New site in Cranberry chosen for UPMC-Penguins joint development. By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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1 Daily Clips 7/17/13 New site in Cranberry chosen for UPMC-Penguins joint development By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Pittsburgh Penguins and UPMC have made the development equivalent of a goalie change in their quest to build a $70 million sports performance center and practice rink in Cranberry. After working with developer Don Rodgers for nearly a year to build the complex on a 35-acre site on Route 228, they have abandoned the property for another location less than half a mile away but closer to Interstate 79. Travis Williams, the Penguins' chief operating officer, said Tuesday the team and UPMC have signed a letter of intent with developer Gary Sippel to build the 180,000-square-foot facility on a parcel adjacent to the interstate. The move comes only two weeks after a UPMC official appeared before the Cranberry planning commission to detail plans for the complex at Mr. Rodgers' Village of Cranberry Woods development. But Albert L. Wright Jr., a vice president who oversees UPMC's sports medicine programs and facilities, said the site was never set in stone. He said UPMC and the Penguins have been concurrently examining the Sippel property for the last six months and decided that it "made the most sense" for the project based on cost, feasibility and timetable. "When you put all of the factors together, at the end of the day, what both UPMC and the Penguins concluded was that the Sippel site was a better site for us," Mr. Williams said. The new site is located on the northeast side of Route 228 at I-79. Mr. Williams and Mr. Wright said it offers greater visibility from the interstate than the Cranberry Woods site as well as good access. Mr. Rodgers said he was "very disappointed" about losing the complex and seemed to blame the township for the turn of events. He said it took a long time to get the proposed development before the planning commission and that "we ran out of time to deliver a pad to UPMC for their facility. "I am upset about how long it took to get to the point that we ran out of time," he said. Mr. Rodgers said the traditional neighborhood design requirements imposed by Cranberry also made the project too expensive. He also accused the township of imposing "ridiculous

2 requirements" above and beyond the ordinance that proved to be "insurmountable," including a $1 million contribution for off-site improvements. "I believe [UPMC and the Penguins] questioned whether we could get our site approved without significant changes and time delays. Therefore, they moved to a site that doesn't have the obstruction of the traditional neighborhood design ordinance," he said. The Sippel site is zoned differently than Mr. Rodgers' and does not have to meet the same design requirements. Ron Henshaw, Cranberry's director of community development, said Mr. Rodgers had requested the zoning for the Cranberry Woods site because it allowed for greater density than he would have received in any other zoning district. As for the contributions toward off-site improvements, he said that Cranberry requires developers to pay for the impact their projects will have on its infrastructure. "Either developers pay for it or taxpayers pay for it. We make developers foot the bill," he said. With the decision to change sites, UPMC and the Penguins will be "starting all over" in their quest to get the complex approved, Mr. Henshaw said. He added he was surprised they abandoned the Cranberry Woods development. "We've been working for a long time on the Don Rodgers site with these folks. Quite frankly, we had just gotten to the point with the details that things were looking very favorable," he said. UPMC and the Penguins hope to start construction of the complex at the new site during the first quarter of 2014 and have it completed by July It will be built and owned by UPMC and the Penguins will lease space. The UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, as the facility will be officially known, will feature two ice rinks, one with 500 seats and one with 1,000. The latter will serve as the team's chief practice facility when Consol Energy Center is not available. Penguins officials see the facility as a first of its kind in the country. It would be geared primarily toward hockey players, although it would be open to other athletes as well. The sports medicine side, patterned after UPMC's sports performance complex on the South Side, would feature an array of imaging suites and other state-of-the-art tools to help treat injuries and improve performance. There also would be rehabilitation and therapy areas. In addition, the center would have a restaurant or cafe and a store that sells Penguins merchandise.

3 When the Penguins aren't practicing at the complex, the rinks would be open to the public for skating and other events, including youth, high school, and college games, hockey camps, skating classes, learn-to-play programs and clinics. The center also would be the home of the Penguins Elite youth hockey program sponsored by the team. The Penguins view the complex as another step in their developing partnership with UPMC, which provided doctors to travel with the team on the road last season, a first for a National Hockey League team. And while the Cranberry Woods site did not work out for the team and UPMC, officials think they have found the right match with the new location. "We've done a fair amount of due diligence and feel fairly confident that we'll be able to close this and move forward along the timeline of opening it by July of 2015," Mr. Williams said. Goaltender Tristan Jarry impresses at Pens development camp By Josh Yohe Penguins prospect camp marks an opportunity for young players to ask the most innocent questions. Second-round pick Tristan Jarry set the precedent Tuesday with a question for the ages. Quick story, said Penguins assistant to the general manager Tom Fitzgerald with a grin. (General manager) Ray Shero said he just bumped into him. Tristan asked him if the pucks are smaller here. Guys are shooting the puck quicker than he is used to. Jarry, the goaltender who was the Penguins' first selection in last month's draft, may have felt overwhelmed during his first workout on Consol Energy Center ice. The funny thing is, he didn't show it on the ice. Jarry ignored the nerves and acquitted himself quite well. At one point late in the workout, Jarry and fellow goaltender Eric Hartzell stopped so many consecutive shootout attempts that Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden yelled, I think the goalies are winning this one. Jarry won't play in Pittsburgh for a few years, but he is delighted to be taking part in this week's prospect camp. It's a great organization, he said. I'm happy to be here. The first workout is always the hardest. But you finally get your legs back. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a little better. Analyzing goalies in the summer is an inexact science because they typically haven't faced many shots since spring.

4 Besides, the Penguins are more interested in grooming players off the ice and teaching the fundamentals of coach Dan Bylsma's system than they are gauging who looks best on the ice. Still, Jarry's skill set was evident throughout his first workout. I just wanted to get the nerves out of my system, he said. Jarry appeared comfortable by the workout's conclusion, stuffing a number of the Penguins' top prospects on shootouts. The 18-year-old has been in Pittsburgh for only a couple of days but said he immediately felt at home. In fact, Western Pennsylvania reminds him of home. Jarry is from British Columbia. It's kind of like Vancouver, he said. Lots of trees. Lots of scenery. I love it here. Jarry won't become accustomed to the scenery in Pittsburgh for a while. While the Penguins are clearly impressed with his abilities, they will not rush Jarry to the NHL. In fact, he doesn't figure to play here for many seasons. The maturation process for a goalie is just a different thing, Fitzgerald said. I keep going back to the word marathon. You've got to be patient with young goalies and young players. You have to nurture them. He'll play junior hockey for a couple of more years then we'll see where he is. Before Jarry heads back to British Columbia, the Penguins intend on getting a good look. If the goalie has more questions, they'll be answered. That is, after all, what this camp is for. It's been great here so far, he said. Notes: The Penguins' prospects will work out at 9 a.m. Wednesday.... Prospect Anton Zlobin, a left wing, won't be available because of a shoulder injury.... The NHL schedule could be released Wednesday, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. If not Wednesday, it will be released at some point this week. UPMC, Pens nix Cranberry Woods site for sports medicine complex By Bill Vidonic UPMC and the Penguins have decided to put their sports medicine complex at the intersection of Interstate 79 and Route 228 in Cranberry and not at the often-discussed Village of Cranberry Woods site, officials said Tuesday. The Penguins and UPMC last week signed a letter of intent with developer Gary Sippel for nearly 13 acres of land about a half mile north of the Village of Cranberry Woods site, also along Route 228, owned by Creative Real Estate Development. Creative owner Donald Rodgers could not be reached for comment.

5 UPMC and Pens officials said they hope the nearly $70 million UPMC Lemieux Sports complex, featuring two ice rinks, will be open by July This (Sippel) site was a much better site for us, Penguins chief operating officer Travis Williams said. There wasn't anything bad about the Cranberry Woods site. The (Sippel) site is just better all around. Albert Wright Jr., who oversees UPMC's sports medicine programs as vice president of operations at UPMC Presbyterian, acknowledged that the topography of the Cranberry Woods project definitely makes it more difficult to build than on the Sippel site. Officials had been looking at both sites for months, he said, and the Sippel property made a little more sense to us. It also will give the project better visibility and accessibility, Williams said. Essentials of the project, a 190,000-square-foot building for hockey performance programs and hockey-related injury treatment and practice facilities for the Penguins, haven't changed, Williams and Wright said. As late as July 1, Rogers' development company had been touting the UPMC-Pens project as part of a 57-acre Cranberry Woods development. The company that day submitted master plans to the township planning advisory committee containing the sports complex as part of Cranberry Woods. The Penguins and UPMC had been working separately with Rogers and Sippel, and all parties knew that both sites were in play, Williams said. Officials will proceed with permitting from the township and hope to have grading and other site approvals in the fall, with construction starting in March, he said. Kuhnhackl tries to get career back on track By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The first practice of the annual summer development camp was over. Consol Energy Center workers were ready to bring the Zamboni onto the ice before the second group of prospects came out. They had to wait a few minutes.

6 Just in front of the Zamboni entrance, Penguins development coach Bill Guerin was working one-on-one with winger Tom Kuhnhackl. The two pushed and clashed in a puck battle along the boards. Guerin, known for his cutting wit as a player, was all business. "He didn't say anything," Kuhnhackl said Tuesday after the practice, then smiled. "He was just trying to get the puck -- but he didn't get it today." Kuhnhackl, 21, is making a push to get his promising career back on track. He made a splash when he was drafted in the fourth round in 2010 because of his unbridled enthusiasm, his longtime affinity for the Penguins and the fact that his father, Erich, is considered the greatest hockey player in Germany's history. Things started out well in his North American career. His first season of junior hockey, he had 39 goals, 68 points in 63 games for Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League. His star faded some over the past couple of years. In , he got traded in-season from Windsor to Niagara, drew a 20-game suspension for a hit on New York Rangers prospect Ryan Murphy and, on the same play, injured a knee. Last season, Kuhnhackl turned pro and joined the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. That season got gutted when he got hurt in November and had seasonending surgery on his left shoulder. The 45-minute practice Tuesday was the closest thing he has done to playing hockey since. His numbers in were better than the past two seasons combined: 11 goals, 34 points in 47 games. "I want to show them that I'm back to almost normal, that I can play hockey, that I can score, that I can protect the puck in the corner and create scoring chances," said Kuhnhackl, a strong puck-handler. He vowed that he will sit out the camp-ending scrimmage Saturday if he doesn't feel his shoulder is sound, "but the way it looks right now I feel pretty comfortable and pretty good, so I'm probably going to play." The best test came from Guerin, who made sure to test Kuhnhackl's shoulder. Asked how his game has developed spending his winters in North America and after turning pro a year ago, Kuhnhackl laughed.

7 "I couldn't tell you. I haven't played [much] the last couple of years," he said. The 6-foot-2, 172-pounder not only wants to play a full season, but also hopes for a chance to get called up and make his NHL debut. "I want to play for the Penguins. Maybe this year," he said. "Who knows what's going to happen? Obviously, the last couple of years weren't good for me." Tom Fitzgerald, an assistant to the general manager, and Wilkes-Barree coach John Hynes are key figures in running the development camp. Both identified Kuhnhackl as someone who might get that chance as a midseason call-up if the Penguins have injuries or other reasons to summon a forward. The organization is much heavier with defensive prospects than at forward. "He's a talent," Fitzgerald said. "A big body. Strength was always an issue. And then he got derailed with the injuries. He never has gotten any traction in the summer because of those injuries and surgeries. He's healthy right now. "He still has half a summer to continue to get stronger. [He is someone] that could, with some games under his belt, come up and contribute. But it's a big step and a learning process. "Hopefully, knock on wood, the injury is behind him and he can move forward." This is the first season that playing in the NHL is a realistic goal for Kuhnhackl, who missed the 2012 development camp. "This is why this camp is big for me," he said. "I want to show them after the surgery that I can come back." If that call comes to report to the Penguins, Kuhnhackl will face an extra challenge. "I would probably be so nervous that I probably couldn't even speak," he said. "It would be huge for me. It would be really exciting to play with guys like [Sidney] Crosby, [Evgeni] Malkin in the same lineup." Looking ahead What: Development camp scrimmage among the Penguins' prospects. When: 3 p.m. Saturday. Where: Consol Energy Center.

8 Of note: The scrimmage is open to the public. Admission and parking are free. Development camp changes By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette There used to be a thought that NHL prospects attending July development camps should have limited time on the ice since most are not in game shape. The Penguins, who opened their development camp Tuesday with a 45-minute practice for each of two groups of young players at Consol Energy Center, have moved away from that. "We've actually picked up the on-ice portion," said organizer Tom Fitzgerald, assistant to the general manager for the Penguins. They have gone from three days on the ice several years ago to four days with an off day mixed in to five days on the ice this year. The 2013 camp ends Saturday with a 3 p.m. scrimmage that is open to the public. Bortuzzo's arbitration set Penguins defenseman Robert Bortuzzo's salary arbitration hearing has been set for the morning of Aug. 1. Bortuzzo is a restricted free agent who received a qualifying offer from the team but opted for arbitration. The sides can avoid arbitration if they can come to terms before the hearing. The eyes have it Goaltender Tristan Jarry, the Penguins' second-round pick in the recent NHL draft, had big eyes after his first practice. He ran into general manager Ray Shero and asked a question that Shero felt compelled to repeat to Fitzgerald. "Tristan asked him, 'Are the pucks smaller here?' " Fitzgerald said, with a chuckle. "Guys are shooting the pucks quicker than he's used to. The maturation process for a goaltender is longer. "You have to be patient with young goalies."

9 Among the missing... Winger Anton Zlobin (shoulder surgery), impressive at this camp a year ago, is not in attendance. He was a sixth-round draft pick in Two other prospects who gained some attention at previous camps also are not here. Winger Josh Archibald, entering his junior season at Nebraska-Omaha, bowed out to attend summer classes and serve as a mentor to incoming freshmen, said Fitzgerald, who supported Archibald's decision. Defenseman Alex Velischek finished his career at Providence College but is expected to negotiate a contract with Wheeling (ECHL). Sundqvist update Center Oskar Sundqvist, a third-round draft pick last year, is big at 6 feet 3, 182 pounds, and is coming off of a strong season, with 18 goals, 34 points in 52 games split between the junior level and Skelleftea in the Swedish Elite League. While he might be seen as a strong candidate to move to Wilkes-Barre this season, he said he signed a three-year contract with Skelleftea. "I will see what Pittsburgh wants after this week, and we'll go from there," he said. "I can break [the contract] when I go to Pittsburgh. I maybe think one or two years back in Sweden and see what happens." Another Shero shows up Chris Shero, Ray Shero's son, practiced with the first group at development camp in an informal capacity. He got the experience of going through drills with the prospects and tune up for an upcoming tournament. Goalie Thiessen heading to Finland By Tom Venesky After four successful years as the goaltender for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and a stellar run in the postseason, Brad Thiessen anxiously waited for the first day of free agency July 5 to see what opportunities would come his way. A few teams expressed interest, he said, but they signed other goaltenders. So on the second day of free agency, Thiessen and his wife began to think about Europe.

10 We thought maybe there would be a better opportunity over there then backing up in the AHL, Thiessen said. There was. It wasn t long before Thiessen got a call from the general manager of a team in the capital city of Finland, Helsinki, to join Finnish Elite League club HIFK because they need a starting goaltender. Thiessen quickly agreed to take on the role and make the move overseas. It s a good feeling to know you re wanted, he said. I ve never been to Europe but I ve heard nothing but good things about Finland. Former teammate Jason DeSantis is joining the same team, so there will be a familiar face there. Thiessen, 27, leaves Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after a four-year run during which he was named the AHL s top goaltender in He had a regular season record of , 2.47 GAA and a.906 save percentage. In the playoffs, Thiessen was at his best, posting an record with a 2.31 GAA and a.924 save percentage. In Finland, Thiessen will be playing on a bigger ice surface in a game that leans more toward skill than physicality. He s looking forward to the challenge and happy to go into a season as the starting netminder. I still feel like I can be the guy who can play every night. Maybe down the road I can make the switch to a veteran backup, but right now the starting job is important to me, Thiessen said. The move to Europe was still somewhat of a surprise, even though Thiessen said he knew his time with the Penguins was over when the season ended. He expected to be playing somewhere in North America this year, and as a result of the move to Finland, Thiessen and his wife had to shorten their summer plans. Training camp in Finland opens on July 29, followed by a tournament against other European teams and then the start of the regular season on Sept. 13. I m back home in British Columbia now and never expected to start things up again until September. We had to cancel our trip to Hawaii and focus on work outs and on-ice training again, Thiessen said. After four years in Wilkes-Barre, Thiessen admitted he will miss the people in the community as well as the people in the Penguins organization. And while his contract with Finland is for one-year, Thiessen wasn t ruling out a return to North America in the future.

11 I m not closing the door on anything. We ll see where this year takes me, he said Richards brothers get NHL call By Tom Venesky Jumping from the AHL to the NHL is going to be a change for brothers Teddy and Josh Richards both of whom took jobs as assistant equipment managers this summer but it s not going to be the biggest difference the two will face when the season opens this fall. For the first time in more than 10 years, the Richards brothers will be working for different teams. On July 1, Teddy Richards started in his new job as assistant equipment manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins, leaving a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team where he had worked since 2002, first as an assistant and then as head equipment manager for the last seven years. A few weeks after his older brother made the move to the NHL, Josh Richards, 24, followed, taking a job with the Dallas Stars where he will serve as equipment assistant. The younger Richards has been with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since 2001, starting out as a stick boy, or locker room attendant, before moving up to assistant equipment manager and working under his brother. Now, for the first time in years, the Richards brothers are climbing a new rung on their career ladders, and they re doing it apart from each other. Not many people get to work with their brother and it s definitely going to be a change, Josh Richards said. But at the end of the day, we re both in the NHL and our family is very proud. Family is what got the Richards brothers their start in pro hockey. Their father, Ted Sr., was the bus driver for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the first two years of the franchise s history until he passed away in With both of his sons moving to the NHL, this season will be the first where a Richards family member isn t working for the AHL club. But they ll still be involved in pro hockey. Being in the NHL and with Pittsburgh is where I wanted to be, Teddy Richards said. With a son and a daughter, it had to be the right fit for my family, and Pittsburgh is perfect.

12 For both brothers, the career change came rather quickly. Teddy Richards said his move up to Pittsburgh was briefly discussed last year, but nothing came of it until he got a call from Pittsburgh assistant general manager Jason Botterill in June. Botterill asked if he was interested in becoming the team s assistant equipment manager and told Richards to take a week or two to think it over. I already knew I wanted it. Still, my wife and I weighed the pros and cons, and it was all pros, so the decision was made, he said. Josh Richards caught wind of the Dallas opening through a friend and quickly applied. He interviewed for the post while attending equipment manager union meetings in Las Vegas. At the beginning of July, he went to Dallas to work their summer prospect camp as a tryout of sorts. With three days left in camp, Dallas offered Richards the job. They wanted someone with experience and my time in Wilkes-Barre certainly helped, he said. Both brothers not only credited their time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for opening up the NHL door. After so many years at the AHL level, the Richards brothers will certainly face new challenges working in the NHL. The spotlight on these players is a lot brighter here, and it s not going to be excusable to have something go wrong with a skate during a game, Teddy Richards said. It s my job to be at my best for these players and provide whatever they need. While Josh Richards is moving to a new organization, he ll see some familiar faces in former Penguins Alex Goligoski and Toby Petersen. But change is something he is very familiar with, thanks to his time in Wilkes-Barre. Working here has taught me to be a people person. You have to deal with players and coaches, and it s basically a new roster every year, Josh Richards said. Being in the NHL is something my brother and I have dreamed of, and finally it s our time. Perhaps the biggest change the brothers will face this season is seeing each other on opposite benches when Pittsburgh plays Dallas. Still, it won t feel like a change for long as the brothers are already planning a reunion when the teams meet. It s going to be different not working with my brother because he was always there and we knew each other s routines, Teddy Richards said. We both were born and raised in Wilkes- Barre, and it s all we ve known, so not only will we be learning the routines of the new staffs we re working with, we ll be learning new cities and growing in our new roles.