Once the lease on the Mellon Arena expires in 2007, Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux believes there is only "a slim chance" the franchise will remain in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

 

Lemieux cites the lack of progress toward getting the up-to-date arena for his pessimistic view.

 

"I think we're really running out of time," Lemieux told the paper, his tone laced with frustration. "We probably ran out of time already. It's been unfortunate that the city and the county haven't been willing to work with us over the last two or three years."

 

With potential suitors in Kansas City and possibly Houston on the horizon, the Penguins' board of directors will meet this week with the long-term outlook of the team a likely topic of discussion.

 

"We'll sit down with everybody [to] understand what's at stake with our investment, and what's best for the franchise," Lemieux told the Post-Gazette.

 

Even if a new arena is approved, the process of building a new facility takes approximately three years.

 

"By the time we'd get the arena built, it's going to be another four or five years," Lemieux told the paper. "Can we afford to stay here for another four or five years and assume the losses? I'm not sure."

c/o ESPN

:bsflag

 

sum1 needs 2 buy www.mariopleasesellthepenguins.com :Smash :wee

Two teams that really didn't need another stadium (well, maybe just one) and another that really needs it but can't get the funding. Sound familiar?

We'll see what happens here. I know they have been losing money for a long time and if Mario Lemieux hand saved them 6 or 7 years ago they probably wouldnt still be in Pitt.

 

Kansas City and Houston dont seem like good alternatives, but we'll see what happens.

 

Bring back the Whalers!!!

We'll see what happens here. I know they have been losing money for a long time and if Mario Lemieux hand saved them 6 or 7 years ago they probably wouldnt still be in Pitt.

 

Kansas City and Houston dont seem like good alternatives, but we'll see what happens.

 

Bring back the Whalers!!!

 

Kansas City is gettin a state of the art arena soon.

Houston would work.

 

Fourth largest city in the USA, FTW.

We'll see what happens here. I know they have been losing money for a long time and if Mario Lemieux hand saved them 6 or 7 years ago they probably wouldnt still be in Pitt.

 

Kansas City and Houston dont seem like good alternatives, but we'll see what happens.

 

Bring back the Whalers!!!

 

Kansas City is gettin a state of the art arena soon. Kansas City hasn't seen a hockey team since the Chiefs left. That would be pretty awesome. Bring back the Chiefs!

I was going to make a joke about needing a pro hockey team here, but hell, we have more wins than the Penguins.

 

Anyway, it'd be sad to see the Pens leave Pittsburgh, but if Mario can't get them to build the friggin arena, no one can.

 

As said before, bring back the Whale.

Winnipeg's supposedly built a snazzy new arena that could house an NHL team.

 

Bring back the Jets!

 

(The Whale would work too)

Welcome to the club, Pittsburgh.

Pens expected to announce arena financing plan

Associated Press

 

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins have called a 2 p.m. ET news conference at which the team is expected to announce plans to finance a new arena.

 

Tom McMillan, the team's vice president of communications, said the conference will address a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the arena will be part of a $1 billion development. The newspaper says the project is being backed by an unknown gambling company that wants one of the state's new slot machine licenses.

 

The gambling company would pledge the new money for the arena -- which is said to be about $290 million -- as a condition of getting the gambling license.