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San Jose Sharks announce ownership change [San Jose Mercury News](San Jose Mercury News (CA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jan. 30--SAN JOSE -- German high-tech entrepreneur Hasso Plattner emerged as the new face of the Sharks ownership group Wednesday with the announcement he has purchased shares of the team's parent company from Kevin Compton and Stratton Sclavos. Compton and Sclavos had served as the executive committee for Sharks Sports & Entertainment, though Plattner always had been considered the partner with the greater investment. Plattner, the retired CEO and co-founder of business software giant SAP, said that executive vice-president Malcolm Bordelon will continue to operate the business side of the operation while general manager Doug Wilson runs the hockey side of the organization. "While this change does affect the individual structure of our ownership group," Platter said in a prepared statement, "it does not change the organization's primary goal which is to build a team that is capable of winning a Stanley Cup each and every season." Compton and Sclavos issued a joint statement regarding their departure from the ownership group that purchased the team from the late George Gund III in 2002. "It's been a great 11 years being involved with the San Jose Sharks and the NHL but we feel this is the right time for us to step away and focus on other avenues," the statement read. "Although we are no longer involved with the ownership group of the organization, we remain among the team's biggest fans and will continue to be ardent supporters of the franchise." Plattner will represent the team on the NHL board of governors with Wilson and general counsel John Tortora continuing in the role of alternates. ___ (c)2013 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |