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Jan 19, 2006 8:32 pm US/Eastern
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Penguins For Sale; Could Leave Pittsburgh
by Andy Sheehan
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Mario Lemuiex showed all the frustration of his five-year effort to get a new arena built in Pittsburgh and announced that the team is up for sale on Thursday.
Lemuiex says he's doesn't want to move the team out of town, but he's not going to stand in the way either.
"It's on the block," Lemieux said.
But in the short-term, the Penguins are not leaving town.
"Our preference would be to keep the team here in Pittsburgh forever," Lemieux said.
Whoever would buy the team would have to keep them in town under an agreement the Penguins have struck with Isle of Capri casinos, which has promised to build a new arena if they get a slots license.
If Isle of Capri doesn't get the license, all bets are off.
Lemieux says he wants to sell now so that he's the not the one moving the team.
"I'm not going to be the one that's going to move the franchise," Lemieux said. There's a possibility of that happening if we don't get the license and the arena isn't built."
While Lemuiex said he'd prefer to sell to a group that intends to keep the team in Pittsburgh, there's definite interest from cities who would like the Penguins to relocate.
The Penguins are committed to playing at the Mellon Arena through the end of the 2006-2007 season.
They would need league approval to move, but after that they're free to go.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)