Lemieux Makes Masterful Comeback

Dec. 28 -- Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux came out ofretirement in grand fashion Wednesday, notching an assist 33 seconds into his first game with the Pittsburgh Penguins since retiring more than three years ago.

The NHL’s six-time scoring leader set up Jaromir Jagr’s goal 33 seconds after Lemieux’s No. 66 jersey was taken down from the Mellon Arena ceiling in a pregame ceremony. Lemieux went on to score a goal and post another assist in his remarkable return to hockey since retiring in April 1997.

“I was a little bit nervous before the game and throughout the day as well,” Lemieux said after the Penguins routed the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-0. “But it was a great experience. I was looking forward to it and [had] been thinking about this for a long time now since I started training two months ago.

“It was great to be back and be part of the the team again and it was a great feeling when I stepped on the ice.”

Stanley Cup Atmosphere

The hockey legend’s fourth comeback Wednesday night had the feel of a Stanley Cup game, with four competing TV telecasts and hundreds of media members in attendance.

Lemieux took the ice amid a flurry of flashing cameras 40 minutesbefore a game that almost was an afterthought to the spectacle thatwas his return.

When the three-time MVP scored a goal at 10:33 in the second period off a pass from Jagr, the standing-room-only crowd of 17,000 responded with a thunderous ovation.

Lemieux’s delighted family, led by wife Nathalie and 4-year-oldson Austin, exchanged high-fives in a private box.

“To be back in your first game and to score a goal here in this building and the way the crowd reacted, it was a great experience,” said Lemieux, who earned another point with another assist in the second period.

Skeptics Are Silenced

Since Lemieux’s return to the NHL was first reported on Dec. 7, fans have celebrated and skeptics have doubted the rusty talents of a one-time superstar.