Lemieux Talks About Comeback

P I T T S B U R G H, Dec. 12 -- Mario Lemieux barely picked up a hockey stickduring 3½ years of retirement, so it wouldn’t be surprising if heisn’t the player he was in 1997.

Here’s the surprise: He plans to be even better.

Lemieux, close to being in game condition after six weeks ofworkouts, almost seemed incredulous Monday when asked if he couldagain be the dominant player he was for the Pittsburgh Penguinsbefore retiring.

“I’m only 35, I’m rested and I’m healthy, and I think I can get back to the level I was before I was retired — and maybe better,”Lemieux said.

‘Best Player in the World’

“I’m not coming back to embarrass myself. That’s the last thing I would do. I wouldn’t come back unless I thought I could play at a high level ... to try to regain the title of the best player in the world. It’s something I have the desire and passion to do.”

So much so, he told barely a soul of his plans — not even hisfour children — when he started working out Nov. 1. After threeweeks of conditioning, he called in ex-teammate Jay Caufield tohelp with his on-ice work.

Remarkably, he kept his workouts secret, though some Penguinsofficials became suspicious when their owner stopped keepingregular morning office hours.

“I’ve made a lot of progress in 2½ weeks,” said Lemieux, a three-time NHL most valuable player who led the Penguins to Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992, then bought the team last year. “I feel very good about my chances. The first week wasdiscouraging. I couldn’t skate the way I used to, but I’ve showed a lot of progress in the last week or 10 days.”

What Lemieux doesn’t know is if the back problems that requiredtwo operations and bothered him for seven of his 12 NHL seasonswill return once he resumes playing.

However, he predicted this comeback will go more smoothly thanthose in 1991 from back surgery, in 1993 from Hodgkin’s disease and in 1995 from a year’s layoff for health reasons.