Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe reported Sunday that the Buffalo Sabres’ owner Tom Golisano may be searching for a potential buyer for the team. Dupont wrote:

“Getting vibes once again that Sabres owner Tom Golisano is poking around for a prospective buyer for his Lake Erie stick carriers. Over the summer, Golisano had the locals all aflutter when he noted on local talk radio, “Nothing is written in concrete, but at this point I would say I’m probably going to be the owner of the Buffalo Sabres in five years, maybe 10 years.’’ The name that comes up in all NHL club sales talk is RIMM guru/hockey lover Jim Balsillie, who made himself no friends among NHL owners when he tried to pirate the Phoenix Coyotes away to Toronto’s outer suburbs. But the key name to keep in mind if this heats up: Terry Pegula. He’s the guy who forked over the $88 million gift for Penn State to build a rink and fund scholarships for Division 1 hockey. Pegula’s wife, Kim, is from suburban Buffalo, a good sign for the locals. No one ever wants to leave the Buff.”

News of the team being up for sale has resurfaced before. In 2008, several outlets including ESPN reported that Golisano, who has owned the team since 2003, was considering a sale to Basillie. Sabres minority owner Larry Quinn denied reports at the time as did Basille via his lawyer.

More talk of a sale surfaced in July 2010 when Golisano said he’d “probably be the owner of the Buffalo Sabres in five years.”

Basillie has shown interest in becoming an NHL owner before. He made attempts to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and move the team to Hamilton earlier this year.

Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter

Follow the Business of Sports Network on Facebook