Lemieux evasive about future

[Shell]

Lemieux evasive about future
Associated Press
5/29/2003

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Mario Lemieux was evasive about his plans for next season, even as fans called for him to return during a town hall meeting for Pittsburgh Penguins' season-ticket holders Thursday night.

"We'll see about that,'' Lemieux said, a day after Colorado goalie Patrick Roy announced his retirement.

Lemieux, who came out of retirement 2½ years ago, led the Penguins with 91 points this season - almost double the number of the team's second-leading scorer, Martin Straka. Still, Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for the second straight season and won only twice in the last 21 games.

He urged fans to support the team's younger players.

"This is no longer about myself. I am not the future of this franchise. Maybe 20 years ago, when I was 18 and young and my whole career was in front of me,'' Lemieux said. "We have great young players who are going to be here a lot longer than I will as a player and this is really a new era for the Pittsburgh Penguins.''

Pittsburgh won only 55 of 164 games over the past two seasons. Last season was the Penguins' worst since Lemieux's rookie year in 1984. The bad news is that half of the starting lineup from the beginning of this season will be gone next season.

General manager Craig Patrick has largely put the Penguins' future in the hands of prospects and young players, many whom spent most of last season playing for Pittsburgh's farm team in Wilkes-Barre or elsewhere. He said he hopes stockpiling young players - the Penguins have 40 players in the system between 19 and 24 - will pay off.

"We don't know which ones are going to be the great ones, or which ones are going to be the really good ones, or which one are going to be the average ones,'' Patrick said. ``But if we have enough people, we are going to get good ones and great ones.''

[tommy]

Pittsburgh won only 55 of 164 games over the past two seasons. Last season was the Penguins' worst since Lemieux's rookie year in 1984. The bad news is that half of the starting lineup from the beginning of this season will be gone next season.

That really IS bad news. Seriously, how is this team going to compete? They're already 2nd to last; imagine them with only half of their roster.... what they need is a consistent goalie...

But more on topic... even though over the past two years I have lost some respect for Lemieux (skipping lots of NHL season to play in Olympics, supporting Billy Tibbets, etc.), I think that he is right. It is true that the team may need him, but they can't rely on him. The management needs to make some smart moves to keep their heads above water. Fans can't just look for Lemieux to be their savior over and over again. He already saved them from bankruptcy and did his best on the ice.

Personally, I don't think he'll play for too much longer. His health is inconsistent, and he's under a lot of pressure on a bad team. There's only so much one person can take. He and the Pens sure have turned 180 degrees from the 91 and 92 Cup teams.

[moonstomper]

this is pretty big news here



6/1/2003

(TSN.ca) - The rumours of Mario Lemieux playing for the New York Rangers should be taken seriously, although some significant hurdles remain to be overcome.

Sources have told TSN that Lemieux fully intends to play in the NHL next season and that he would prefer to do it with a team other than the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The big hitch, though, is that Lemieux's ownership stake in the Penguins could prevent that from happening. If Lemieux wants to play for a team other than Pittsburgh he must sell his interest in the Penguins.

At this time, there doesn't appear to be any prospective buyers for Lemieux's ownership stake and the league would have to approve any transaction, ensuring that Lemieux is indeed divesting himself of the club and not just putting his shares of the team in trust.

If, however, Lemieux can find a legitimate buyer, sources say he's interested in playing for only one of two NHL clubs -- the Rangers or the Philadelphia Flyers -- at market value, which would mean he would be getting a salary of at least $10 million a year, twice what he earned with the cash-strapped Penguins last season

[SouthernHockeyChick]

If, however, Lemieux can find a legitimate buyer, sources say he's interested in playing for only one of two NHL clubs -- the Rangers or the Philadelphia Flyers

You have GOT to be kidding me. Play for the Flyers? I guess he isn't interested in making any friends of the Pens fans, huh? :eek2:

[tommy]

If, however, Lemieux can find a legitimate buyer, sources say he's interested in playing for only one of two NHL clubs -- the Rangers or the Philadelphia Flyers

You have GOT to be kidding me. Play for the Flyers? I guess he isn't interested in making any friends of the Pens fans, huh? :eek2:

Yeah, no kidding. That would be a TOTAL joke. Leave a legacy with the Penguins, and finish up your career with a year or two playing somewhat-decent hockey for the Flyers... wonderful.

[Turbulence]

This brings to mind Michael Jordan in Washington and Joe Montana in Kansas City, and what's happening now to Tom Glavine in New York.
It would be crazy for him to go to a team like New York or Philly...he is a Penguin and will always be a Penguin. It's absurd to think he'd go anywhere else...
I sincerely hope he doesn't switch teams...

[Stormbringer]

This brings to mind Michael Jordan in Washington and Joe Montana in Kansas City, and what's happening now to Tom Glavine in New York.
It would be crazy for him to go to a team like New York or Philly...he is a Penguin and will always be a Penguin. It's absurd to think he'd go anywhere else...
I sincerely hope he doesn't switch teams...

You and me Turby. I'm taking the rumors of Le Magnifique making the big switch with a grain of salt right now...but every other sports great having done such a thing seem to point towards Lemieux doing it too. Not that I want him leaving the Pens, but if Lemieux *has* to switch teams, I much rather him play with the Flyers instead of the Rangers. Lemieux's presence on the Rangers is not necessary nor would be used well.

If Lemieux truly wants to live up to his nickname, he will not leave the Pens, who need him much more than the Flyers or especially the Rangers. And if he leaves, I believe the 30th place team will be easy to predict next season...unless the Penguins can find themselves a few good men through trades and/or free agency over the summer.

[Jeff O Rocks]

If he is being iffy and evasive, my gut feeling is that he won't be back...that usually is the case... maybe he is just mentioning playing for the Flyers to try and sidetrack the questions about him coming back!! ??? :roll:

Ron made us wonder for about 5 minutes if he would be back....and then he announced his decision... not sure of the same about Mario!

[talkingcanes]

Maybe Mario is finding that being an owner is not everything it's cracked up to be. Or maybe he doesn't want to be an owner when the CBA expires.

Hopefully, it's just another rumor and he'll make his decision and move on with next year and whatever that brings. It must be difficult for him considering the playing time he lost to the cancer and back problems. Guess as great as his career has been, it's still tough not to wonder what could have been.

[moonstomper]

hmmmm........

Lemieux to stay with Pens - if he plays
TSN.ca Staff

6/2/2003

Mario Lemieux has denied media speculation that he would like to play with another team next season. In fact, he says he's still not sure if he will play at all.

“I am not considering selling my interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins," he said in a statement released by the team Monday.

“As I said to our season ticket holders last week, I have not decided whether I will play in 2003-04. However, if I do play, it will be for the Pittsburgh Penguins.”

Teams that had been mentioned as possible destinations for Lemieux next year were the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers.

Rangers' general manager Glen Sather, however, said Lemieux's Broadway aspiratinos were news to him.

"I've had zero contact with Mario or anyone that represents him," Sather told the New York Daily News. "There are 100,000 reasons why this is out of the blue for me. Probably, it's just some agent trying to drum up business for Mario and New York is always a good place to start."

Lemieux is an unrestricted free agent this summer, but if he was to sign with a team other than the Penguins, he would first have to sell his stake in the team.

Lemieux ranked sixth in the league last season with 91 points, but the Penguins floundered and he was forced to unload All-Star winger Alexei Kovalev to trim an already lean payroll. They struggled through a 16-game winless streak and were next to last with 65 points.

Forced into retirement by persistent back pain, the 37-year-old Lemieux made a remarkable comeback in 2000. He collected 35 goals and 41 assists in just 43 games after sitting out three seasons.

A nagging hip injury limited Lemieux to 24 games in 2001-02, but he won a gold medal with Canada at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

[nccanes]

What a mess....

Lemieux feels betrayed by lack of support for arena

By JOE MANDAK, Associated Press Writer
June 5, 2003
PRESTO, Pa. (AP) -- Mario Lemieux, the Pittsburgh Penguins' owner and star, was pessimistic Thursday about the team's future in the city if it can't secure financial backing for a new $270 million arena.

Lemieux said he feels ``betrayed'' by the lack of support city and county leaders have given efforts to build an arena to replace 42-year-old Mellon Arena -- the oldest and second-smallest venue in the National Hockey League.

Raising the specter of the team leaving Pittsburgh, he said the targeted 2006 opening for a new arena is ``pretty much gone unless something happens in the next 30 to 60 days.''

``This franchise is a free agent in 2007. I hope they understand that,'' Lemieux said. The Penguins lease at Mellon Arena will have expired by that time.

In response to Lemieux's comments, Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy's office issued a statement saying the mayor has worked hard to keep the Penguins in the city but that there is no tax money available for financing a new arena.

Murphy's spokesman, Craig Kwiecinski, said there may be other money available, however, and that ``any financing proposal must include significant state and private funding.''

Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey said while he will work toward keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh, the county is unable to finance a new arena now.

Lemieux said that promises that the city and county governments would help develop financing for a new arena played a significant role in his decision to purchase the franchise out of bankruptcy in 1999. Lemieux returned to the ice as a player in December 2000 after a 44-month retirement.

He said he won't decide for another two to three weeks whether to return as a player next season but said he is feeling healthier than he did at the end of this season, when the Penguins missed the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Lemieux said he is committed to remaining with the franchise ``in some capacity'' for the immediate future and was frustrated by rumors that he would sell his stake in the Penguins for a chance to play elsewhere.

He put those rumors to rest with a statement Monday, saying if he plays next season, it will be with the Penguins.

Lemieux on Thursday said he wants to play only at a high level but realizes another championship run is a long shot.

``I am not the future of the franchise. If the franchise can't survive without me on the ice then I don't like the chances of the franchise staying here,'' he said.

However, he said he recognizes the value of remaining with the team in some capacity for the next couple of years while the Penguins rebuild and the league negotiates a new collective bargaining agreement with its players after next season.

[Shell]

Lemieux: Build a new arena or else
Friday, June 06, 2003
By Gerry Dulac and Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Staff Writers

Penguins owner Mario Lemieux dropped the gloves yesterday, threatening to move the Penguins out of town if a new arena isn't built for the franchise.

Lemieux said the team -- which has had to slash its payroll and unload most of its big-name players because of escalating costs -- "has no future here" if local government does not provide funding for a new arena.

It was the first time Lemieux had made such a statement publicly.

Lemieux, for years the team's star player and now also the owner, criticized Pittsburgh and Allegheny County leaders for their lack of effort in securing funding for a new arena to replace the 42-year-old Mellon Arena.

Lemieux said he feels betrayed because promises that were made to him in 1999, when he purchased the franchise, have not been kept.

"The arena [issue] has been very frustrating for all of us," Lemieux said yesterday during a news conference at the Club at Nevillewood, the site of his four-day Mellon Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational.

"We've been working on this for two years. I'm very disappointed in the efforts of the city and the county. It's been frustrating. Nothing's being done from their side. And we have to know soon.

"I'd like to think it would happen, but right now I'm not so sure, with the effort they've put forth, which is not there. Time is running out."

County Chief Executive Jim Roddey and Mayor Tom Murphy hurriedly issued statements responding to Lemieux's criticism.

Both said the team is important to the city and the region but insisted that with both governments facing tough financial times, there just isn't city or county tax revenue available for a new arena.

They mentioned the Allegheny Regional Asset District as a possible source of funding. It has a $75 million annual budget, derived mostly from the county's 1 percent sales tax.

Since 1997, the asset district has provided $3.2 million a year to pay off a bond issue that financed improvements at the arena, including 1,700 club seats. Since being formed in 1994, the district has provided a total of nearly $22 million for improvements at the arena, according to its annual report.

Roddey said, "While we are willing to help provide infrastructure [roads or sewer and water lines], the county is not in a position to finance a new sports facility at this time. With the many demands being made on the Regional Asset District's annual budget, I don't see how the current allocation for the arena can be increased."

RAD is already paying $13.4 million a year for 30 years to pay off a nearly $200 million bond issue that financed Heinz Field and PNC Park.

Roddey suggested the Penguins "look to the state, their own resources and the private sector for help."

Roddey is in a tough race for re-election this year and faces political pressure over the arena issue from his Democratic opponent, county Controller Dan Onorato.

"There is no local money right now for an arena," Onorato said yesterday. "The private money has to come forward."

RAD board member Dan Griffin said the Penguins' timing "couldn't be worse right now. They ran into two election cycles -- the governor's election [in 2002] and the county election -- and that hurts."

Murphy said he has "worked very hard to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh through several difficult years, including their bankruptcy" in 1998-99.

He said he'll continue to work with Lemieux on the arena issue and believes "that Mario is committed to keeping the team in Pittsburgh."

But Murphy also said that "any financing proposal must include significant state and private funding."

Last year the state Legislature authorized $90 million for a new Pittsburgh arena, but that funding still must be released by Gov. Ed Rendell. The state commitment is good only through 2006, when it would have to be reauthorized.

The Penguins haven't said how much they would provide, but they are believed to be seeking a deal similar to what the Pirates got at PNC Park. The Pirates provided $48 million of the $260 million total cost.

Last August, Stephen Leeper, director of the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, which owns Mellon Arena, estimated the cost of a new 18,000-seat arena at about $270 million.

At that time, Leeper proposed a financing plan that called for a higher annual allotment of RAD funds, plus $90 million from the state and $108 million in private funds, including the sale of naming rights for the new building and ticket surcharges. Leeper's plan got little support.

The Penguins' current lease at Mellon Arena expires at the end of the 2006-07 season -- May or June 2007, when the team would be free to move.

"This franchise is a free agent in 2007," Lemieux said. "Hopefully, they understand that."

Lemieux said the Penguins were hoping to move into a new facility for the start of the 2006-07 season, meaning October 2006.

But, he added, that objective could not be reached unless local officials approved a financing plan for a new arena in the next two months. It takes about one year to draw up architectural plans for a new arena and two more years to build it.

"I really care about this city and this franchise. I'll do whatever I can to make this work. But if I'm the only one who wants to make it happen, you can't do that. We need teamwork here with the city, the county and the state."

Asked if he felt betrayed, Lemieux said, "I do feel that way. That was a big reason why I bought the franchise. I saw the future here with the new arena, a new facility, keeping the team here for at least 30 years. Now it looks like it's not happening and it's frustrating. You're promised things from different people and [when] it doesn't happen, it's frustrating.

"I understand the economy is not where it was three to four years ago. But, at the same time, there's a will to make it happen. There's a way, and right now I'm not seeing it."

Lemieux was asked if he thought city and county officials were waiting for the National Hockey League to come up with a new collective bargaining agreement with the players in 2004.

"I hope they're not waiting for that," he said. "It will be too late."

[Shell]

Penguins in dark on Mario's future

Wednesday, June 25, 2003
By Dave Molinari, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Penguins President Ken Sawyer doesn't know whether Mario Lemieux will play next season.

Won't even hazard a guess at when Lemieux will reach, let alone announce, a decision on his future.

And has no intention of complaining about the amount of time Lemieux is taking to make that decision.

"It's entirely up to him," Sawyer said yesterday. "I think he's allowed to take the amount of time it ends up [requiring]."

Sawyer doesn't necessarily embrace the popular sentiment that the longer Lemieux reflects on his options, the greater the possibility that he will play again.

"I don't read anything into that," he said. "Mario has surprised us in the past. He surprised us when he retired. He surprised us when he came back. He surprised us when he bought the team. [The time Lemieux is taking] doesn't give me any insight."

Lemieux's contract, which expired after the 2002-03 season, paid him $5.25 million. If he returns, he figures to earn roughly the same amount, which means his decision will have a major effect on the size of the Penguins' payroll.

After a series of personnel moves in recent years designed to lower the team's expenses -- the trades of players such as Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Kovalev and Darius Kasparaitis, and the refusal to re-sign free agents such as Robert Lang, Ron Tugnutt and Bob Boughner -- the Penguins' budget for players dipped below $20 million a few months ago.

Sawyer said the payroll for 2003-04 will be formulated "over the course of the summer."

Lemieux, who effectively is locked into remaining with the Penguins because of his ownership stake, center Kent Manderville and defenseman Jamie Pushor will become unrestricted free agents Tuesday, and salary arbitration hearings begin a month later.

Which, if any, of those veterans is with the team next season will have an impact on the payroll, as will any awards handed down in arbitration, although few players appear to be in line for major salary increases.

"We don't make [the payroll] hard and fast until we see where we are with players on July 1 and Aug. 1," Sawyer said. "All we know is that we're not going into the free-agent market [to pursue a big-money player]."

Sawyer said it is too early to assess season-ticket sales for 2003-04, and there's every reason to believe that Lemieux's decision on whether to play will have a significant effect on them.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, whom the Penguins claimed with the No. 1 choice in the NHL Entry Draft Saturday, doesn't figure to do much to spur ticket sales -- not in the short term, anyway -- but General Manager Craig Patrick's move to secure the top pick by working out a trade with Florida has been widely applauded.

Not only by those in hockey circles, many of whom view Fleury as a potential franchise goalie, but by fans who have expressed their feelings in phone calls and e-mails to the Penguins.

"That's what we've been hearing," Sawyer said. "Everybody feels that we've been very successful in getting the No. 1 pick and giving up almost nothing."

[Shell]

Lemieux hints strongly at return
By Joe Bendel
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Mario Lemieux said Monday that his back is healthy. He said he's in good shape. He even said he has a sense of eagerness with training camp fast approaching.
The only thing he didn't say was that he's coming back for another season to play for the Penguins.

But that appears to be nothing more than a formality.

Lemieux plans to make an announcement about his status for next season by midweek. And judging by his comportment and comments yesterday morning at a Penguins alumni golf outing at Oglebay in Wheeling, W.Va., he's all but guaranteed to play at least one more season.

"If I feel 100 percent physically and mentally, I'd love to play," Lemieux said.

Asked if he's feeling close to 100 percent on both of those counts, he answered in the affirmative.

"Absolutely, yeah," Lemieux said. "After a couple months of rest, I recharged the battery and feel pretty good."

Lemieux, the all-time NHL leader in points per game who also doubles as the Penguins' owner, began an off-ice training program six weeks ago and plans to hit the ice the third week of August, which gives him three weeks of preparation before training camp.

Former Penguins defenseman Jay Caufield, who has conducted on-ice workouts with Lemieux since the latter came out of retirement in December 2000, said Lemieux appears to be fit and ready for the rigors of an NHL season.

"I'm preparing as if he's coming back," said Caufield, who trains a number of Penguins players at the Island Sports Center each August. "I know he's in shape and ready to play. But it's not something we've discussed. I just have the date set aside and I plan for him to be there."

Penguins fans have been in suspense about Lemieux's playing status since the end of last season. He was expected to make his decision early this month, but an announcement never came.

There remains a chance that he'll retire, though he gave the impression yesterday that he still has the drive to be one of the league's elite players.

"Workouts are a lot tougher now," Lemieux said. "Once you get to be 37, 38 years old, it's a different regimen and you have to work harder at it. But it's something I enjoy doing now. Earlier in my career, I didn't work out much, but now I feel it's important to work out year-round if you want to be one of the top players in the league."

If he chooses to return, Lemieux said he'd prefer to play in every game next season, as opposed to sitting out from time to time to give his body a rest. He also added that he's never entertained the thought of playing for any team other than the Penguins, who made him the first overall draft pick in 1984. Several published reports linked Lemieux to other franchises, including the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens.

The Penguins have taken on a new form since the conclusion of last season, when they failed to reach the postseason for the second consecutive year. They fired coach Rick Kehoe, president Tom Rooney and Wilkes-Barre coach Glenn Patrick, the brother of Penguins general manager Craig Patrick.

Ed Olczyk replaced Kehoe, Ken Sawyer took over as president and Michel Therrien became the new coach at Wilkes-Barre, the team's minor-league affiliate.

"I think we're going in the right direction," Lemieux said. "I think these guys are doing a great job. I have a lot of confidence in Ken and Craig. They've been around for a long time. I'm pleased with the progress we've made the last few months."

Lemieux then gave his thoughts on a number of topics.

On Patrick's move to trade up for the first overall pick in the draft, which netted 18-year-old goalie Marc-Andre Fleury: "Every great team has to rebuild at some point and that's where we are right now. And the best way to do it was a great goalie and we were fortunate enough to get the first pick overall. He has all the potential to be a great goalie, so the franchise looks pretty good."

On Olczyk: "He's a great person. I think he'll be great with young kids. He has to get some experience the first year or two, but I think he'll be a great coach."

On the potential for a new arena: "I think we're making progress. It's a slow process and we get frustrated sometimes, but we have to understand that it's going to take some time."

On slot machine monies going toward a new venue: "It's a great idea."

On the possibility of keeping Martin Straka and his $4 million contract for next season: "Craig has his budget and we'll see what happens from there."

On the team's low payroll potentially being a blessing if a salary cap is put into effect prior to the 2004-05 season: "What you see now with Dallas and Washington trying to trade their cap players, we were thinking a little bit ahead. We're in position to come out of the (collective bargaining agreement) and have a good young team."

[tommy]

Regardless of whether he comes back or not, you can't get far with one good line. And they darn well better keep Straka!

[Shell]

What took the guy so long?!? :angel:

http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com/htmlindex.htm

It's sad to say that this will probably be the last years for Lemieux and Ron Francis...glad to know that Le Magnifique is back again, though. He is the Pittsburgh Penguins.

[Stormbringer]

Glad to know that Monsieur Lemieux shall return...that definitely cinches my trying to catch one of, if not both of the Pens games this upcoming season. A couple of the many reasons I chose a Pens game as my very first Canes game to attend in person was to not only see the one they call Le Magnifique on the ice, but also playing against one of the best teammates and friends in Ronnie. Unfortunately though, Lemieux was out that night with a groin injury. :sad:

Anyway, the Pens truly need Lemieux this season, or else will practically be a minor league team...especially if they get rid of Straka, if they haven't done so already.

[MCAngel]

It's kind of sad, but kind of funny too because I think people look at Lemieux coming back and playing like...this might be the last time we get to see him play against Ron. I thought that would be the case last year, but I'm glad they will both be back this year. It's kind of like a farewell tour or something. Who are these guys, The Eagles? ;) I hate that Mario missed the last game in Raleigh. At the last one in Pittsburgh, it was cool to see those two together again, even if it was on opposite sides of the puck. By then, both seasons were so far gone and the end of the game had the strangest collection of penalties I've ever seen. Ron and Mario were just standing there talking to the refs as they were sorting things out, but they looked like 2 kids playing street hockey...or maybe they were talking about how they would rather be golfing at that moment. Anyway, mark your calendars for those Pens games. You never know if this is really the farewell tour. People in Pittsburgh do the same thing with Ron. He gets big ovations there and why not?

:angel:

[nccanes]

Who are these guys, The Eagles? ;)
:angel:

MCAngel good thing I had not taken a drink of my diet coke before reading this line!

I loved the whole post!

I agree that it's a little strange. He apparently wore several different sweaters that last game and used several sticks, just in case. :crazy:

[Kat]

Woot! I have a Lemieux jersey that I needed to sell, and this will help... (I got it in a lot and didn't really want it). Whee!

-Kat

[MCAngel]

nccanes...I'm glad it made you laugh! You should be complimented on "We're back and we're pissed!" :D :D :D

:angel:

[Shell]

Good to go: Lemieux begins skating
Associated Press
8/19/2003

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Mario Lemieux is back on the ice, declaring himself in far better shape that he was at the same time last year.

That's a good thing considering the Penguins are coming off their second straight season missing the playoffs. When last season ended, a worn-down Lemieux suggested that might have been his swan song.

But the team owner/player has since announced his return for a 16th NHL season. On Monday, he skated for about 45 minutes at the city's Neville Island Sports Center alongside teammate Steve McKenna and former player Jay Caulfield, who has become Lemieux's on-ice trainer during the off-season.

"I'm way ahead of last year, so it's really encouraging," Lemieux said after the session, which figures to the be first of many leading up to training camp which begins Sept. 12.

"He's probably in the best shape of his life," said Tom Plasko, Lemieux's longtime personal trainer, who developed an off-ice regimen that Lemieux has been following for about 10 weeks.

"We've just really been working on his cardiovascular conditioning. He also wanted to build more endurance and strength. He looks really good - strong as a bull."

Lemieux, who will turn 38 five days before the season opens on Oct. 10, has said he wanted to strengthen his legs to try to save wear and tear on his temperamental back.

"I've been working on that aspect for the last two months and I see big, big progress," Lemieux said. "When I played my best hockey, my legs were pretty strong, so I've got to get back to that."

Winger Aleksey Morozov, among others, is expected to arrive next week to train with Lemieux because it's likely they will play on the same line this season.

"Having Lexy here will be such a help to both of them," Caulfield said. "I've seen before how, when they've spent time together like this, it's benefitted both of them in game situations. And Lexy was thrilled when I called him to ask."