Lemieux Talks About Comeback

P I T T S B U R G H, Dec. 12, 2000 -- 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.

“I have a lot of great hockey left in me,” Lemieux said.“This comeback, I feel, will be the easiest because I’ve been resting and I’m healthy and I have a fresh start mentally andphysically.”

Boost for NHL

Lemieux plans to start practicing with the Penguins early nextweek and could play again in late December, though it could beearly January. The Penguins begin a four-game homestand Dec. 27against Toronto.

“I’ll come back when I’m ready to play at a high level,” he said. “I do intend to come back ready to go.”

That he is coming back at all has electrified a sport that haslacked a marquee player since Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky retired.Now, they instantly have a new star, even if he is an old star.

Lemieux’s unprecedented role of owner-player has created someheadaches for the NHL Players Association, but not enough tosideline a comeback many in hockey gave up on long ago.

“It’s great that he’s back,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettmansaid. “He’s excited about it. And I don’t believe he’s doing thisbecause of any economic needs of the club.”

It was agreed in negotiations with the players association hewill be paid $1.41 million — the league’s average salary — even though he will essentially be paying himself. If he had paidhimself minimum wage, it would have dragged down the averagesalary, a figure used in contract negotiations.

Lemieux must remain on the NHL’s Board of Governors because it was a legal requirement of his ownership group’s takeover infederal bankruptcy court. But he will not participate in anysensitive issues relating to owners-players relations, and willdivorce himself from much of the team’s day-to-day businessdecisions.

He expects no trouble in the locker room because of his uniquerole.

“I’m going to be a player, just like all of them are,” Lemieux said. “I’m going to be their teammate. ... Being a player will take up 99 percent of my time.”

Boosting His Own Roster

Another reason for Lemieux’s comeback: He is convinced thePenguins lack only an experienced leader to challenge for theStanley Cup. He also hopes his return will help four-time scoringchampion Jaromir Jagr end a long scoring slump that has clearlydeflated his confidence.

“I play this game to win championships, and I feel this team isvery, very close to competing for a Stanley Cup. I do believe weneed some experience down the stretch, especially in theplayoffs,” he said.

Lemieux will play at least the rest of this season beforeassessing how successful his comeback was, but he plans to play forat least several more years. He might even play for Canada in the2002 Winter Olympics.

“It’s still too far ahead,” Lemieux said. “But if I play next year, I would love to play in the Olympics for Canada.”