the Pens will stay in the Steel City.

So sayeth the WWL, anyway, and qualified with a "reports" header to kind of half-ass the statement therein.

If eventually confirmed, it's the smartest move for both the team and the league -- there are teams in hockey that are not Original Six teams, but for all intents and purposes, ought to be treated like them when it comes to the possibility of relocation, and Pittsburgh is one of them. Problem: the price tag of the alleged agreement apparently exceeds the already gargantuan sum of $290 million. Again, who pays it? RUTS left a comment in the prior thread on this topic that stands out: we don't talk nearly enough about states and municipalities having to cough up for stadiums, especially when PA taxpayers have shilled out for the Pirates, Eagles, Phillies, and Steelers recently.

Major cities are going to need to drive harder bargains with professional leagues over the sports complexes. Arenas need to be dual-use where possible, and maybe the concept of four-sport cities just may not be sustainable for that much longer. We may have to move to four-sport "regions," meaning main cities and suburbs. The best examples I have are the various SF Bay Area teams, who run six teams through SF, Oakland, and San Jose, and the 49ers and A's are planning on bailing for Santa Clara and Fremont, respectively.