Tim Benz: Penguins’ efforts to salvage Robert Morris hockey may get some help. Will the university accept it?
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Like testing a newly frozen pond, we may be ready for our first skate toward progress when it comes to saving the Robert Morris University men’s and women’s hockey teams.
Now it’s time to find out how thin the ice is.
A day after Penguins President and CEO David Morehouse expressed his regret to TribLive over the loss of the programs and his willingness to help resurrect them if possible, the franchise may have found a financial linemate.
Black Bear Sports CEO Murry Gunty has been a vocal catalyst toward keeping the two teams on their feet. He’s been actively soliciting the attention of the Robert Morris administration on Twitter since the teams were eliminated from next year’s budget a week ago.
Gunty is also the managing partner of Blackstreet Capital Holdings. It is a private equity firm that invests in, operates or sometimes buys and spins off small to mid-sized distressed companies.
The RMU hockey teams can easily be placed under the headings of small to mid-sized and very much distressed.
More germane to the conversation, Black Bear Sports Group and operating partner Ice Rink Performance Group own 27 rinks across the U.S., including Printscape Arena in Southpointe. Gunty also owns the Youngstown Phantoms along with other junior hockey teams and some hockey tournaments, businesses and leagues.
On Tuesday afternoon, as RMU President Dr. Chris Howard was addressing the media for the first time since cutting the programs, Gunty tweeted an open letter to the RMU administration offering to buy the Island Sports Center as a way to lessen the burden of building management and improvements, while also broaching the topic of discounting ice time if the Colonials stay on as a tenant.
An open letter to the @rmu, @RMUWHockey and @RMUMHockey communities to provide a pathway forward to help save the RMU hockey programs. @MERUZIONE @stoolpresidente @DrChrisHoward @Buccigross @spittinchiclets @YtownPhantoms @penguins @NHL pic.twitter.com/JQiEqWrV5u
— murry gunty (@MurryGunty) June 1, 2021
Howard was assailed by RMU players during a Zoom call Tuesday night for, among other things, failing to correspond with Gunty by that point despite his multiple overtures. However, during an email exchange with “Breakfast With Benz” Wednesday afternoon, Gunty said that initial contact has been established with the school.
“We received a non-disclosure agreement late (Tuesday) and are working through that document,” Gunty said.
So you’re tellin’ me there’s a chance!
“Otherwise, no communication whatsoever,” Gunty continued.
Oh, right. Back to reality.
Part of the reality for the now homeless hockey players has been Howard’s repeated mantra that the school isn’t soliciting a bailout for the team. But he’ll listen if the right one comes along — a quote that was reiterated to us Wednesday afternoon when we received an email from the university.
“Regarding Mr. Gunty, yes, we are willing to listen to other ideas (besides cutting the teams), as President Howard said (Tuesday),” replied RMU spokesperson Jonathan Potts.
For the players’ sakes, hopefully, Howard advances the dialogue fast. Gunty says he could close on a deal for the Island Sports Center by July 31, but he also could do so more quickly.
Both sides will likely have to do exactly that. Because there may not be a roster to save by that point. Players will have to make transfer arrangements if they are hoping to play on a new team by the fall. And they’ll get tired of holding out hope of staying between now and the end of July.
What could expedite the process for Gunty is cooperation from Morehouse, another person who has tried to partner with the Colonials in the past. On separate occasions, he’s tried to pitch the university on including ice at the new UPMC Events Center. An idea RMU did not embrace.
The Penguins have been in conversations with RMU for more than two years regarding the prospect of a partnership at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Morehouse said it’s long been the hope of the franchise to build a third sheet of ice that both Colonials teams could use as their home. The primary cost for the Colonials would be the building of their locker room, a debt that could be paid down over time.
And—in theory as emailed to Gunty—whatever the school would be paying for ice time could be balanced out by ice that would be rented out to other organizations while the Colonials were up in Cranberry.
Now, though, if Gunty buys the Island Sports Center, a large chunk of the costs for the locker room could be serviced upfront, thereby making the annual costs of ice time more manageable.
“I am open to any structure that helps save RMU hockey,” Gunty said.
TribLive has also learned that in previous discussions, the Penguins have offered aid to the Colonials in terms of ticketing, marketing, advertising engagement and even on-site educational student-athlete amenities and opportunities.
It’s an idea Gunty embraced.
“Due to my co-ownership of the Phantoms, and our other rinks in Pittsburgh, we have a great relationship with the Penguins,” Gunty wrote in his open letter. “We would support any efforts they take to save the RMU Men’s and Women’s hockey even if it means (the Island Sports Center) loses RMU as a tenant.”
I know what you may be thinking at this point. When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Is this Jim Balsillie 2.0? Is everyone on the hockey team going to get a Blackberry on Day 1 and then have to turn it in two months later?
Or is this a version of Mark Cuban offering to swoop in to buy the Penguins or Pirates at a discount every two or three years?
Gunty insists his interest is genuine.
“We are big believers in Pittsburgh hockey and our only goal at this point is to help save the RMU programs. We would be happy to take a back seat to any efforts the Penguins think are the best help to fix this situation,” Gunty insisted.
When we informed Morehouse of those quotes Wednesday afternoon, he seemed willing to investigate things further.
“Murry and Ice Rink Performance Group are one of the largest rink operators in the country, and we would be happy to work with them in any capacity to support college hockey in Pittsburgh,” Morehouse replied.
So it appears the Colonials hockey teams may have a set of dance partners interested in listening to each other. Now let’s find out if Howard is really “willing to listen” to either one.
How’s that ice feelin’? Cracking yet?