Penguins Update.

Team Canada snubs Crosby
Sidney Crosby was hoping to celebrate a spot on Canada's Olympic team at the Penguins' annual Christmas party Wednesday night.

Pens unveil billion-dollar vision for Hill
From an office high above the aging Mellon Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday unveiled the first glimpse of a plan for a casino and a new arena team officials hope will secure the NHL franchise's future in the city.

The team intends to partner with Isle of Capri Casinos, an international gambling company based in Biloxi, Miss., and Nationwide Realty Investors, a Columbus, Ohio, company that built a privately funded arena in that city.

The partnership, called Pittsburgh First, a nonprofit the groups would form, would transform the Lower Hill District by including a casino, a new 18,000-seat arena between Centre Avenue and Fifth Avenue, and 28 acres of housing and restaurants on the site where Mellon Arena stands. The project could cost more than $1 billion.

Isle of Capri, which operates 15 casinos in six states, the Bahamas and the United Kingdom, will seek the $50 million license for the stand-alone slot machine parlor. If it becomes winning bidder, the company would set aside $290 million for the arena. Nationwide, a development arm of Nationwide Insurance, would lead the neighborhood development project.

Construction could start in early 2007, with a temporary casino in the Mellon Arena parking lots.


Penguins included in several slots bids
Even if the Penguins do not win their bid for a casino license, the team still could win a new arena from gambling money.

Lemieux out indefinitely
Mario Lemieux is out of the Penguins' lineup indefinitely with an irregular heartbeat again, and general manager Craig Patrick said on Monday that this time it's the Penguins' job to make sure he doesn't come back too soon. (2005-12-20)


Pens face grueling stretch aheadThe Penguins had the day off Sunday, and hopefully for them, they used it to rest for practice this week. (2005-12-19)
Junker: Arena from private funds should be possiblePenguins forward Ryan Malone told this newspaper that he had a different feeling driving to the rink for Friday night's game with Buffalo. "I felt everyone was well-prepared and we had a game plan." (2005-12-19)

Notebook: Mario experienced rapid heartbeat again Friday
Penguins captain Mario Lemieux experienced a recurrence of the rapid heartbeat that landed him in the hospital on Dec. 7 during the third period of Friday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres and did not accompany the team to Buffalo for Saturday afternoon's rematch. (2005-12-18)