Bettman again says Penguins need new arena Wednesday May 09, 2001 5:05 PM PITTSBURGH (AP) - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is campaigning again for a new arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before the Buffalo Sabres-Penguins Eastern Conference semifinals Game 6 on Tuesday night, Bettman's taxi driver drove him past PNC Park, the Pirates' new ballpark, and the Pittsburgh Steelers' new stadium. "I said to myself two things: `Wow,' and `Gee, the Penguins could use something like this,"' Bettman said. "I believe this building (Mellon Arena) is 10 years older than Three Rivers Stadium was, and this team needs a new building. "I'm hopeful it will come and, out of fairness after seeing those other magnificent buildings, let's have a downtown building that's used a couple of hundred times a year, and not just for the hockey team. I'm hopeful there will be a new arena in the not-too-distant future." The Penguins are expected to start pressing for a new arena later this year to replace Mellon Arena, which opened in 1961 and is by far the NHL's oldest arena. Bettman also made a push for a new Penguins arena in February, during Penguins owner-player Mario Lemieux's first appearance in an NHL All-Star game in four years.
