Lemieux, Burkle made right call not selling team

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two years ago, Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle flirted with the idea of a possible sale of the team.

Two Stanley Cup championships later, and it’s doubtful Lemieux and Burkle are second-guessing their decision to yank the team off the market.

Not when the Penguins consistently smashed viewership records throughout the postseason, filled PPG Paints Arena for a raucous watch party Sunday night and became the first NHL club since 1997-98 to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

“We were exploring all options,” Lemieux said on the ice Sunday after the Penguins’ 2-0 victory against the Nashville Predators in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final at Bridgestone Arena. “We’re happy with the way we’ve been doing business over the last few years. For us, it’s about winning and giving these guys a chance to win a Stanley Cup every year. With that, we’re happy.” So, too, is the NHL. The Penguins remain among the league’s sexiest draws, an outfit built on star power and a lot of winning, a slam-dunk way of selling the sport to the masses.

Game 6 for the Penguins drew a 40.0 rating locally, up from 35.1 for Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks a year ago. It ranks as the second-best all time for Pittsburgh, behind a 42.2 for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final in 2009.

Over the past 10 years, the Penguins are either first or tied for first leaguewide in every conceivable category used to quantify team success: Stanley Cup titles (3), Cup final appearances (4), conference final appearances (5), playoff wins (90), postseason games played (152) and regularseason wins (467).

Couple all that with the Penguins sellout streak — currently at 484 — and it’s easy to see what Lemieux means when he said business has been good.

“It’s amazing for these guys,” Lemieux said. “To be able to do it three times in a short period of time, it’s special.”

The Penguins have enjoyed a remarkable past 10 years, but Lemieux cautioned against calling this a dynasty.

“It’s not a dynasty,” Lemieux said. “To be a dynasty you have to win four or five in a row. Not quite there.”

Patrick Smith/Getty Images Penguins owner Mario Lemieux raises the Stanley Cup after a 2-0 victory Sunday night against Nashville, marking the fifth time Lemieux has celebrated a championship as a player or owner.