Francesco Aquilini

Francesco Aquilini is the Managing Director of Vancouver-based Aquilini Investment Group. He is the current owner of the Vancouver Canucks and GM Place.

Aquilini graduated from Simon Fraser University with a degree in Business Administration. He later earned an MBA from UCLA. Since the 1970s, Aquilini has been involved in the Aqulini Investment Group, a company focused on real estate and agriculture that was founded 50 years ago by his father, Italian Canadian Luigi Aquilini.

Francesco is also the Chair and primary sponsor of the Italian Gardens (Il Giardino Italiano) in Hastings Park. [Canucks.com, [http://www.canucks.com/subpage.asp?sectionID=482 Official Page on Canucks.com] ]

Vancouver Canucks

On November 17, 2004, the Aqulini Investment Group, purchased 50% of the Vancouver Canucks and 50% of their arena, GM Place from Seattle-based billionaire John McCaw. The price was estimated to be around $125 million US. [cite web| last = Schecter | first = Brian | authorlink = Brian Schecter| coauthors =| title = The Canucks Deal, Deciphered | work = | publisher = The Tyee| date = November 18 2004| url = http://thetyee.ca/Sports/2004/11/18/Canucks_Deal_Deciphered/| format =| doi =| accessdate = 2006-12-19 ] On November 8, 2006, Aquilini purchased the remaining half of the Canucks and GM Place, becoming the sole owner of the team. [TSN.ca, [http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=183451&hubname=nhl Aquilini group buys rest of Canucks] ] ["Business in Vancouver" November 14-20, 2006, issue 890, p. 1.] The purchase became the subject of a civil lawsuit by Tom Gaglardi and Ryan Beedie.

References

External links

* [http://www.canucks.com/subpage.asp?sectionID=482 Canucks.com Official Page]