Looks like we have a tycoon on our hands, folks.
Penn State hockey benefactor Terry Pegula is now Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula after the billionaire made his purchase of the team official on Tuesday.
It was a move long rumored to be in the works, so there are no real surprises here. It is kind of shocking, though, that in a matter of months, a Penn State alun has gone from being just your run-of-the-mill energy tycoon to one of the most powerful men in hockey.
It's all good for the new Nittany Lion program, too.
Not only can whomever is named the first head coach of the team sell the brand new facilities and Penn State brand, he can sell Pegula's NHL connections and clout. When recruits look at Penn State, they'll not only see a new and exciting place to play their college hockey, they'll see a path to the pros which, really, is what every young hockey player dreams of.
The Sabres might be Pegula's team, now, but the Lions are his baby, and having a guy like him at the NHL table promoting the Penn State brand can only do good things as it grows and develops in these first few years.