Pittsburgh Penguins

The Fenway Sports Group, which currently owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC and 50 percent of RFK Racing, is reportedly interested in purchasing an NBA team, per Dan Primack of Axios. 

That pursuit would take place after the company's reported purchase of the Pittsburgh Penguins for $875 million. 

Per Primack, Fenway Sports Group is expected to "seek out [an NBA] target in 2022."

It's all part of the organization's reported plan to buy up "marquee franchises in different geographic markets," though Primack reported the ownership group was interested in purchasing the Boston Bruins had they been made available before entering negotiations with the Penguins. 

One interesting wrinkle in the group's reported interest in owning an NBA team is that the group has invested in SpringHill Company, which was founded by Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and agent Maverick Carter. Both James and Carter own small stakes in FSG. 

Given that James is a current player and Carter represents a number of NBA players, it could be a violation of the collective bargaining agreement for James to be an owner and a possible conflict of interest for Carter. 

Granted, James is 36 and only under contract with the Lakers through the 2022-23 season. It's possible he will retire before FSG is able to complete the purchase of an NBA team. 

The other possibility is that James would have to divest from FSG.

Another interesting factor: Perhaps James, as part owner of the Penguins, might help influence the NBA into putting a franchise in Pittsburgh:

However the situation plays out, it's appears Fenway Sports Group has broad ambitions to expand its ownership stake in the world of sports. 

The Fenway Sports Group, led by John Henry, is reportedly nearing an agreement to purchase a controlling stake in the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico.

Current owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle would be selling the majority of the team, although Lemieux reportedly plans to keep a minority stake, per Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports.

Fenway Sports Group currently owns the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC and Roush Fenway Racing among other ventures.

Henry has a net worth of $3.6 billion, per Forbes, while the group has other prominent investors including NBA star LeBron James and record executive Jimmy Iovine.

They can buy in to a franchise that has been one of the most successful in the NHL over the past few decades.

The Penguins have won five Stanley Cup titles in their history, including three since 2009. The team has made the playoffs in each of the last 15 seasons entering 2021-22.

Sportico listed the organization as the 15th most valuable in the NHL at $845 million, though Soshnick and Novy-Williams noted the Penguins led the league in local market ratings share last season. The team also sold out 633 straight games over a span of 14 seasons.

Lemieux, who spent 17 years playing for the Penguins and is the franchise's all-time goal-scoring leader with 690 in his career, could help keep some of the local flavor even after the sale.     

Former AHL coach Clark Donatelli has been indicted on four counts of sexual assault for allegedly touching the breast and vagina of Erin Skalde, the wife of Donatelli's former assistant coach Jarrod Skalde, in 2018, per Katie Strang of The Athletic.

At the time, Donatelli was head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, an AHL affiliate for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The indictment was issued by a Rhode Island grand jury in July, but he wasn't arraigned until Nov. 10 after he returned to the United States from Germany, where he had been coaching.

The report was filed by Erin Skalde, who has consented to be identified.

Skalde reportedly told the police that "Donatelli grabbed her breast and shoved his hand down her pants while Skalde, her husband and Donatelli went out together following a road game against the Providence Bruins," per Strang.

Skalde had also told Penguins officials of the alleged assault in June 2019, leading to Donatelli's departure from the organization. A lawsuit against the team also alleged the coach was a "serial harasser" who assaulted "numerous women."

The Penguins reached an undisclosed settlement with Erin and Jarrod Skalde last week.

"We are pleased to announce the resolution of the matter involving Erin Skalde and the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, which has come to a satisfactory conclusion for all parties involved," Erin Skalde’s attorneys, Gina A. DeBoni and Jason J. Friedl, said in a statement Tuesday. "We appreciate the collaboration the team has shown in acknowledging the concerns of our client."

Donatelli was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing in December.     

The Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to a settlement in the lawsuit involving sexual assault allegations against Clark Donatelli, who was formerly the head coach of the AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

The organization issued a statement on Tuesday announcing the settlement resolves "all claims" from the lawsuit:

Per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jarrod Skale, a former assistant on Donatelli's coaching staff, and his wife, Erin Skalde, filed a civil lawsuit against the Penguins. 

Erin Skalde said Donatelli sexually assaulted her on on Nov. 11, 2018, while the team was on a road trip in Providence, Rhode Island. The Skaldes' lawsuit also alleged the the Penguins fired Jarrod for reporting the sexual assault allegations. 

Donatelli originally took over as head coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an interim basis early in the 2015-16 season after Mike Sullivan was hired as Pittsburgh's head coach to replace Mike Johnston. 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton took the interim tag off Donatelli at the end of the 2015-16 season. The team announced on June 28, 2019, the 55-year-old resigned his position "due to personal reasons."

Jarrod Skalde remained with the Penguins through the 2019-20 American Hockey League season on new head coach Mike Vellucci's staff. He was fired by the team on May 5. 

Jarrod Skalde filed two lawsuits against the Penguins due to the allegations, both of which have now been settled, according to Mike DeFabo of the Post-Gazette. 

Per Vensel, the first lawsuit was filed in November 2020 in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania, with Skalde stating in the lawsuit that then-Wilkes Barre/Scranton general manager Bill Guerin told him to "stay quiet" about the alleged assault. 

Guerin, who is currently the Minnesota Wild general manager, denied the accusation.    

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that head coach Mike Sullivan will not be on the bench for Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers because of COVID-19 protocols.

With Sullivan out, assistant Todd Reirden will serve as the Pens' head coach for the Metropolitan Division contest.

Additionally, captain Sidney Crosby is in COVID-19 protocols following a positive test. Defensemen Brian Dumoulin, Chad Ruhwedel and Marcus Pettersson are also in COVID-19 protocols, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

With Evgeni Malkin having missed the entire season because of injury and Crosby having appeared in only one game, the Penguins are off to a slow start in 2021-22.

Through eight games, the Pens are 3-3-2, which leaves them in last place in the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division (the New York Islanders have eight points but in one fewer game).

The 53-year-old Sullivan is in the midst of his seventh season as head coach of the Penguins after previously serving as head coach of his hometown Boston Bruins for two seasons.

All told, Sullivan owns a 254-134-45 version in Pittsburgh and has led the team to the playoffs in each of the past six seasons.

The Penguins have not made it out of the first round of the playoffs in the past four seasons, but they did win the Stanley Cup in each of Sullivan's first two seasons at the helm.

Sullivan's absence is softened by the fact that Reirden brings some experience to the table.

Reirden spent five seasons in the NHL as a defenseman and has been a coach since 2007, including with the Pens from 2010-14. He served as the head coach of the Washington Capitals for two seasons from 2018-20, compiling an 89-46-16 record. 

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and defenseman Brian Dumoulin tested positive for COVID-19.

The team announced the news Wednesday, noting that Crosby has mild symptoms and Dumoulin is asymptomatic so far:

Crosby's status coming into the season was in flux after the Penguins announced in September he underwent wrist surgery and would miss the start of training camp. He made his season debut on Oct. 30, playing 19 minutes in Pittsburgh's loss to the New Jersey Devils.

The 34-year-old is one of the best players in NHL history. He is a three-time Stanley Cup winner and has a resume that includes two Hart Memorial Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, two Maurice Richard Trophies and two Conn Smythe Trophies.

Crosby is an elite goal scorer who can also set up his teammates with opportunities.

He led the league in points twice and isn't far removed from his 100-point season in 2018-19. Because of the wrist surgery, he has made just one appearance so far in 2021-22 and failed to register a point.

Dumoulin is in his ninth season with the Penguins and has played 18-plus minutes in each of the team's eight games so far this season.

With Crosby sidelined, look for Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger to see more time.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin and Pittsburgh Penguins owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle will be named as defendants in a sexual assault lawsuit, according to a statement in advance of the filing Tuesday.

Erin Skalde has said she was sexually assaulted by then-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach Clark Donatelli:

The lawsuit will state that sexual abuse took place on a team road trip to Providence, Rhode Island on November 11, 2018, and that the team's handling of the incident included [Skalde's husband] Jarrod being told to keep quiet by organization management, Erin being called a liar and never being interviewed as part of the team's investigation, along with Jarrod being fired from the organization.

TSN's Rick Westhead reported in December 2020 that Jarrod Skalde had filed a suit in a Pennsylvania U.S. District Court alleging that Donatelli assaulted Erin, his wife, while they were on a road trip.

Westhead shared details from the lawsuit: "Mrs. Skalde tried to fight off his sexual advances and told him to stop, but to no avail, as Mr. Donatelli escalated his attack, including reaching his hands into Mrs. Skalde’s shirt and repeatedly touching her breasts."

Donatelli then allegedly suggested that he ride with Erin in the back of the car the group arranged to take back to their hotel. Donatelli allegedly touched her breasts again and "forced his hands down her pants."

The Skaldes alerted Guerin, who was the Penguins' assistant GM and in charge of their AHL affiliate at the time, but they said Guerin instructed them to refrain from speaking about the allegations.

Donatelli and Guerin both declined to comment on the matter to Westhead, while the Penguins filed a motion to dismiss the suit.

Guerin later issued a statement in response to Westhead's article: "When I learned of these allegations, I promptly brought them to Pittsburgh Penguins senior management. The allegations were quickly investigated. I emphatically deny anything to the contrary."

Westhead reported on Oct. 22 the U.S. Center for SafeSport began investigating how Guerin responded to the Skaldes' allegations. In addition to his duties with the Wild, the 50-year-old is an assistant GM for Team USA's 2022 Olympic men's hockey team.

On Oct. 29, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic's Michael Russo that the league doesn't believe this is a "Chicago situation." Daly added that league officials haven't seen evidence indicating Guerin "at any time neglected his reporting duties or failed to follow up appropriately on (the) reported concerns."

By referencing a "Chicago situation," Daly alluded to the ongoing fallout from the NHL and the Chicago Blackhawks' failure to thoroughly investigate allegations of sexual assault made by former player Kyle Beach against then-Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.

The NHL fined the franchise $2 million following an investigation into its handling of the allegations. General manager Stan Bowman and senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac also resigned from their roles with the team.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby will make his first appearance of the season Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed following the team's morning skate that Crosby is ready to go.

"Sid and [Jeff Carter] are both going to play tonight," he said. "And I think it goes without saying, they offer us so much on both sides of the puck. We're just a much better hockey team when they're in our lineup. So we're excited to have them back in the lineup."

The 34-year-old forward underwent wrist surgery in September, with the team setting six weeks as the minimum time he'd miss. His debut will come a little after the seven-week mark.

Sullivan said Wednesday that Crosby was "day-to-day" and "getting real close" to a return.

Despite not having the services of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who's recovering from offseason knee surgery, the Penguins are 3-2-2 and sitting fifth in the Metropolitan Division. Things could be a lot worse for the team, given who has been missing.

But Pittsburgh has dropped three of its last four games and scored two goals in those contests. The Pens' power-play percentage (16.0) also ranks 22nd in the NHL.

"It makes our power play more dangerous," Sullivan said of Crosby and Carter's combined presence, the latter of whom has been in the league's COVID-19 protocol for the last three games. "It makes matchups more difficult for our opponents. It has a ripple effect on our whole team. But these guys are real good players. It's nice to get some of these guys starting to come back into our lineup."

Crosby in particular could be the perfect tonic for the team's offensive woes of late.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby is nearing a return to the ice after undergoing surgery on his left wrist in September.

"His status right now is day-to-day," head coach Mike Sullivan said Wednesday. "He participated out there [at practice] full capacity today. We will see how he responds... We think he's getting real close."

The Penguins said at the time of his procedure that Crosby would need at least six weeks to recuperate. Oct. 20 represented the six-week mark, so the eight-time All-Star should be healthy again soon as long as he didn't experience any setbacks in his recovery.

Crosby isn't the only notable goal scorer who has been absent from Pittsburgh's forward line to open the season. Evgeni Malkin remains unavailable because of offseason right knee surgery, with general manager Ron Hextall confirming in September he was likely to miss the first two months.

Despite not having Crosby and Malkin, the Penguins have eight points (3-1-2) through six games and sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division.

Sullivan was enthusiastic about Crosby's impact on the team at practice:

In terms of pure scoring, Pittsburgh hasn't missed the 34-year-old too much. The team is averaging four goals per game, tied for seventh-best in the league. Once Crosby is back in the lineup, he should help improve a power-play unit that's tied for a more modest 18th in conversion rate (19.1 percent).

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said Friday he has no target date to return to the Pittsburgh lineup after undergoing wrist surgery on Sept. 8, per The Athletic's Rob Rossi. 

Crosby has undergone two wrist surgeries in about a year to correct a left wrist injury that he says has bothered him since 2014.

The 34-year-old also told reporters Friday that surgery was more of a last resort. 

"It was something I was able to manage [for years]," Crosby said, per the Associated Press. "There were points where it bugged me more than others. You just get used to it. ... It became more and more of a factor last year and then into the summer. Just had to take care of it."

Crosby's initial recovery timeline was a minimum of six weeks. That six-week mark was Wednesday, but the star forward still isn't ready to return. 

Crosby practiced Friday but did not take faceoffs or contact, something he said he will need to show he can do comfortably before making his 2021-22 season debut, per Rossi. 

The veteran has been a staple in Pittsburgh's lineup since being drafted first overall in 2005. In 16 seasons, he has tallied 1,325 points (486 goals, 839 assists) in 1,039 games and has won three Stanley Cups, two Hart trophies, two Rocket Richard trophies, two Conn Smythe trophies and two Art Ross trophies. 

In addition to Crosby, the Penguins are also dealing with injuries and ailments to other key players, including Evgeni Malkin, who is recovering from knee surgery, Bryan Rust, who has a lower-body injury and Jeff Carter, who recently tested positive for COVID-19. 

Those issues don't seem to have been too costly for Pittsburgh so far. The Pens are 2-0-2 on the season entering Saturday's matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

If the Penguins can stay afloat with Crosby and Co. sidelined, they could become one of the most dangerous teams in the NHL once they return.