Lemieux wants no part of the part-time life

Sporting News, The, August 15, 1994 by Larry Wigge

You watch him race up the ice and he clearly stands out. He cleverly sidesteps a defenseman, then uses his enormous reach to fake the goaltender into submission.

Magnifique. Marvelous. Mario Lemieux.

Lemieux has led the Penguins to two Stanley Cups, he's won three scoring titles and paralyzes goaltenders, yet most of his fans never have seen him skate pain-free. Lemieux has played in more than 60 games only once in the last five seasons.

After playing in only 22 games last season, Lemieux was hoping that this would be a breakthrough season. But after he meets with doctors in Los Angeles this week, Super Mario will announce that he isn't healthy enough to play.

Back pain, bone infection, Hodgkin's disease and anemia have done what Patrick Roy, Ed Belfour and Grant Fuhr could not -- they've stopped Lemieux, sapped the strength and stamina from the game's best player.

"He is the scariest player in the league," Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon says. "With that big reach of his, it's like he's got you on a string and just reels you in.

"I've often wondered how good he could have been if he was healthy for a whole season. He might have been the first to score 100 goals and 250 points."

Anemia is the culprit this time. It is the result of radiation treatments he underwent in February 1993 to fight the Hodgkin's disease.

"If you and I get anemia, it's no big deal," says Tom Reich, Lemieux's agent. "If Mario Lemieux gets anemia, however, this is not a blip on a screen, not when he is in recovery from Hodgkin's disease.

"Mario wants a decision on his health. He doesn't want to be a 20- to 25-game player the rest of his career."

Lemieux returned from the first of his two back operations to lead the Penguins to consecutive championships in 1991 and '92. He made a remarkably quick recovery and helped the Penguins to an NHL-record, 17-game winning streak, but wore down in the '93 playoffs. Lemieux again required back surgery last summer, but showed only flashes of his once-dominating form. Until last season, Mario, who has five years left on a seven-year, $42-million contract, boggled the medical minds in Pittsburgh by comming back so strong.

Maybe he came back too soon from the radiation treatments in '93 -- and now he's paying for it.

"He was sluggish and struggling last season," linemate Kevin Stevens says. "You could see that Mario was frustrated the last couple of seasons just trying to get strong enough to play in the playoffs. Maybe a year off is what he needs. I'm for whatever is best for Mario."

So are we. So are we.

Icy bits

What does Bryan Murray have as general manager of the Panthers that he didn't have as G.M. with the powerful Red Wings? No, he doesn't have first-place talent. But he does have the goaltending he didn't have in Detroit. Murray says he tried to acquire John Vanbiesbrouck or Mark Fitzpatrick from Florida last January. Now he has them both. Murray is perfect for the Panthers because he is at his best in acquiring and developing talent. He just came up a goaltender short of winning a Stanley Cup in Detroit. ... Red Wings Coach Scotty Bowman is deadly serious about improving his team defense. First, he obtains Mike Vernon from Calgary to solidify his goaltending. Then, he signs freeagent forward Mike Krushelnyski and adds former Pittsburgh defenseman Mike Ramsey as a free agent. The Red Wings also outbid St. Louis and Philadelphia for free-agent defenseman Bob Rouse.

George Burnett is 32. Oilers G.M. Glen Sather says Burnett reminds him of himself when he first became coach in Edmonton in 1979-80 because he stresses hard work. Burnett is familiar with many of the current Oilers, having coached Edmonton's Cape Breton farm club (American Hockey League) the last two seasons. That team won the AHL championship in 1992-93. Look for Burnett to get the Oilers back in the playoffs this season.... To make up for the loss of Rouse, the Blues have re-signed defenseman Rick Zombo and signed free-agent defenseman/fighter Tony Twist. Next up? Edmonton tough guy Louie DeBrusk.

Penguins General Manager Craig Patrick has been busy trying to fill in for the loss of Lemieux. First, he acquired left wing Luc Robitaille from the Kings for right wing Rick Tocchet. Then, he signed free-agent center John Cullen and re-signed left wing Tomas Sandstrom. To prove that some things just don't change, consider Cullen's coming back to Pittsburgh and being able to move into the same home he left when he was traded by the Penguins to Hartford on March 4, 1991. "I wasn't happy that I couldn't sell my house after I was traded," Cullen says. "But now I can move right back in." All Cullen has to do is evict Grant Jennings, who has rented the house since being traded for Cullen in 1991.