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The Pittsburgh Penguins are planning a news conference next Monday, at which time club owner Mario Lemieux is expected to announce an attempt to come back and play for the team.
According to a close friend of Lemieux's, the one-time star has been working out hard for about three hours a day over the past three months.
"I think it's a little premature to say that he is definitely going to come back," said the source, "but he really feels good. Of course, that might change when he starts skating with the team. It's more than a little different when you are skating on your own.
"Mario is only going to come back if he thinks he can still be a star player. He won't come back and just be a so-so player. But with Mario, you've got to think that he feels very good about his chances to have just come this far."
Lemieux will not speak until Monday.
In the meantime, there are a number of issues swirling around the possibility of a comeback in which an owner would also be a player. It opens up a variety of conflicts of interest.
According to league spokesman Frank Brown, there are no "specific rules" or articles in the league's constitution which would stop Lemieux from making a comeback and still maintaining ownership. However, he would not be able to vote on issues at the
Board of Governors meetings.
The more thorny problem might be the NHLPA -- which has already been advised of the comeback. NHLPA chief Bob Goodenow could not be reached for comment early Thursday, but that organization has already had problems with "conflict
of interest" on the part of Mike Barnett, the man who had been the agent for Wayne Gretzky, but who was told by the NHLPA that he could not represent both Gretzky as an owner, and also represent players.
If that is the case, there is a far more problematic situation in which Lemieux is both a player and owner. For example, what will he be paid? And if it is not "market value" wouldn't that bring down the league average -- a figure upon which certain types of free
agency are defined?
What also has to be discussed is just how a coach will adapt to a player on the bench who is also an owner, and other such issues.
Al Morganti covers the NHL for ESPN.
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AUDIO VIDEO
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