Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said yesterday that he may bypass the Penguins hockey club's management and take his quest to keep the team in Pittsburgh directly to its prospective buyers.

He said he had gotten no response from the team to a letter dated Friday, in which he asked it to commit to staying here and to the "Plan B" arena funding blueprint crafted by Gov. Ed Rendell.

The Penguins haven't endorsed the governor's Plan B, citing a partnership with casino company Isle of Capri Inc., which would fully fund a new $290 million arena if it gets a license to build an adjacent casino.

"I know the Penguins claim that they are unable to speak because of their agreement with the Isle of Capri," the mayor said. "I just think it's appropriate for the Penguins to commit to Pittsburgh just like I have committed to the Isle of Capri, because we want to keep the Penguins here."

A Penguins spokesman said the team got the letter yesterday, but had no response to it, nor to the mayor's statements.

The current top bidder for the team is believed to be Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie.

Other potential buyers are Hartford real estate developer Sam Fingold, New York businessman Andrew Murstein, and Ohio businessman and Ringgold High School graduate Jim Renacci.

Asked if he thought it was appropriate to start talks directly with prospective buyers, the mayor said that's "what we're in the process of determining. I think that it is. I think that there's no reason for me not to be able to do that.

"There are buyers who are 100 percent committed to keeping the Penguins here who have already, in their own way, committed to the Plan B process, and I think we have to begin having talks with those folks."

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said he and late Mayor Bob O'Connor had talked with most of the bidders about Plan B, but not with Mr. Balsillie.

"He hasn't reached out to us," Mr. Onorato said.

The Penguins' value would likely be higher with a fully funded arena than with one partially financed by team contributions.

Under Plan B, the Penguins would have to make an initial payment of $8.5 million, commit to paying $2.9 million a year for 30 years and forgo $1.1 million a year in naming rights.

The state would provide $7 million a year from a development fund backed by slot machine revenue.

The other competitors for a local casino license, Forest City Enterprises and PITG Gaming, have agreed to contribute $7.5 million a year for 30 years if they end up owning the city's lone slots parlor. If the team moves and no arena is built, they would not have to make those payments.