Lemieux loses out most with 2004 NHL lockout

For you, Oct. 5 was probably just an ordinary day as a Pitt student. You were probably still… For you, Oct. 5 was probably just an ordinary day as a Pitt student. You were probably still recovering from last week’s barrage of the first set of exams and papers your professors all seemed to pile on at the same time. You were probably still upset about the Panthers’ loss to UConn, which wasn’t a Division I-A football school when this year’s seniors were freshmen. You still might have been talking about the impressive poise rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger showed in the pocket as the beloved Steelers beat the Bengals.But I can almost guarantee that you weren’t thinking about a Pittsburgh athlete who was celebrating his 39th birthday — Mario Lemieux.

That’s right, this week “Le Magnifique” celebrated the big three-nine.

For 15 of the past 20 years, he celebrated his birthday in training camp, preparing to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins for another season. Although you may not care, Mario was home because of the NHL lockout, and probably spent his birthday this year with his wife and kids.

I know what you might be thinking: Who cares about the NHL and its labor disputes? And I understand — the National Hockey League has gotten itself into a real pickle.

They’ve spread themselves too thin and watered down the competition. They’ve raised ticket prices to make it nearly impossible to take a family to a game. Hockey is the hardest sport to televise, and it gets the worst ratings. The players want to be paid like the athletes of other pro sports. The owners want to see revenue and profits that the other major sports teams draw.

It doesn’t appear that either side is getting anywhere.

I could go on for days about the problems of the NHL. It seems like the players and the owners will go on all season arguing about what needs to be done. This lockout will have lasting effects on the league and on the game of hockey. No one seems to know what will happen if and when play resumes.

One thing seems to be certain, and it kills me to say it. In Pittsburgh, professional hockey’s days are numbered, and Lemieux — the superstar center, living legend and team owner — isn’t getting any younger.

The man who has twice saved the franchise (once as a young teen-ager drafted 20 years ago to take a team from the cellar of the league to its, and then as a retired millionaire to buy out the owners who declared bankruptcy and threatened to move the team elsewhere) doesn’t look like he can get the Penguins out of this circumstance.

Kansas City has reportedly talked to the Penguins organization about a brand-new facility that will be built and ready by the 2007-2008 season. The new Sprint Arena in downtown Kansas City is looking for either an NBA or NHL franchise to be its first tenant. Conveniently, the Penguins’ lease with the oldest facility in the NHL, Mellon Arena, expires in 2007.

Regardless of whether the Penguins are migrating from the Igloo, the real problem I have with the NHL lockout is that Lemieux might be forced to end his amazing NHL career with last year’s statistics. Last year, he had one goal and eight assists in the 10 games he played because of season-ending hip surgery.

This is all speculation, but less than a month ago, in the World Cup of Hockey, Lemieux captained a Canadian team that totally dominated the ice, and he looked to be in the best shape of his career.

Granted, he was playing on team with much younger superstars who carried most of the scoring load, but according to team members and sources close to the Canadian team, Mario was as dominant as ever. After the tournament, ESPN’s main hockey analyst, Barry Melrose, named Lemieux to his all-tournament team.

Who knows what a healthy Lemieux could do with a talented group of young Penguins who steadily improved throughout last season. His best years are certainly behind him, but Lemieux has never been one to back down from a challenge. Hopefully, we will get to see Mario lead the Pens to a playoff run one last time in the Igloo.

If the lockout lasts all season, Mario will celebrate another birthday before he hits the ice; it will be his 40th.

Happy belated birthday anyway, big guy.

Dave Thomas is a staff writer for the Pitt News.