Mario Lemieux Very Interested in Purchasing Penguins

On Nov. 29, 2021, Pittsburgh Penguins owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle sold a controlling stake in the team to Fenway Sports Group in a deal that valued the franchise at $900 million. Less than four years later, it seems there may be some seller's remorse.

According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, the group led by Lemieux, one of the greatest players in NHL history who spent his entire career in Pittsburgh, remains "very interested" in buying back the Penguins. This comes just one month after Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN reported that Lemieux, Burkle and former CEO David Morehouse, who's now an advisor with the Pittsburgh Steelers, had interest in buying the team once again.

However, FSG has maintained that it has no interest in selling the team at the moment.

“We’ve seen the speculation, and as we’ve previously shared with media, Fenway Sports Group is currently engaged in a process to explore a potential minority investment in the Pittsburgh Penguins,” an FSG spokesperson said in a statement to The Athletic. “The focus is on identifying a small, passive partner, and that is the current framework under discussion with potential investors.”

Despite that, Yohe's source said that Lemieux's group is "considering its financial options." NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has also reportedly been made aware of the group's efforts.

Franchise valuations across the NFL have shot up since Lemieux and co. sold the Penguins. Forbes recently valued the team at $1.75 billion, while Sportico valued it at $1.47 billion.

As such, buying back the Penguins could prove very costly for Lemieux and co. Reportedly, the group hopes that FSG will listen to a "reasonable" price considering the team's recent struggles, and that the expected expansion in the next few years could produce a financial windfall around the league.

Lemieux, 59, is basically synonymous with the Penguins franchise. Not only was he an absolute monster on the ice, but he essentially saved the team from relocating twice, first as a player in the 1980s and then again as an owner in the 2000s.