Lightning CEO Tom Wilson believes it was the right thing to do to speak out about the direction of the franchise now that Absolute Hockey Enterprises proposed $200-million deal to buy the team has fallen through. Wilson said fan nervousness is "understandable'' but that it will be business as usual as long as the team remains the property of Palace Sports & Entertainment.

Wilson said Tuesday he has "some degree of optimism'' Absolute Hockey's main players -- Jeff Sherrin and Doug MacLean are suing Oren Koules -- can resolve their differences and resurrect the proposed purchase that also included the St. Pete Times Forum lease and 5.5 acres of land near the stadium. If they cannot, he said the team will not be shopped.

"We're not hiring a broker to see who might have interest in the Tampa Bay Lightning,'' Wilson said. But he added that any offers that "fall from the sky'' will be considered.

"And that's consistent to where we were five years ago,'' Wilson said. "Until this isn't our club, this is our club. We have certain standards we want to hold to. We want to win. we want to be as good as we can be. If we're still there, we're as committed as we were.''

That means, Wilson said, no slash and burn tactics with personnel or payroll.

Wilson talked of other things, as well. He denied, for example, that Palace Sports ever went behind Sherrin's and MacLean's back to forge a relationship with Koules. And Tom Scarritt, the attorney for Sherrin and MacLean reiterated they did. It's all part of a long soap opera that is about to unfold.

There will be more in tomorrow's paper.

But as Lightning center Chris Gratton said Tuesday, "Most players are just like, 'Tell me when it's over.' ''