Sports Group CEO Steve Griggs told the Tampa Bay Times. “But with the sports and entertainment industry being impacted like at no other time in modern history, this was a necessary step as we position ourselves for maximum recovery."
Because the National Hockey League's postseason was played in bubbles in Canada, the team did not earn any revenue from the playoffs. The Lightning lost money last season and is expected to do so again during the upcoming season, team officials said.
Every employee who was working full-time in late September when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup by defeating the Dallas Stars, will receive a championship ring, the newspaper reported.
___
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.