BlackBerry C.E.O. Buys Pittsburgh Penguins

You can hear the jokes now – will they all be required to have BlackBerries at their side when they step out onto the ice?

There are a lot of questions still to be answered after a Canadian businessman made a huge purchase on Thursday.

Jim Balsillie, the C.E.O. of BlackBerry-creator Research In Motion, will spend an estimated $175 million to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The deal comes as the two-time Stanley Cup winning NHL club continues to struggle in its longtime home. It was originally purchased by a group led by player Mario Lemieux, after the team declared bankruptcy in 1999.

When the star attraction retired last year, he decided to put the money loser up for sale.

He believes the Kitchener-based C.E.O. is a perfect fit for the franchise.

“Jim is a tremendous businessman and a passionate hockey fan, and I think he is going to be a great owner for the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Lemieux outlines in a statement. “I know his hope is to get a new arena deal and keep the team here in Pittsburgh for the long-term.”

But that’s not a sure thing. Rumours have abounded for years that the Penguins may soon find a new home elsewhere, with Hamilton mentioned as the most likely destination – a place that would likely raise a ruckus with both the Leafs and the Sabres.

But it may be a moot point –  Balsillie insists he has no plans to move the Pens for now.

“Pittsburgh has shown itself to be an outstanding hockey market, and the team has an incredible tradition of success and fan support,” he maintains in his own statement. “With young stars such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, we all know the Penguins have a very bright future on the ice. I look forward to owning this team for a long time in Pittsburgh.”

There are still a lot of uncertainties before that assurance is guaranteed, including disputes over who will pay for a new stadium.

And there’s still no answer to that first BlackBerry question.

The deal still has to be approved by the NHL board of governors.