Lemieux Comeback: From Owner to the Ice

P I T T S B U R G H, Dec. 8, 2000 -- Mario Lemieux was the first NHL player tobecome a team owner. Now, he’s the first owner to become a player.

Lemieux, who made it look so easy during a 13-year career thatsaw him score points at a faster pace than any player ever, willattempt something exceedingly hard, even for one as skilled as heis.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ part owner is ending his retirementafter 3 ½ years — a span as long as the career of many players — to provide some leadership for a team largely devoid of it and to push Jaromir Jagr out of his scoring slump.

The Missing Penguin

There is another reason, too, why one of the greatest playersever is attempting a third remarkable comeback — the first twofollowed a bout with cancer and a yearlong layoff caused by backpain and fatigue.

Lemieux, at age 35, thinks he could be the missing piece thePenguins need to win a third Stanley Cup, the one he never got inthe five years after he led them to consecutive championships in1991 and 1992.

“He said he believes in this team and he believes we can, witha little luck, do some things this year,” said Jagr, a three-timescoring champion who has become increasingly discouraged with hislack of scoring. “He is pretty confident about this team andconfident that he can help the team to go where all of us want togo.”

The Penguins aren’t saying how or when the comeback will start.He has been skating undetected at a private rink since November,but still hasn’t hit anything harder than a sand wedge since the1997 playoffs against Philadelphia.

He will likely start practicing after the Penguins play atToronto and Detroit this weekend, and might bring in some formerplayers to practice against in an effort to accelerate his return.If he rounds into playing shape quickly, he could resume playingwhen the Penguins begin a stretch of four home games in nine dayslater this month.

By the way, did anyone ask about attendance boost?

“I can’t wait,” forward Matthew Barnaby said. “It’s like we traded for the best player in the world and didn’t give up anything in return. We already had the best player [Jagr] in the game, and now we’ve got the best who ever played.”

If only from a historical perspective, Lemieux’s comeback is sooff-the-scales that nothing else in sports compares. Never beforein the modern era of pro sports had an ex-player become the chiefowner; now an owner is vacating his private box to play again.

“This is a day in history. It’s a total shock,” defenseman Bob Boughner said. “I know I’m looking forward to being part of history in the making.”

How Much Does the Owner Make?

Lemieux’s comeback also creates all new issues that were neverdealt with in any collective bargaining agreement or league bylaws.Lemieux can no longer sit on the NHL’s Board of Governors, but he can remain an owner with a reduced role in day-to-day operations.

And how much does he pay himself? Lemieux once joked he couldnever afford his salary, but he must earn at least the leagueminimum. If he takes the roster spot of a more highly paid player,it reduces the team’s average salary and the league’s overall average.

The Board of Governors and the NHL Players Association both havequestions about Lemieux’s decision. However, given the huge boostin attendance and league-wide interest Lemieux will generate,neither is likely to block his path to the ice.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who won’t comment until thePenguins make the official announcement today, must be as happy asNBA Commissioner David Stern was when Michael Jordan returned.

In Pittsburgh, the news dominated conversation, especially inthe Penguins’ locker room.

“I heard a scream from the back room,” said Jagr, who replacedLemieux as the Penguins’ leader and hockey’s dominant scorer.“They were saying on the radio that Mario might come back. I thinka lot of guys are really happy. They’re going to get to play with alegend.”

Jagr learned of Lemieux’s planned comeback 10 days ago, butdidn’t tell anyone. Neither did equipment manager Steve Latin afterhe was asked to order new sticks and skates.

If Lemieux can play at anywhere near his previous level — andmany hockey historians consider the six-time NHL scoring championto be the most gifted player ever — he would instantly elevate thePenguins into prime contenders for the Stanley Cup.

Still, the question persists: Can the man whose very nametranslates into “The Best” in French be hockey’s greatest playeragain, or at least a reasonable facsimile?

“I know one thing, he’s not coming back to be a stiff. He’scoming back to be the best,” Jagr said.

However, Jagr warned Lemieux it is tougher than ever for scorersto locate open ice and operate with the puck. It was the clutching,grabbing and holding that less-talented players use to neutralizestars that helped drive Lemieux from the league in 1997.

“The league is tougher and tougher, the guys are getting biggerand stronger, it’s not going to be easy and he knows that,” Jagr said. “Every game is tough.”