The Confluence

Penguins’ CEO Ken Sawyer to retire Aug. 31, Morehouse to take over

by Tony on 03/18/10 at 10:50 AM ET
Comments (1)

From the Penguins:

Ken Sawyer, the senior executive who led the Pittsburgh Penguins out of bankruptcy to become one of the premier franchises in the NHL, and who oversaw the construction of the new Consol Energy Center, will retire on August 31, the team announced today.

Sawyer joined the Penguins as executive vice president when co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle bought the team in 1999, was named president in 2003 and has led the organization as CEO since 2006. During his tenure the Penguins emerged from the depths of bankruptcy to become one of the hottest tickets in the NHL, with a sellout streak of more than 150 games, while reaching back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals and winning the Cup in 2009. His crowning achievement was the development and construction of Pittsburgh’s spectacular new arena, expected to open in August.

Lemieux and Burkle announced that David Morehouse, who has served the team as president since 2007, will now lead the Penguins in the dual role of CEO and president.

Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,

Latest Consol Energy Center construction update

by Tony on 03/16/10 at 09:52 PM ET
Comments (2)

Stick-tap to PensTV’s Katie O’Malley:

Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,

Call Cooke dirty if you must, but then include Ovechkin in the same breath

by Tony on 03/14/10 at 09:00 PM ET
Comments (62)

NHL Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals

As much as I’m not going to continue to beat to death the “head shot” issue, I’m not going to defend Matt Cooke’s actions either. Whether it be a terribly confusing set of rules that deal with hits to the head, or intents to injure, or whatever, there’s just gotta be a way that shots to the head can be removed from the game as much as possible.

Having said that, so you want to call Cooke a dirty player? Fine, knock yourself out (no pun intended). I won’t even argue with you.

But if you do it, you had better call Alex Ovechkin one as well. And please, before you spew about at how “high level” Ovechkin plays at, watch the multitude of clips at the jump.

Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Washington+Capitals,

High tech controls ice quality at Consol Energy Center

by Tony on 03/14/10 at 09:42 AM ET
Comments (0)

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Dave Molinari:

“A great deal of planning goes into the ice surface preparation because that’s so important to our game,” said Ken Sawyer, the team’s chief executive officer. “We’re expecting better ice than we have [at Mellon Arena], and certainly are doing everything we can to have the best ice.”

That process starts far away from the arena floor because the most significant factor in determining ice quality is the amount of humidity in the air.

“We invested in a high-quality ‘envelope’ for the building, meaning the exterior ‘container’ to make sure we have the best materials in glass, seals, etc. that would really help to keep unwanted moisture from entering the building,” Sawyer said.

Continue Reading:

Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,

Penguins serve tables at annual charity gala

by Tony on 03/12/10 at 10:06 AM ET
Comments (5)

UPDATE: Video is online now.

From the Penguins:

Pittsburgh Penguins management, coaching staff and players hosted a sold-out Skates & Plates Charity Gala presented by Trib Total Media to benefit the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Mario Lemieux Foundation on March 9 at the Carnegie Music Hall.

The event grossed over $350,000.

Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins

Penguins’ “Dallas” pre-black open

by Tony on 03/11/10 at 04:41 PM ET
Comments (9)

Stick-tap to the Penguins’ Chris Devivo for the upload. This is the “Dallas"-themed video that is shown at the Igloo:

Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,

Will “Superstar” Talbot be the odd man out?

by Tony on 03/11/10 at 10:36 AM ET
Comments (22)

NHL Stanley Cup Final Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings

It’s a nice luxury for Penguins’ head coach Dan Bylsma to have.

The trade deadline day acquisition of Alexei Ponikarovsky, along with the recent non-suspension of Matt Cooke and the healed back of Bill Guerin, has forced HCDB into having to make a difficult decision starting with tonight’s game in Raleigh. With 13 forwards on the roster, who’s gonna sit ?

Realistically, Bylsma only has a few choices. But one recent Penguins hero may have to be the odd man out.

The “Superstar”.

Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,

Fedotenko Aims for Another Strong Finish

by Tony on 03/09/10 at 10:17 AM ET
Comments (1)

The Penguins version of a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. From PittsburghPenguins.com’s Jason Seidling:

Fedotenko and Malkin have continued to skate together for much of this season. Following last Tuesday’s trade deadline they have been joined by newcomer Alexei Ponikarovsky, a long-time friend of Fedotenko who grew up in the same town of Kiev.

Ponikarovsky’s addition gives the line three big bodies who all play a relatively similar game, which has helped the unit form an instant chemistry.

“So far so good,” Fedotenko said of his line. “I feel like we have had two good games. I feel like we would definitely like to create more scoring, though. We have had good puck possession and created some chances. It is only a matter of time when we really click in and know where each one of us is located so we finish and score some goals.”

Continue Reading:

Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,

Ponikarovsky, Leopold will make Penguins even tougher team to beat

by Tony on 03/06/10 at 09:59 PM ET
Comments (6)

The Penguins’ two acquisitions at the trade deadline didn’t make big headlines around the NHL, especially compared to the Hossa deal of two seasons ago. Two good, but not great players at forward and defense.

Some would argue they didn’t need too much help to begin with. I’m not one of those people, but some would.

But with Alexei Ponikarovsky and Jordan Leopold now in the Penguins’ fold, it makes an already-strong group that much stronger, and that’s not good news for the rest of the NHL.

Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,

Ponikarovsky Excited to Join Penguins

by Tony on 03/04/10 at 09:53 AM ET
Comments (1)

From PittsburghPenguins.com’s Jason Seidling:

“It’s a good feeling because (Toronto) hasn’t been a contender for the playoffs the past four or five years now,” Ponikarovsky said. “I remember the days when we were playing in the playoffs every year. It’s a big change right now for me. I am excited.

“The Maple Leafs are my first team. I was drafted by them and they helped me become an (NHL) player. But I am going to be 30 years old (on April 9). It was time for me to move on. I know that trades happen. Sometimes they are good and sometimes they are bad. I am pretty happy with the trade and where I am coming to.”

Penguins fans will have to wait to see Ponikarovsky make his debut in a Pittsburgh sweater as he won’t have a working visa in time to dress against the New York Rangers on Thursday. His first game will instead occur at Mellon Arena on Saturday when the Penguins play host to the Dallas Stars.

Continue Reading:

Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next »

Page rendered in 1.1116 seconds
Total Entries: 41981
Total Comments: 238880
Total Members: 2229
Total Logged in members: 1
Total guests: 89
Total anonymous users: 1
The most visitors ever was 2044 on 01/29/2010 03:14 pm

About The Confluence

Welcome to The Confluence, a Pittsburgh Penguins blog since 2006. Originally at Blogspot, then at MVN, The Confluence has over 1000 articles reporting Penguins news as well as jumping on my soapbox to opine constructive Penguins criticism. My posts are regularly linked by hockey websites such as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Empty Netters and Yahoo!’s Puck Daddy, and I’ve done guest blogger spots on such websites as the New York Times. I invite you to spend a little time and peruse the archives at all of the sites for some of my better work. I am a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, but don’t confuse me with my fellow Chief at A2Y.

Please feel free to send any comments to me at . If you’d like to befriend me on Facebook, click here. If you’d like to join The Confluence page on Facebook, click here. If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, click here.