News Article: Penguins Sale Possible This Week

[66-30-33]

Nice so Pens have new owners once the NHL agrees.

Maybe they can buy the Pirates now LOL!!!

 

[DesertedPenguin]

The Penguins are in a very different place compared to where the Red Sox and Liverpool when Fenway Sports Group acquired those franchises.

Liverpool was approaching bankruptcy. The Red Sox had the longest championship drought in sports. Both teams needed an operational overhaul.

The Penguins have been one of the most successful and marketable franchises in the NHL the last 15 years. Some people may not like Burke and Hextall, but they're two highly respected hockey operations personnel who haven't even been on the job a full calendar year.

Hextall spent the off-season building out the hockey ops department, adding scouts and analytics staff. Maybe they'll add more now that FSG will have deeper pockets.

This is why Lemieux and Burke stayed on. They still want to be part of this franchise because they believe good people are in place and that those managers will now have some added financial resources that Lemieux and Burke couldn't provide. Remember, it's not just spending to the cap - it's hiring off-ice personnel, providing amenities, and staying up to date with training facilities.

That's where you'll see the FSG impact. The hockey ops leadership won't be touched and will be given every chance to reload on the fly as the franchise transitions out of the 87/71 era over the next five years.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Man, anybody who was a fan during all the ownership drama from 1997 to, well, when the new arena got built... this all feels a little surreal. Just a nice smooth transition into continued financial stability. I love it.

Amen. For all the success we've witnessed as Penguins fans, it remains Mario making a quick announcement that the team would remain in Pittsburgh that elicited the greatest emotion from me. Even as I had one foot out of Pittsburgh myself.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Are we all in agreement to stay fans after we inevitably re-brand as the Nantucket Narwhals?

Hell yeah, that's a great name for a team.

 

[SEALBound]

@Pens x

"They're...They're...THEY'RE S...ssss...SSSSSS...SSSSSLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPING!!!!"

I'm trying to legitimately quantify the arrogance and/or ignorance required to assume that someone would have a better understanding of how to run a successful organization than Brian Burke, Rox Hextall, and Mario Lemieux. My brain's CPU and RAM can't run the equations needed to even approach that number. If it's even a number. Might be a letter. Or letters. English or non-English, who knows.

 

[SEALBound]

Hell yeah, that's a great name for a team.

Trademarked and Copyrighted. All rights Reserved.

 

[Pens x]

The Penguins have been one of the most successful and marketable franchises in the NHL the last 15 years. Some people may not like Burke and Hextall, but they're two highly respected hockey operations personnel who haven't even been on the job a full calendar year.

Hextall spent the off-season building out the hockey ops department, adding scouts and analytics staff. Maybe they'll add more now that FSG will have deeper pockets.

This is why Lemieux and Burke stayed on. They still want to be part of this franchise because they believe good people are in place and that those managers will now have some added financial resources that Lemieux and Burke couldn't provide. Remember, it's not just spending to the cap - it's hiring off-ice personnel, providing amenities, and staying up to date with training facilities.

Hextall hired a 22 year old kid to help with analytics and lost Ventura. Burke is living on fumes from the 1999 draft when he snagged both Sedins. He did some good things in Anaheim, but that was like 15 years ago.

I don’t think Hextall is highly respected at all.

 

[Night Shift]

Hextall hired a 22 year old kid to help with analytics and lost Ventura. Burke is living on fumes from the 1999 draft when he snagged both Sedins. He did some good things in Anaheim, but that was like 15 years ago.

I don’t think Hextall is highly respected at all.

Dam I wish we were in a spot to draft twins in the first.

I do remember that draft. Back in the day espn2 carried the drafts..ha

 

[Pens x]

Dam I wish we were in a spot to draft twins in the first.

I do remember that draft. Back in the day espn2 carried the drafts..ha

Yep, and every time I hear Burke on podcasts, he has to tell the same gee dee story how he coordinated moving up in the draft to take them. His other go to is when he acquired Chris Pronger.

Im not sure the Fenway group wants to pay a professional storyteller. Clearly, he’s not doing much to make changes players personnel wise here. At some point, success from 20 years ago means very little.

 

[Night Shift]

Yep, and every time I hear Burke on podcasts, he has to tell the same gee dee story how he coordinated moving up in the draft to take them. His other go to is when he acquired Chris Pronger.

Im not sure the Fenway group wants to pay a professional storyteller. Clearly, he’s not doing much to make changes players personnel wise here. At some point, success from 20 years ago means very little.

Relax we have wascally Erod with all his tricks..every one can chest thump now

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Hextall hired a 22 year old kid to help with analytics and lost Ventura. Burke is living on fumes from the 1999 draft when he snagged both Sedins. He did some good things in Anaheim, but that was like 15 years ago.

I don’t think Hextall is highly respected at all.

Remember the discussion on "In The Room" between Rutherford, Sullivan and the front office staff about signing Dom Simon, Evan Rodrigues and Mark Jankowski? It was the origin of Mike Sullivan's "He's going to score goals" quote regarding Evan Rodrigues.

Here's the scene if you need a refresher -


Ventura advocates for the centers (Rodrigues and Jankowski). The group decides to do Rodrigues first, and then Ventura asks about Jankowski again. So maybe Ventura isn't the golden boy everyone thought he was.

By the way, this scene came back up in the most recent "In The Room" with even more context. In fact, I'm not sure why they didn't show more to begin with. It also includes a positive comment about Kapanen.

 

[SomeDude]

Ventura advocates for the centers (Rodrigues and Jankowski). The group decides to do Rodrigues first, and then Ventura asks about Jankowski again. So maybe Ventura isn't the golden boy everyone thought he was.

Ventura was hired by Buffalo, who just signed Jank. The guy doubled down. On Mark Jankowski.

 

[Pens x]

Remember the discussion on "In The Room" between Rutherford, Sullivan and the front office staff about signing Dom Simon, Evan Rodrigues and Mark Jankowski? It was the origin of Mike Sullivan's "He's going to score goals" quote regarding Evan Rodrigues.

Here's the scene if you need a refresher -


Ventura advocates for the centers (Rodrigues and Jankowski). The group decides to do Rodrigues first, and then Ventura asks about Jankowski again. So maybe Ventura isn't the golden boy everyone thought he was.

By the way, this scene came back up in the most recent "In The Room" with even more context. In fact, I'm not sure why they didn't show more to begin with. It also includes a positive comment about Kapanen.

Oh I don’t care that Ventura left, but to say Hextall bolstered our analytics department is complete nonsense.

 

[edog37]

Man, anybody who was a fan during all the ownership drama from 1997 to, well, when the new arena got built... this all feels a little surreal. Just a nice smooth transition into continued financial stability. I love it.

you should’ve been around in the early 80s. The ownership circus back then was far worse.

 

[edog37]

I'm pretty sure Mario never had a controlling interest. That was all Ron Burkle.

he didn’t. Ron Burkle was always the money guy

 

[Gurglesons]

 

[HandshakeLine]

I love the fact that wealthy ass GOAT athletes love to dress like a teenager going to prom.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

"This season, on the Bachelor...."

 

[Andy99]

Ryan Kennedy
@THNRyanKennedy
·
55m
Pittsburgh Penguins sale news: hearing the value of the transaction will be $915 million; Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle will retain a combined five percent of the franchise

 

[HandshakeLine]

Ventura was hired by Buffalo, who just signed Jank. The guy doubled down. On Mark Jankowski.

"You took all the money you made franchising your name and bet it against the Harlem Globetrotters?"
"I thought Generals were due!"

 

[Headshot77]

FSG coughed up 870 million dollars, jeez

 

[dogthateats]

 

[spcastlemagic]

he didn’t. Ron Burkle was always the money guy

Mario Lemieux mad over messed-up Penguins sale
These guys say 40% for Mario and 25% for Burkle. Who knows how accurate that is. Now, Burkle was the money guy in that he actually had liquid assets to pour into the franchise, and all Mario could do was own the thing. But Mario just secured himself nine-figure wealth from a $25 million gamble 25 years ago. Not bad.

 

[Beauner]

FSG coughed up 870 million dollars, jeez

Hope they used a credit card with good cash-back rewards

 

[Sorry]

Has an NHL franchise ever been sold for more?

Long way from the dark days boys. What an amazing franchise.