Government officials say they will turn to the National Hockey League (NHL) to prevent the Pittsburgh Penguins from moving, one day after the team said it had reached an impasse in negotiations with state, county and local officials to finance a new arena.
"The governor believes we have put an exceptionally attractive offer on the table," read a statement released by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's office.
Later in the day, Rendell told reporters: "If they don't take it, we're going to be up in New York asking the NHL to bar the Penguins from moving."
On Monday, the Penguins said they would actively pursue relocation and blamed government officials for failing to cut a new arena deal.
Owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle said the team had agreed to pay US$120 million over 30 years toward a new US$290 million arena and to cover any cost overruns.
RSS