Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore, but I really don't know why Mario Lemieux has decided to come back. Just about everyone in hockey was completely taken by surprise. Whatever the reason, it's terrific. Lemieux is one of the great players ever to play the game. If he still has the itch to play, he should definitely do it. I don't care what the reasons are, as long as his desire to play is at the bottom of it.

Physically, Lemieux had a lot of terrible things happen to him, and it was a shame he had to quit when he did. To have him back is tremendous. It will be interesting to see how -- or if -- time has affected his skills and how quickly he can recapture them. Four years is a long layoff -- but on one leg, Lemieux is better than half the guys in the league.

	"	They should thank Bill Clement and Darren Pang. When they shot a segment for NHL Rules! playing two-on-one with Jagr and Lemieux, Mario beat Panger like a rented mule. Seeing how badly he was able to demolish those guys might have stoked his desire to get back on the ice. Although, I have to say that I could pepper Panger too."
		--Engblom on Lemieux's appearance on NHL Rules!

In his last couple of seasons, Lemieux was very critical of the style of play in the NHL. He must be pretty impressed with the way the game is being played, and called, lately. Lemieux had said that the slashing and holding going on at the end of his career was ruining the game. His decision to come back can only mean he approves of the changes.

Mark Messier, Ray Bourque, Igor Larianov, Larry Murphy, Chris Chelios and others are older than Lemieux and are still doing very well in the league. Of course, they have different circumstances because they haven't had years away from the game. Do Lemieux's age, health and the layoff present some obstacles for him? You bet. But you're talking about a player who is in the top one percent of all-time talent. We're not talking about someone who has to work his butt off just to get back in shape and be decent. Lemieux is among the very best. He's obviously been skating for a while and working out. He must have a pretty good sense about himself or he wouldn't be doing this.

As far as the Penguins and Jaromir Jagr are concerned, you probably can't get the smiles off their faces. I bet you can follow the trail of saliva to Jagr who's just licking his chops waiting to get on the ice with Lemieux. They should thank Bill Clement and Darren Pang. When they shot a segment for NHL Rules! playing two-on-one with Jagr and Lemieux, Mario beat Panger like a rented mule. Seeing how badly he was able to demolish those guys might have stoked his desire to get back on the ice. Although, I have to say that I could pepper Panger too.

Mario's impact will be immediate. He plays on a completely different plane. He's the toughest one-on-one player I ever played against. His stick is like a magic wand he waves. He is a true performer who can pull off a new miracle every time he steps on the ice.

Brian Engblom is an NHL analyst for ESPN.