This may be a bold statement, but I’m going to make it anyway.
There is no organization in all of sports with the history and success of the Pittsburgh Penguins that owes it all to one man. Obviously, that man is Mario Lemieux.
That’s why when the news breaking late on Wednesday that Lemieux, along with business partner Ron Burkle, was exploring the possibility of selling his stake in the team, sentiments were strong in the Steel City.
It’s not that there is a fear of the team leaving, at least not a grounded one, anyway. The team’s lease at Consol Energy Center runs through 2040.
It also shouldn’t make an appreciable difference in the product on the ice, either. Stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury are locked into long-term contracts. The team’s 377-game sellout streak should be an indication that whoever owns the club, it will be successful enough at the gate to field a competitive roster.
No, sentiments were strong because Lemieux as anything other than a big part of the Penguins feels… wrong.
The man has been heavily involved with the franchise since 1984. In that time, he’s been a player, captain, president, chairman, CEO, owner and for a time, all of the above.
His legacy as one of the greatest players to ever lace up skates in unquestioned. Widely considered the most naturally gifted hockey player of all time, he led the Penguins to two Stanley Cups and won a Canada Cup, a World Cup and an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada.
As an owner, he turned a bankrupt team on the brink of relocation into one of the league’s premier franchises and collected a well-deserved third Stanley Cup ring.
It’s clear that Lemieux loves the Penguins and loves the city. He fought harder than any person to keep them in town when the future looked as bleak as could be. His foundation’s charitable work has dedicated millions to fund medical research and improve hospital experiences for young children.
His initial investment – $32.5 million of deferred salary – should be repaid many times over if he finds a buyer for his share of the club. It will be a profit well deserved.
Lemieux assuaged fans by releasing a statement saying, “Regardless of what happens, I plan on staying involved with the team in some capacity, and Ron and I plan to retain an ownership stake.”
He owes the team and the city absolutely nothing at all, and has certainly deserved the right to take whatever role he cares to.
As for the team’s new ownership group, whoever they may be, they will be able to count themselves among those who will owe their success to Lemieux.
There’s a great likelihood that group won’t include a Hockey Hall of Famer who is universally loved by the community. A look around the rest of the division reveals such luminaries as cable tycoons, a Chinese billionaire and the guy that used to send you free AOL CD’s as majority shareholders. It may not be an easy transition for Pittsburgh hockey fans to make.
Trepidation, then, is probably the most accurate summation of the fanbase’s collective status, and it’s understandable. But in an emotional time such as this, I believe the most appropriate sentiment is a simple one.
Merci, Mario.
Whatever happens in the future will never change the status of “The Magnificent One” as the man that forever saved hockey in Pittsburgh.
