(Credit for Photo: Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images, Caption for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins original owner Jack McGregor drops a ceremonial puck between Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks at PPG Paints Arena on October 15, 2016 in Pittsburgh.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Jack McGregor, a former state senator and the original founder of the Pittsburgh Penguins, died on Tuesday at the age of 91. The Penguins announced the news in a social media post yesterday. According to his biography on the United States Senate Library, McGregor served in the state Senate from 1963-1970. He was a Republican who represented District 44 in Allegheny County. The NHL granted a franchise to Pittsburgh in 1966 after McGregor formed a group of investors that included H. J. Heinz II and Art Rooney. That same aforementioned biography also states that McGregor was named president and chief executive officer by the investors and represented Pittsburgh on the NHL’s Board of Governors. The team played its first game at the Civic Arena in 1967. McGregor was the owner of the team for four years before he sold it.