Mayor Oscar Goodman met briefly in his office Wednesday with a co-owner of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, but local hockey fans shouldn't get too excited about the possibility of seeing Sidney Crosby skate on the Strip next year.

The Penguins, whose lease at the NHL's oldest arena expires in June, are searching for a better deal.

Kansas City, Mo., has offered free rent at its soon-to-open Sprint Center, and the Penguins will resume negotiations today with Pennsylvania officials aimed at reaching a deal to finance a new arena in Pittsburgh.

Goodman declined to discuss his meeting with Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle, other than to call it "very pleasant." Goodman would not confirm he met with Burkle, though the Penguins did.

Rory Reid, the chairman of the Clark County commission, said he was aware of Goodman's meeting with Burkle but was in zoning meetings and didn't attend.

Reid said talks between the Penguins and Southern Nevada officials "are at a very preliminary stage."

Burkle and Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, a Hall of Fame player, will attend a meeting today in Philadelphia with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Chief Executive Don Onorato and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, which they hope will end an impasse and keep the team where it has been since 1967.

The Penguins sent a letter to Pennsylvania officials on Monday declaring an impasse in negotiations and informing them they'll "aggressively explore relocation."

Because the Penguins' lease at 46-year-old Mellon Arena expires in June, they would need a place to play immediately if they left Pittsburgh.

Thomas & Mack Center director Daren Libonati said he has not spoken to anyone from the Penguins and that the facility has no ice floor and no chiller.

He said a major league team would need corporate signage, control of suites and revenues from food and beverage sales, none of which would be available at the Thomas & Mack.

Reid said studies should be done to determine whether there would be sufficient public support for an NHL team in Las Vegas.

Given the urgency of the Penguins' situation and the lack of an arena, Reid said the process might be too far along for Southern Nevada to make a serious play.

"I don't understand how we could be," Reid said. "I think we need to be concerned about being used as a bargaining chip."

Review-Journal writer David McGrath Schwartz contributed to this report.