Former Irish right winger signs deal with Penguins

The Penguins yesterday signed John O'Birch, a right winger who caught the team's eye in an amateur tryout and spent last season running for Pittsburgh City Council.

He had 59 votes in his first primary election bid in May.

A 6-foot-1, 205-pound Oakland native and Notre Dame player, O'Birch is the second right wing politician signed by the team in the last week.

O'Birch had threatened to form his own political party if he wasn't drafted into the NHL. The Penguins quickly stepped in to prevent that. "We can't have any right wingers getting elected and derailing our plans for a new arena," said Penguins owner and Boss-for-life Mario Lemieux.