Pittsburgh CBS television affiliate KDKA this afternoon is reporting that Penguins’ owner Mario Lemieux is set to inform NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that months’-long discussions between the team and city officials have produced little toward an agreement on a new arena, and that his ownership group has no recourse but to look elsewhere.
In a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Lemieux said that the Pens “have no choice but to declare an impasse and to notify NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that we will aggressively explore relocation.”
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Kukla’s Korner has now linked to a Post-Gazette article with more information.
I am willing to lead a caravan to Fittsburgh, so we can assist with the move.
I’ve got some boxes in my house they can have.
Haven’t they already “aggresively explored relocation?” They went to pay KC a visit, and everything seemed to be in place. And then what was touted as this deadline came and went, and still this BS goes on.
I bet they are not going anywhere, for better or worse. This is all a war of pointless sound bites and quotes by the team to keep the heat on local government to get it done - like, “ok, we’re really going to leave now if we can’t get a deal.” Then, after a round of talks reach an impasse - “Ok, that’s it, we’re REALLY going to leave!” Then, after another round - “Ok, ok, now, that’s the last straw, we’re aggressively going to seriously consider the prospect of forming an initiative to plan a proposed relocation right away.”
Something will get done for the team to stay in Pittsburgh. It doesn’t make economic sense to move to another non-traditional market and the league won’t let it happen, one way or another. (Now moving to Winnipeg, that would be something!)
We’re going to Kansas city. We’re going to Kansas city. Kansas city here I come….
Until it gets to June, don’t believe any of it. By that time, the schedulemakers need to have some idea of when the arena(s) will be available, so if they’re in Pittsburgh, or Kansas City, or wherever, they can actually schedule everything. My guess is after the Cup finals, Bettman will get them together, everyone’s going to agree to a one year extension to give time for another buyer to come forward. And if they go past the first round, they may have a better chance of finding a buyer. Now, if we’re at the same crossroads at this time next season, a move may become likely.
Remember how it worked with baseball here. It wasn’t until the city said, “If you’re coming here, we need to know so we can handle scheduling/renovations at RFK.” THEN things started to move. Until this summer, it’s all posturing.
Im doing cartwheels down F Street when they move. Straight up.
This is the end game, when the parties can become rather contentious in staking out their “final” positions (from which a common ground can and will — see: Expos, Montreal — be found). In a perverse way, this is probably good news for Penguins fans. They might get a deal announced before the end of next week.
I agree that this is probably more posturing. I think there’s less than a 5% chance they move.
If that 5% event happens though, I’ll join Strung in cartwheeling.
I would help the pens move as well /me bitters caps fan.
Beep, beep, beep, beep. I want to go to Winnipeg……
Sydney
Bob McKenzie of TSN believes that the impasse is “the final negotiating tactic to get a deal done in Pittsburgh.”
“It appears the two sides have the basis for a deal in place, but there are concerns with the possibility of cost overruns on a new arena and who would be responsible for them.”
http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=199019&hubname=nhl
So, as Mr. Winston Wolf said in Pulp Fiction, “Let’s not start sucking each other’s [popsicles] just yet.”
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