Longtime Pittsburgh Penguins PA announcer John Barbero passed away Monday evening, a close friend of the Barbero family tells me.
Barbero was fighting through a year long battle with cancer and took a leave of absence from his duties with the Penguins in the summer of 2009.
A former high school principal, Barbero spent 36 years as the Penguins public address announcer, establishing himself as one of the best PA announcers in all of sports.
Barbero has long been a fan favorite and was missed dearly by fans during the 2009-2010 season.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.