Mario Lemieux officially cuts ties with Penguins for the first time since 1999.

It's the end of an era in Pittsburgh.

Since 1999 National Hockey League legend Mario Lemieux has been tied to the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise in a way that perhaps no other player in the history of sport has been when on September 1st of that year he deferred millions in salary to save the Penguins from bankruptcy and became part owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise. In some form or another Lemieux has maintained some ownership of the Penguins since that time, but now it seems the 27 year long link between savoir and team has been severed.

Recent reports have now revealed that Lemieux and his longtime business partner Ron Burkle have both sold their remaining ownership shares in the Penguins franchise.

While you could argue that it is merely a change in ownership, it has to feel like a huge loss for fans in Pittsburgh who hold Lemieux in such high regard. Not only did Lemieux save the franchise from bankruptcy in 1999 but he would go on to guide that very same franchise to 3 Stanley Cup championships, setting it up for success long after his career was over.

It is believed that Lemieux was actually trying to put together a conglomerate of sorts to purchase the Penguins when they were sold by the Fenway Sports Group, but that sale would eventually go to the Hoffmann Family of Companies instead.

It is merely a change in ownership but a very special one, and one we likely won't see the likes of again in our lifetimes.