Fenway Sports Group Hopes To Close Purchase Of Pittsburgh Penguins On Monday
BOSTON (CBS) -- John Henry and Fenway Sports Group are one step closer to owning the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The sale of the team was approved by the boards of both Fenway Sports Group and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, according to KDKA in Pittsburgh, and now just needs the approval of the NHL. Fenway Sports Group hopes to have the deal closed on Monday, according to The Boston Globe.
Fenway Sports Group, of course, owns the Boston Red Sox, and its purchase of the Penguins is creating a bit of a kerfuffle in Boston. It creates an interesting dynamic when it comes to Henry, who also owns The Boston Globe and 80 percent of NESN, which airs Bruins games in Boston. It raises questions about potential conflict of interest issues in the future, with Henry owning one NHL team while also having a stake in another.
This isn't the first time that FSG has ruffled some feathers in Boston, though. Fenway Sports Group also owns Liverpool FC in the English Premier League, and there have been plenty of fans in Boston that have wondered if Henry and his ownership have been more focused on that club -- and vice versa. There is also the little matter of LeBron James joining forces with FSG last March, and no one in Boston feels good about the Lakers superstar owning a piece of the Red Sox.
One thing that FSG does well though is bring titles to the teams it owns. The Red Sox have won four World Series under Henry's ownership, and Liverpool took home a Champions League crown in 2019 and won the Premier League in 2020.