SPECIAL EPISODE: How VC is impacting Pittsburgh youth hockey

In a special edition of Locked On Penguins, Patrick Damp speaks with USA Today's Kenny Jacoby about the impact venture capital is having on youth hockey, specifically in Pittsburgh. In this episode, Patrick welcomes Kenny Jacoby to the program for the first time to discuss his investigation, "Lord of the Rinks. Meet the hockey CEO cashing in on your kids team" and how one company has been buying up ice rinks in the northeast, including a few in the Pittsburgh area. Kenny gives us a rundown of how this company, Black Bear Sports Group, came to be, why they're purchasing rinks, and the ripple effect it has on youth hockey. (0:00) Then, Kenny tells Patrick the story of North Hills Amateur Hockey Association, a local program that was forced to shut down after more than 50 years due to the treatment it received after Black Bear purchased their rink in New Kensington. (14:51) Finally, can anything be done about this, or will venture capital, private equity, and corporatization of youth sports become the norm? Kenny tells us about a push in the United States Congress from a few members, including one from Pittsburgh, to stop the privatization of youth sports. (28:57)

Read Kenny Jacoby's investigation: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2026/05/07/lord-of-the-rinks-black-bear-youth-hockey/89503875007/

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