Penguins Wrap: Letang Gets Overlooked; TV Booth Shakeup

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be back on the ice this month, making news with personnel combinations and preseason games and perhaps a player or two whose training-camp performance exceeds expectations.

The biggest story of the past week, however, occurred off the ice, as Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Penguins, announced that it will acquire — and rename — AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh on Oct. 2. A day later, word came that play-by-play man Steve Mears and longtime TV analyst Bob Errey were losing their jobs.

Here’s a look at that, as well as the other developments from the past seven days for the Penguins:

Sunday

Some players have a reputation that goes far beyond their actual contributions. Here are five Pittsburgh Penguins who fit that description.

Monday

Crisis averted. Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Penguins, is finalizing an agreement to acquire AT&T SportsNet, thus assuring that the team’s games will continue to be available on traditional TV.

Although hockey nicknames tend to be as dry as a desert during a decades-long drought, a few Penguins players have had creative ones over the years.

Tuesday

Kris Letang has been the cornerstone of the Penguins’ defense corps for a lot of years, so it was a surprise when the NHL Network did not include him on its list of the top 20 defensemen in the league.

Kyle Dubas signs two veteran defensemen to professional tryout agreements.

Wednesday

Kyle Dubas is stoking the Penguins’ training-camp competition for jobs by bringing in players on professional tryouts.

Former Penguins winger Carl Hagelin, a member of the celebrated HBK Line, retires because of an eye injury.

Fifteen Pittsburgh Penguins games are scheduled to be carried on national outlets in 2023-24.

The Penguins signed blue-collar right winger Austin Wagner, who played seven games with Chicago last season, to a professional tryout agreement.

Thursday

There’s no question that the Penguins are a more imposing group now than they were this spring, but Kyle Dubas and the coaching staff still have some significant questions to address for the coming season.

Fenway Sports Group announces that it will acquire AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh and rename it SportsNet Pittsburgh. The deal will be finalized Oct. 2.

Friday

Pittsburgh Penguins telecasts will have a new look during the coming season, as longtime analyst Bob Errey and play-by-play man Steve Mears will not be returning to those positions. Features specialist Dan Potash will be retained, however.

Saturday

There’s been a common thread running through Kyle Dubas’ acquisitions this offseason.