The Tampa Bay Lightning announced the sale of a portion of the franchise Thursday to a  group of investors led by Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz.

The transaction will take place immediately, having been approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors on Oct. 1. Lightning chairman and governor Jeff Vinik will retain full control of the team for the next three years.

After that, control of the franchise will transfer to Ostrover and Lipschultz, with Vinik remaining an active ownership partner as an alternate governor and Vinik Sports Group board member.

The team said there will be no change in day-to-day operations as a result of the sale. 

“Since 2010, we have focused on building the Lightning into a world-class organization, and now we’ve found world-class partners who share in our mission of being a community-first organization,” Vinik said in a release. “Doug and Marc share my commitment to providing the Lightning with all the resources they need to excel and are excited to become part of the Tampa Bay community. I’m confident that together, with the ongoing leadership of Steve Griggs and Julien BriseBois, this organization will continue to find success.”

“The Tampa Bay Lightning is one of the most respected and well-managed franchises across all of sports and that’s thanks to Jeff Vinik and his incredible team,” added Ostrover. “Their commitment to excellence on-and-off the ice is one that we share. We look forward to embracing the Tampa Bay community and partnering with Jeff to build on the team’s success and championship legacy. We are excited to be a part of a League with such incredible growth and momentum.”

The team release added that "ownership remains committed to providing the hockey operations team with all the resources necessary to bring the Stanley Cup back to Tampa Bay."

Tampa Bay has opened the season with a 4-2-0 record after an off-season headlined by moving on from Steven Stamkos and brining in Jake Guentzel.