Francesco Aquilini smiles during a press conference announcing his family's investment group buying half of the Vancouver Canucks on November 17, 2004. (Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) NHL franchise owner Francesco Aquilini has made a legal sweep in his bid to prove his purchase of half the Vancouver Canucks was a solo venture.
The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed an appeal on Thursday by two Vancouver businessmen who claimed they were in an official partnership with Aquilini at the time the deal was struck in 2004.
Tom Gaglardi and Ryan Beedie had argued the three were involved in a joint venture at the time of the purchase.
The case went through B.C.'s Supreme and Appeal courts before making its way to the Supreme Court of Canada, which ruled in favour of Aquilini.
Aquilini bought half the team from Seattle's John McCaw in November 2004, shortly after talks for the team collapsed with Gaglardi and Beedie.
Costs for the legal court battle have reached millions of dollars. Gaglardi and Beedie were also ordered to pay Aquilini's costs for their failed high court appeal.
With files from the Canadian Press
