Exploration of a potential Penguins sale continues for co-Owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux, who "issued a joint statement Thursday to refute a report of a sale-crippling rift between them," according to Bill West of the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW. The statement read, "There is no disagreement between us, and we remain completely aligned in both approach and philosophy. We continue to explore all of our strategic options, including a possible sale. There is not, and has never been, an established price for the team, and we are still in conversations with potential buyers." West notes the "initial price tag" for the Penguins was $750M, which, if agreed upon with a buyer, "would set a record for a U.S.-based NHL team." Much of the debate about the Penguins' value "centers on the worth of the development rights the organization holds to the 28-acre property where the Civic Arena once stood and whether those rights can be included in the sale" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 1/15). In Pittsburgh, Jenn Menendez notes Lemieux and Burkle have both "been largely silent on the matter since announcing in June that they had retained Morgan Stanley to 'explore their options' regarding a sale of all or some of the franchise." One more complication in a possible sale is that U.S. Steel announced in November it was "pulling out of a deal with the Penguins to build their headquarters at the redevelopment site because of mounting financial troubles" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 1/15).
