Not content with his starring role on HBO’s new “Big Love”, former MSG president Dave Checketts is coming back to the NHL in a big way. From the Salt Lake Tribune’s Michael C. Lewis and Michael A. Anatasi.

Not even two years after diving into sports ownership by bringing an expansion soccer franchise to Utah, millionaire entrepreneur Dave Checketts has landed one of the most storied franchises in the National Hockey League.

The Bountiful native and part-time Utah resident leads an investment group that has agreed to purchase the legendary but foundering St. Louis Blues – the team will have its record streak of 25 consecutive playoff appearances snapped this year – from Wal-Mart heirs Bill and Nancy Laurie for $150 million, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned.

The deal also includes the Savvis Center, the arena where the Blues play in downtown St. Louis, and will cost Checketts far less than the $250 million that sources said the Lauries initially wanted for the franchise.

Writing as someone who was once asked by security to “quiet down” during an AFL game for screaming at Checketts (apparently, his Garden employees liked him as much as I did — note that I wasn’t thrown out of the building), my heart goes out to all Blues fans. Short of Will Leitch replacing Mike Shannon, this is the worst possible thing that could happen to the city of St. Louis ; only the recent world-record stupidity of James Dolan’s stewardship of the Knicks and Rangers could obscure the lasting damage Checketts did to both franchises.