Jun 14, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins owners Ron Burkle (left) and Mario Lemieux (right) take part in the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally in downtown Pittsburgh. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/762edf3f-a889-4012-8d0b-bb777f5f887d.jpeg] Jun 14, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins owners Ron Burkle (left) and Mario Lemieux (right) take part in the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally in downtown Pittsburgh. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images On Dec. 9, 2021, the Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins]' organization saw a drastic change when longtime owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle sold the team to Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and retained a small minority share. Now, according to a new report, they may be roaring back into the picture. On Wednesday, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun of TSN reported [https://x.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1932880040636649700] that the group of Lemieux, Burkle, and David Morehouse are "investigating the possibility of buying back the Penguins from Fenway Sports." He added that Lemieux's group declined to comment and that Fenway is "already talking to another group." FSG has been exploring the partial sale of the Penguins for several months, as it was reported back on Jan. 28 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/fenway-sports-group-takes-penguins-to-market-for-minority-sale-what-to-know] that co-owners Tom Werner and John Henry were looking to sell a minority investment share. Although this is relatively common in the sports world, the initial belief was that FSG expected to maintain controlling interest of the Penguins. Any change in ownership - even in terms of minority shares - has to be approved by the league. Fenway Sports Group Takes Penguins To Market For Minority Sale: What To Know [https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/gcuG9Eu5/poster.jpg?width=720] Fenway Sports Group Takes Penguins To Market For Minority Sale: What To Know Fenway Sports Group - who's had controlling interest in the Penguins since 2021 - is still expected to retain majority share [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/fenway-sports-group-takes-penguins-to-market-for-minority-sale-what-to-know] As of now, their interest in remaining majority owners [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/fenway-sports-group-takes-penguins-to-market-for-minority-sale-what-to-know] is still a reality. However, if Lemieux reenters the picture, it's hard to imagine that FSG would be getting the type of "passive" minority investor that they have seemed to value since news of the minority sale came to light. As an owner, Lemieux won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2009, 2016, and 2017. He and Burkle initially purchased the team in 1999 out of bankruptcy and remained the majority investors in the franchise until 2021 - more than 22 years later. Stay tuned to the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins] to follow how this situation develops. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwquDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
