Reports: Fenway Sports Group in advanced talks to purchase Penguins

The Wall Street Journal and Sportico delivered bombshell reports Tuesday that the Fenway Sports Group is in advanced talks to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL. ESPN's Emily Kaplan has since confirmed that news. 

Penguins legend Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle have been the franchise's majority owners since 1999, when they saved the club from bankruptcy and ensured that it would remain in Pittsburgh on a long-term basis at a time when it was heavily linked with a move to Kansas City. Under their guidance, the Penguins landed both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby in draft classes, have won the Stanley Cup on three occasions (2009, 2016, 2017), and have become playoff mainstays. 

The Fenway Sports Group is known mostly by American fans for its ownership of MLB club the Boston Red Sox and also English Premier League side Liverpool Football Club. Four-time NBA champion LeBron James is a partner in FSG. 

Sportico recently valued the Penguins at $845 million, 15th among NHL teams. It's unclear if Lemieux would remain with the Penguins following a sale that must first be approved by the FSG board, the NHL, and the NHL Board of Governors. 

As noted by CBS Pittsburgh, the Penguins' impressive sellout streak of 633 consecutive games officially ended last month.