It appears the sale of the Lightning to Boston hedgefund manager Jeff Vinik is almost complete. League spokesman Frank Brown said Vinik met with the NHL's executive committee in Vancouver during the Winter Olympics.

With that hurdle cleared, approval by the league's board of governors is seen as a formality.

A financial deal thought to be about $110-million, for which Vinik is paying cash, is also believed about to close, perhaps as soon as today or tomorrow.

-- DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer