Post by ocelot on Jan 24, 2006 16:57:43 GMT -5
Mario Lemieux retires from hockey
24/01/2006 4:28:12 PM
An emotional Mario Lemieux waved goodbye to the National Hockey League for a second and final time on Tuesday.
CBC Sports
The Pittsburgh Penguins star forward and part owner told reporters he wouldn't be resuming his playing career, six weeks after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat.
"This is always a difficult decision to make for any athlete," said Lemieux, who retired in 1997 because of health issues and returned three years later after fighting Hodgkin's disease. "I feel the time has come.
"[This decision] is in the best interest of myself, my family and the Pittsburgh Penguins."
Lemieux listed health, family and the inability to play at his previous level as reasons for retiring.
"I can no longer play at the level that I was accustomed to in the past. That has been very frustrating to me in the past year," Lemieux said, admitting he still isn't feeling 100 per cent.
"Health and family are the most important things [to me].
"The new NHL is for the young guys. We have some young guys dominating [the game] and a few here in Pittsburgh. They're the future of the NHL and I look forward to watching them play."
Lemieux, one of the greatest players in NHL history, has been out of the Penguins lineup for more than a month with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can be treated with medication.
The 40-year-old returned to practice two weeks ago - the first time Lemieux had been on skates since a Dec. 16 game against Buffalo - but didn't give a timetable for his return.
He recorded 22 points and was a minus-16 in 26 games this season.
The first pick overall in the 1984 NHL draft, Lemieux led the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.
Lemieux was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997, and ranks seventh on the all-time NHL scoring list with 690 goals and 1,033 assists in 915 career games.
In addition, he has six NHL scoring titles to his name, three league MVP trophies and two Conn Smythe trophies as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"I've done pretty much everything I set out to do," said Lemieux. "Winning two Stanley Cups allows me to leave the game in peace."
Lemieux also captained Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics and was a key figure at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, won by Canada over Finland.
"Mario's exceptional play earned him accolades. His ability to face adversity earned him respect. His devotion to Pittsburgh and the Penguins earned him admiration," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release.
"His dedication to hockey - at both the NHL and international levels - earned him the enduring appreciation and thanks of everyone associated with the game. We celebrate his playing career and wish him only the best in the future."
Wayne Gretzky echoed Bettman's sentiments, adding that the league is in good shape thanks to the emergence of rookies such as Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington sniper Alexander Ovechkin.
"He's meant so much to not only the National Hockey League, but the city of Pittsburgh and that franchise," said Gretzky, who set up Lemieux's memorable goal against the Russians at the 1987 Canada Cup. "The good news is we've got some good, young players like Crosby and Ovechkin come along, so I'm sure they'll carry the torch."
On Dec. 10, 2005, Lemieux withdrew his name from consideration for next month's Winter Games in Turin, Italy, citing health problems.
The Montreal native overcame chronic back and hip injuries during 16-plus NHL seasons.
Lemieux is the second Penguin in the last week to leave the game, following winger Zigmund Palffy, who retired due to a lingering shoulder injury.
He can now focus on the sale of the Penguins, which is in the preliminary stages.
He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently that he's been approached by "a few groups" and has started negotiations with his partners.
Lemieux also plans to step down as team's chief executive officer, but he will remain chair of the board. Penguins president Ken Sawyer will take over as CEO.
24/01/2006 4:28:12 PM
An emotional Mario Lemieux waved goodbye to the National Hockey League for a second and final time on Tuesday.
CBC Sports
The Pittsburgh Penguins star forward and part owner told reporters he wouldn't be resuming his playing career, six weeks after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat.
"This is always a difficult decision to make for any athlete," said Lemieux, who retired in 1997 because of health issues and returned three years later after fighting Hodgkin's disease. "I feel the time has come.
"[This decision] is in the best interest of myself, my family and the Pittsburgh Penguins."
Lemieux listed health, family and the inability to play at his previous level as reasons for retiring.
"I can no longer play at the level that I was accustomed to in the past. That has been very frustrating to me in the past year," Lemieux said, admitting he still isn't feeling 100 per cent.
"Health and family are the most important things [to me].
"The new NHL is for the young guys. We have some young guys dominating [the game] and a few here in Pittsburgh. They're the future of the NHL and I look forward to watching them play."
Lemieux, one of the greatest players in NHL history, has been out of the Penguins lineup for more than a month with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can be treated with medication.
The 40-year-old returned to practice two weeks ago - the first time Lemieux had been on skates since a Dec. 16 game against Buffalo - but didn't give a timetable for his return.
He recorded 22 points and was a minus-16 in 26 games this season.
The first pick overall in the 1984 NHL draft, Lemieux led the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.
Lemieux was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997, and ranks seventh on the all-time NHL scoring list with 690 goals and 1,033 assists in 915 career games.
In addition, he has six NHL scoring titles to his name, three league MVP trophies and two Conn Smythe trophies as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"I've done pretty much everything I set out to do," said Lemieux. "Winning two Stanley Cups allows me to leave the game in peace."
Lemieux also captained Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics and was a key figure at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, won by Canada over Finland.
"Mario's exceptional play earned him accolades. His ability to face adversity earned him respect. His devotion to Pittsburgh and the Penguins earned him admiration," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release.
"His dedication to hockey - at both the NHL and international levels - earned him the enduring appreciation and thanks of everyone associated with the game. We celebrate his playing career and wish him only the best in the future."
Wayne Gretzky echoed Bettman's sentiments, adding that the league is in good shape thanks to the emergence of rookies such as Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington sniper Alexander Ovechkin.
"He's meant so much to not only the National Hockey League, but the city of Pittsburgh and that franchise," said Gretzky, who set up Lemieux's memorable goal against the Russians at the 1987 Canada Cup. "The good news is we've got some good, young players like Crosby and Ovechkin come along, so I'm sure they'll carry the torch."
On Dec. 10, 2005, Lemieux withdrew his name from consideration for next month's Winter Games in Turin, Italy, citing health problems.
The Montreal native overcame chronic back and hip injuries during 16-plus NHL seasons.
Lemieux is the second Penguin in the last week to leave the game, following winger Zigmund Palffy, who retired due to a lingering shoulder injury.
He can now focus on the sale of the Penguins, which is in the preliminary stages.
He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently that he's been approached by "a few groups" and has started negotiations with his partners.
Lemieux also plans to step down as team's chief executive officer, but he will remain chair of the board. Penguins president Ken Sawyer will take over as CEO.