Don't remove the owner's tag from Pittsburgh Penguins owner-player Mario Lemieux's title just yet.
In an about-face brought about partly by the team drafting Canadian super prospect Sidney Crosby, the Penguins said Friday that Lemieux's group will retain its majority ownership. William "Boots" DelBiaggio, a San Jose-based businessman who was to buy a majority stake, will instead buy a minority share.
The sudden change of plans may be a result of the franchise substantially increasing value since it won the NHL draft lottery two weeks ago and subsequently drafted Crosby, considered the NHL's best teenage prospect since Lemieux in 1984.
Since winning the lottery, the Penguins have sold thousands of season tickets for the 2005-06 season and have had to add extra employees to handle ticket sales — even before single-game ticket sales have begun. Some team employees suggested the club could sell out a majority of its home games, a reverse from the sharp downturn in attendance during three consecutive losing seasons from 2002-04.
KARIYA SIGNS WITH PREDATORS: Paul Kariya signed Friday with the Nashville Predators, the left winger's third team in three seasons.
The 30-year-old forward spent his first seven NHL seasons with Anaheim, helping the Mighty Ducks reach the Stanley Cup finals in 2003. Then he joined up with former teammate Teemu Selanne, and the pair signed free agent deals with Colorado for the 2003-04 season.
Kariya signed for two years and $9 million, saying he chose the team that started courting him the moment free agency opened.
STARS SIGN HEDBERG: Free agent goaltender Johan Hedberg signed a one-year contract Friday with the Dallas Stars, where the veteran will serve as backup to Marty Turco.
The Stars also reached agreements with forward Junior Lessard and defenseman Mario Scalzo.
CHICAGO SIGNS KHABIBULIN: Stanley Cup-winning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin signed a four-year, $27 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, leaving the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Khabibulin played in 55 regular-season games for the Lightning during 2003-04, posting a 28-19-7 record with three shutouts, a 2.33 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.
In the playoffs, he was 16-7 with an NHL-best five shutouts. His 1.71 goals-against average ranked second.
"I'm just going to try to do the best job I can and hopefully help the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup," he said.
The 32-year-old Khabibulin is 209-187-58 in 476 regular-season games with 35 shutouts and a 2.61 goals-against average for Winnipeg-Phoenix and Tampa Bay during his nine NHL seasons. He is 31-25 with six shutouts in the playoffs.
LEAFS SIGN ALLISON: The Maple Leafs signed free agent forward Jason Allison to a one-year deal on Friday.
The former Los Angeles Kings center missed most of the 2002-03 season and all of the following year because of a neck injury and concussion. Allison, a Toronto native, also didn't play anywhere last season during the NHL lockout.
FERENCE RE-SIGNS: The Phoenix Coyotes re-signed defenseman Brad Ference to a one-year contract Friday. Ference, 28, played 63 games for the Coyotes in 2003-04 and had five assists with 103 penalty minutes.