Report: Lemieux Will Play Again
Dec. 7 -- Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux plans to end hisretirement and will play for the team again, a source close to theHall of Famer said today.
Lemieux wants to return to the ice later this month or inJanuary, according to the source, who spoke on condition ofanonymity.
USA Today, which first reported the story on its Web sitetoday, said Lemieux would resign his position as the Penguins’governor, which means he will not vote on league issues.
Stays Involved With Operations
The source told The Associated Press that Lemieux will remaininvolved in the team’s operations.
The NHL has no specific rule that prohibits an owner fromplaying.
The team did not immediately return telephone calls seekingcomment.
The Penguins are 13-10-3-1, one point behind first-place NewJersey in the Atlantic Division. But Jaromir Jagr, their biggeststar, has struggled for much of the year and has at times quarreledwith new coach Ivan Hlinka.
The 35-year-old Lemieux retired as a player after the 1996-97season with 613 goals in 745 regular-season games and became thePenguins’ owner in September 1999.
The six-time scoring champion began skating about two weeks ago.In the past 10 days, he has been telling people close to him of hiscomeback plans.
“It’s not appropriate for me to comment at this time,” saidhis agent, Tom Reich.
Lemieux won three MVP awards and led the Penguins to two StanleyCup championships, in 1991 and 1992.
Feels Better Than Ever
It would not be Lemieux’s first comeback.
In 1993, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, or cancer ofthe lymph nodes, and missed three-quarters of that season. He latersat out the 1994-95 season after recovering from the cancer and asecond bout with back trouble, but returned to bring the Penguinsto within one victory of a third trip to the Stanley Cup finals in1996.
He won his fifth and sixth scoring championships in his finaltwo seasons.
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