The NHL : Penguin, Bruin Franchises May Soon Be Sold

Want to buy a used hockey team? The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins may be for sale.

Bobby Orr and former Bruin captain Wayne Cashman are part of a group bidding to buy the Bruins and Boston Garden, the Boston Herald reported.

“I can’t say too much at this time, but it is definitely not a rumor,” Cashman said.

The Herald reported that Orr and Cashman, with financial backing from real estate developer Rosalind Gorin and retired U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas, have been working on the deal for about a month with the Delaware North Co., which owns the hockey team and the arena.

Bruin officials, however, say that the team is not for sale.

Said Paul Mooney, the team president: “I reiterate my statement of last weekend that the Boston Bruins and Bostmn Gardens are not and have not been for sale.”

Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, the Penguins lost a reported $5.5-million last season and probably will finish about $2 million in the red this season.

William Ballard, son of Toronto Maple Leafs’ owner Harold Ballard, has reportedly offered to buy the Penguins from owner Edward J. DeBartolo and move the team to Hamilton, Canada.

The younger Ballard, co-owner of the largest rock concert promotion company in Canada, said a new arena in Hamilton is scheduled to be completed by next December.

“It’s true that we have made an offer to purchase the Penguins and move them to Hamilton when the new rink is finished,” Ballard told the Toronto Sun.

But he refused to discuss details of the deal, saying: “I can tell you it’s a lot of money and all of the money is in U.S. dollars. My partner and I make money promoting concerts. We have the same plans for hockey. We wouldn’t buy a team to satisfy our egos. We’re buying a team to make money.”

The Maple Leafs would have to approve the deal, since Hamilton is only about 30 miles from Toronto.

Ballard said, however, that he has already cleared the deal with his father, who also owns the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.

Said Harold Ballard: “I would like to see an NHL team in Hamilton. But before I agree to it I want to see tangible improvements made to the stadium (by the city of Hamilton). They had better fix up the ball park for my football team.”

The New York Rangers have lost defenseman Barry Beck for two weeks with a bruised left shoulder.

Beck was injured in a 7-3 win over the New Jersey Devils last Sunday. It’s the same shoulder he injured in the playoffs last season.

The Rangers have also lost Robbie Ftorek for the season with a knee injury. Ftorek tore a ligament in his left knee in Saturday’s 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh.

King Coach Pat Quinn, who is proud of his Irish origin, looked like the world’s biggest leprechaun on St. Patrick’s day.

Quinn showed up for last Sunday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers wearing a green velvet sport coat with matching bow tie.

After the Kings had beaten the Oilers, King center Marcel Dionne quipped: “It must have been that jacket.”

Said Quinn: “I’m 2-0 in this jacket. I wore it a couple of years ago on St. Patrick’s day when I was coaching in Philadelphia and we won that game, too.”

When Quinn was coaching the Flyers, the team held a press conference on St. Patrick’s day in 1981 and announced that he had been given a new five-year contract.

A year later, he was fired two days after St. Patrick’s day.

Must be the luck of the Irish.

The Forum has announced that smoking will not be permitted in the seating areas at King and Laker games next season.

Does that mean that General Manager Rogie Vachon of the Kings will not be allowed to smoke cigars in the press box?

Jerry Buss, who owns the Lakers, the Kings and the Forum is reportedly trying to quit smoking cigarettes. Could this be his way of breaking the habit?