Pens Tidbits

[X-Terminator]

Good news on Malkin's progress:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_472905.html

Malkin skates for first time since injury
By Karen Price
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, September 30, 2006

There is still no timetable for Penguins center Evgeni Malkin's return from a dislocated shoulder, but the 20-year-old has started skating again. Malkin skated with assistant coach Andre Savard for about a half hour before practice Friday and after the Penguins' 4-3, overtime loss to the Sabres, accompanied the team to Buffalo, where he will skate again today.

"There's no ice (at Mellon Arena today), so he's going to come and skate on his own (today) after practice and continue his rehab with (trainers Chris Stewart and Scott Adams today) in Buffalo, so it will be good," general manager Ray Shero said last night. "Plus, it'll be good for him to get back on the road with the guys."

Yesterday was the first time Malkin skated since he collided with teammate John LeClair in his preseason debut Sept. 20. Malkin suffered a dislocation more commonly seen in car accidents than hockey games after he flipped over LeClair along the end boards.

"That was almost like a car accident," Shero said.

Malkin saw an NHL Players' Association doctor Monday, and the doctor didn't recommend surgery.

"He's making good progress, which is great," Shero said. "He's pretty much pain free, so now, it's a matter of strengthening the muscles and so forth -- and a matter of time.

"We're certainly not going to push it or rush it, but it's good when you have an injury like that just to get on the ice, feel the puck and get your legs."

[HometownGal]

Great news, XT! He's young, spirited and very tough (much like Ben). I hope he continues progressing and healing and doesn't push himself too much - we're going to need him this season! Can't wait to see him play live when he is cleared to return to practices/playing!

[Petesburgh66]

Pens reportdely sold

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=179841&hubname=

TSN.ca Staff with files

10/4/2006 8:04:15 PM

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a new tentative owner.

KDKA TV in Pittsburgh reports that an agreement is in place for the NHL team to be sold to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie for $175 million.

Balsillie, the owner of Waterloo, Ontario-based Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion, is expected to announce the purchase on Thursday. Balsillie will reportedly keep the team in Pittsburgh and he has no intention of moving it to Hamilton, Ont.

Other groups trying to buy the Penguins were Hartford businessman Sam Fingold and a group led by New York taxicab medallion financier Andrew Murstein, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and former star quarterback Dan Marino.

Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and his partners were approached by groups interested in purchasing the franchise back in January. Lemieux had said any new owners would be bound by an agreement to remain in Pittsburgh if a coalition assembled by the Penguins is awarded the license to run a slots parlor downtown.

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved Lemieux's reorganization plan to save the Penguins from bankruptcy in 1999. The Hall of Famer bought the team to help recover unfulfilled contractual payments by former Penguins owners and to keep the franchise in Pittsburgh, making him the first former player to become majority owner of his former team.

While it owned the team, the Lemieux group paid back in full all the money owed by the Penguins before they declared bankruptcy.

During Lemieux's time as owner, the Penguins reached the playoffs twice and Lemieux made a comeback in 2000 after having been retired for three seasons.

[X-Terminator]

Originally Posted by Petesburgh66

Pens reportdely sold

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=179841&hubname=
TSN.ca Staff with files

10/4/2006 8:04:15 PM

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a new tentative owner.

KDKA TV in Pittsburgh reports that an agreement is in place for the NHL team to be sold to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie for $175 million.

Balsillie, the owner of Waterloo, Ontario-based Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion, is expected to announce the purchase on Thursday. Balsillie will reportedly keep the team in Pittsburgh and he has no intention of moving it to Hamilton, Ont.

Sorry, but I'm not buying it. This jerkwad obviously lied through his teeth when he said that he had no interest in buying an NHL team. Why the hell should ANY Penguins fan believe this jerkwad now? Every time I see him or his name, I see L-I-A-R.

[Jeremy]

It doesn't matter what he wants to do. He can't move the team without the NHL's approval and they're not going to let the Pens move if there's a viable plan for a new barn.

[HometownGal]

The Pens aren't going anywhere, so don't worry XT!

XT and I share season tix and he's my guest tonight for the opener. If anyone is going to the game and wants to stop by and say hello, we're in Section D7, Row E, Seats 13 and 14.

LETS GO PENS!

[Petesburgh66]

Balsillie, Pens sign purchase agreement

Canadian Press

10/5/2006 5:27:31 PM

PITTSBURGH (CP) - Years of uncertainty surrounding the fate of the Pittsburgh Penguins gave way to hope Thursday with the news that Canadian executive Jim Balsillie has signed an agreement to buy the franchise.

Terms haven't officially been released but Balsillie is believed to be spending US$175 million for the NHL club.

Balsille, co-chief executive officer of Canada's Research In Motion Ltd. (TSX:RIM) - the maker of the BlackBerry - met with the Pittsburgh media Thursday night at Mellon Arena, where the Penguins are scheduled to face the Philadelphia Flyers in their season opener.

''It's exciting, the prospect of this team returning to the glory that (Mario Lemieux) led it to in the first two Cups.'' said Balsillie. ''It's a great hockey town.''

The deal still needs to be approved by the NHL board of governors, a process which is expected to be completed later this fall.

''We just signed it last night and I had to work today,'' Balsillie said. ''So I've got a lot of reading to do over this Thanksgiving Day long weekend.''

The Penguins, two-time Stanley Cup champions in the 1990s, were purchased in federal bankruptcy court in 1999 by a group that was led by Hall of Fame Penguins forward Mario Lemieux. Lemieux retired as a player last season and later put the team up for sale.

''Jim is as we all know a great businessman,'' said Lemieux. ''He has a great company up in Canada, but I think the most important thing is that he's a passionate hockey fan, which is going to be great for our franchise for many years to come.''

Rumours have swirled that Balsillie could move the team to Hamilton, which is close to his home and RIM's head office in Waterloo, Ont.

Lemieux was opposed to the move.

''It was very important for us to keep it here it Pittsburgh,'' said Lemieux. ''I think Jim is committed as long as we build a new arena and we have a fair deal.''

Balsillie indicated Thursday that he plans to keep the team in Pittsburgh.

''Pittsburgh has shown itself to be an outstanding hockey market, and the team has an incredible tradition of success and fan support,'' he said in a statement. ''With young stars such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, we all know the Penguins have a very bright future on the ice. I look forward to owning this team for a long time in Pittsburgh.''

The NHL does not want the Penguins to move.

''We are committed to keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh, provided the team has a new building,'' NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press on Thursday. ''Mr. Balsillie has assured the commissioner that he shares this commitment.''

Balsillie, 45, became the front-runner in the bidding for the team a few weeks ago after deal involving former Torontonian Sam Fingold fell apart this summer.<

Negotiations for an arena to replace the 45-year-old Mellon Arena have been held up because Lemieux's group has a deal with the Isle of Capri casino chain to build the arena at no cost to the team or city. That deal is contingent on Isle of Capri being granted the licence for a new downtown Pittsburgh slot machine parlour.

''This has to be done really soon,'' Balsille said. ''I sure hope it's done. I can't see it being spring before this is done. Does anyone want to wait another year?''

The licence is not expected to be awarded until at least the end of December.

City and Allegheny County officials have urged the team to agree to a Plan B deal to build the arena if Isle of Capri does not get the casino. Land for the project has been acquired across the street from Mellon Arena.

However, Lemieux's group has declined to accept the alternative plan, saying it is bound to the Isle of Capri deal.

Balsillie comes to the NHL with deep pockets.

The explosion of BlackBerrys has generated RIM's rapid growth. In late June, RIM issued better-than-expected results for its fiscal first quarter along with a rosy outlook for BlackBerry sales.

The firm brought in revenues of $613.1 million in the three months ended June 3, up 35 per cent from $453.9 million in the same period a year earlier - beating the consensus analysts' estimate by about $10 million.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=179841&hubname=

And don't think that all Canadians that post on this TSN article are completely stupid. Bunch of dolts. The Waterloo Penguins? It's not going to happen. The Waterloo /Kitchener area can not support a NHL team. These were some of the same ass clowns that wanted the Penguins to move to Winnipeg. Why?

And forget about Hamilton as well. Hamilton is a dying industrial city. With the environmental work I have done there, it's a dump. Balsillie may have paid $50,000 for legal advice to find a way to move an NHL team to Hamilton but it can't be done. First the Buffalo Sabres wouldn't allow it and second the Toronto Maple Leafs would have a problem with another team taking away it's market.

[Petesburgh66]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=179841&hubname=

What if the Penguins were moved?

Canadian Press

10/5/2006 5:08:31 PM

The NHL and new Penguins owner Jim Balsillie clearly want to keep the club in Pittsburgh but Hamilton, Winnipeg and Kansas City are waiting in the wings. Just in case.

''We're ready, willing and able,'' said Paul McGannon of NHL 21, a group of civic leaders from Kansas City trying to lure hockey's top league.

It's all speculation at this point because the NHL has no interest in discussing other cities.

''We have not and are not looking at anything at this point in time other than getting a new building in Pittsburgh and having the team stay there,'' NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told The Canadian Press on Thursday.

But that's where the ''what if'' comes into play. What if Pittsburgh doesn't deliver the new rink via its casino proposition? Then what? The lease on Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh expires at the end of June.

''I'm not holding my breath, but if those plans fall through I think Mr. Balsillie is in a great situation to move the team wherever he wishes to,'' Hamilton city councillor Terry Whitehead, who is spearheading efforts to bring NHL hockey to the steel city, said Thursday. ''And if it's his desire to move the team to the city of Hamilton, he does have that option, there's no question about it.''

Whitehead chaired a committee that negotiated a deal this year with an agent representing an interested party, believed to be Balsillie, although Whitehead wouldn't say, for first right of refusal for an NHL team at Copps Coliseum.

''That agent has since come back to us and requested an extension for the first right of refusal at Copps Coliseum,'' Whitehead said from Hamilton. ''This extension expires at the end of January.''

If Pittsburgh doesn't work out, Balsillie, co-chief executive officer of Canada's Research In Motion Ltd., has several options:

- Hamilton, where the 21-year-old Copps Coliseum would likely need a face lift;

- Kansas City, where the brand-new, 17,500-seat Sprint Center is scheduled to open next October - with no tenant in place at this point. No other pro hockey team currently plays in the city.

- Winnipeg, where the 15,015-seat MTS Centre opened in November 2004.

Other entertaining ideas that made the rounds in the wake of his purchase include Balsillie moving the team in RIM's backyard of Waterloo, Ont., or perhaps having a second team in the Greater Toronto area. Other cities that have been linked to the NHL in past years also include Quebec City, Seattle, Houston, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and Portland.

The Jets left Winnipeg for Phoenix in 1995 but if Mark Chipman has his way, the NHL will come back one day. Chipman, chairman of True North Sports & Entertainment, which owns the MTS Centre and the AHL's Manitoba Moose, definitely believes the new salary cap NHL can work in Winnipeg.

''We've done our homework with other Canadian NHL teams and gained an understanding of the new economics and we think that there's a reasonable possibility that it would be viable here,'' Chipman said Thursday from Winnipeg. ''The other issue has been, how do you get your hands on a team? Frankly, at that kind of acquisition price (Balsillie is believed to have paid US$175 million), it wouldn't be realistic to suggest anybody in this community ever could. But we could certainly be a partner for somebody because we have a building.''

That's what makes Hamilton, Kansas City and Winnipeg solid matches. They've got arenas waiting for an NHL tenant.

''I would consider ourselves as the No. 1 candidate,'' McGannon, whose group has hosted four NHL pre-season games in years past, said from Kansas City. ''We have a state-of-the-art building that opens next October. The luxury suites are already sold out.

''And the arena will be managed by AEG, an industry leader.''

That's where it gets interesting indeed. AEG is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation, which just happens to own the Los Angeles Kings, not to mention five MLS teams and a multitude of facilities including the Staples Center.

''Philip Anschutz, as the owner of the L.A. Kings, I would think would have some input,'' speculated McGannon. ''But at the end of the day, Jim as the new owner of the Penguins will call the shots.''

That's where Hamilton comes in, at least in Whitehead's view.

''I know that his wife, I believe, is from Hamilton, she has roots here and we're close to his business in Waterloo,'' said Whitehead. ''I think there's no question that the franchise in the city of Hamilton would be very successful from a business perspective. We sold about 14,000 season tickets within 24 hours when we applied for the last NHL expansion.''

He bristled when reminded that one knock on Hamilton is that the arena is seen as outdated by some, built in 1985.

''A lot of people are speaking from ignorance,'' Whitehead said. ''The reality is that Copps has the ability to raise the roof. It was designed to be expandable. So currently there's 17,500 seats, but the roof is designed to be raise and expand the boxes to meet the new NHL standards.''

Some also view Winnipeg's MTS Centre as a little small.

''I don't think that's the case,'' said Chipman. ''The only reason we're even being talked about nowadays is because we have an arena that is capable of hosting an NHL team. I wouldn't accept the notion that the arena is too small, we have an NHL-quality arena. We're also known to be a very solid hockey market.''

That's where both Winnipeg and Hamilton have the edge over Kansas City. they're natural hockey markets.

''We're a viable NHL market,'' insisted McGannon. ''We sold 12,000 tickets in 59 days after the lockout ended for a pre-season game between the Blues and the Predators.''

McGannon also said Kansas City is on Balsillie's radar.

''He already knows about Kansas City,'' said McGannon. ''He's already well aware of the option as far as Kansas City goes. We have a new building. Hamilton? How old is Copps, 20 years? Does it have luxury suites? Plus you have the whole territorial thing with Toronto and Buffalo. Here, this is blue sky. We would have nice divisional rivalries with St. Louis, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Minneapolis. There's a black hole in the middle of the country and we're right in the middle of it. ...

''We feel like we're a sports mecca in need of a winter sport.''

That has always been the biggest knock on Hamilton, that the Sabres and Leafs would block any move there. Whitehead doesn't buy it.

''I take a look at New Jersey, New York Islanders and the New York Rangers - they're relatively close as well and they've been surviving quite nicely,'' he said.

Either way, the debate will rage on until ground is officially broken on a new arena in Pittsburgh. In the meantime, other cities will keep dreaming.

''The NHL knows of our current status,'' said Chipman. ''It will continue to be a look-and-see approach for us, not just in terms of Pittsburgh but any other opportunities that might present itself over the next couple of years.''

Outside of Pittsburgh, all other NHL franchise are relatively stable at this point but that could change in places like Florida, Nashville and Anaheim.

Copps Coliseum isn't an NHL capacity sized rink. And you can't compare the NY market to Hamilton. Like I said. Hamildump is a dying city, just like their footballl team at "never win" stadium. I wish these guys would end this pipe dream. Your not getting a team.

[SteelCityMan786]

Penguins on the right foot to start the year with a 4-0 victory. LET'S GO PENS!!!!

[Petesburgh66]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=179902&hubname=

Who is Jim Balsillie?
Canadian Press

10/5/2006 1:26:49 PM

TORONTO (CP) - A billionaire with a love for hockey, Jim Balsillie revels in competition.

As co-CEO of Research In Motion Ltd. (TSX:RIM), the Waterloo, Ont.-based company famous for the ubiquitous handheld BlackBerry device so addictive it's earned the moniker "CrackBerry," Balsillie has fought off one rival after another.

"He's very competitive, always has been," his mother, Laurel, said in an interview with The Globe and Mail.

Now he wants to take on the rest of the NHL, using some of a personal fortune built on the incredible success of the BlackBerry to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Balsillie, 45, grew up in Peterborough, Ont., where he was immersed in sports. His father, who died last summer, had season tickets to the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League and often took his son to games. As an energetic child, Balsillie played hockey, badminton and basketball, and competed in track and field meets - all while deftly balancing school work, and at one time, five paper routes.

Now Balsillie plays right wing in a recreational league twice a week and plays corporate quarterback at Research In Motion.

A chartered accountant by training, Balsillie joined RIM in 1992 as chairman and co-CEO.

He's the financial brains behind the company, while Mike Lazaridis, who co-founded the company in the mid-1980s, handles the technical side of the business as co-CEO and president.

Under Balsillie and Lazaridis, Research In Motion has become a global powerhouse in the world of wireless electronic mail and one of the leading technology stocks in Canada or the United States.

Over the years, Balsillie has faced numerous questions about the latest so-called "BlackBerry Killer" about to enter RIM's home arena. Sometimes the challenge is software from Microsoft. Other times it's a device from Nokia or Motorola or Palm.

But Balsillie unerringly takes a "show-me" stance, challenging the questioner to distinguish between the hype surrounding the other team's latest star player and what they're actually able to deliver.

"I think that one has to understand that most of these companies have been bringing their best game to this space for over a decade," Balsillie told analysts last week on a RIM conference call.

"So this kind of competitive reality has been there from the beginning when we didn't have anything like the resources and position and capacity and experience and so on that we have today," he said.

"So if it's so easy, why did all these best efforts not derail us from the beginning?"

Research In Motion, founded in the mid-1980s and publicly traded since October 1997, has had its ups and downs - including a string of unprofitable quarters during the tech sector's downturn a few years ago. However, RIM shares are currently riding high.

At current stock prices, RIM has a total market value of about $22.5 billion. Balsillie's own stake in the company - about 12 million shares, according to regulatory documents filed last June - is currently worth about $1.4 billion.

Part of the recent success is due to the BlackBerry Pearl, a phone-like device that's got multimedia features for playing MP3 files and taking digital pictures. It's currently available in Canada only through Rogers Wireless and available in the United States only through T-Mobile, but will undoubtedly be rolled out to dozens of other carriers.

As a result, the analysts have raised their estimates for RIM shares and the stock is currently at about C$120 - up about 20 per cent from a week ago and in a trading range RIM visited only briefly in early 2000 and late 2004.

"We knew what we were capable of doing," Balsillie said in a recent interview. "We knew it was a home-run product."

Balsillie's unrelenting competitiveness was also evident throughout RIM's court battle against Virginia-based NTP Inc., a patent-holding company that successfully convinced a Virginia jury that the BlackBerry violated some of its patents.

The judge overseeing the case also ruled in NTP's favour, as did several higher courts on appeal, but Balsillie continued to fight - through the courts, the U.S. patent office, the media and in the U.S. Congress.

In the end, the two sides reached a compromise with RIM agreeing in late February to pay US$612.5 million for NTP's patents - a huge sum for many Canadian companies but an amount that Research In Motion was able to easily afford.

Balsillie earned his bachelor of commerce degree at the University of Toronto where he belonged to the Zeta Psi fraternity. After working as an accountant for a few years, he went on to complete a Masters of Business Administration at Harvard. He also holds an honorary engineering doctorate from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.

Balsillie met his future wife, Heidi, while studying in Boston. The couple has two children.

After graduation in 1989, Balsillie took a job at Sutherland Schultz Inc., a small technology company in Kitchener, Ont.

In 2002, Balsillie spent $30 million of personal funds to found the think-tank Centre for International Governance Innovation, which emphasizes the role of financial and economic institutions.

In 2000, he put $10 million of his money toward the founding of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in addition to $100 million from Lazaridis.