|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Gift wrapped Plan on a return of Super Mario in time for the holidays
Updated: Friday December 08, 2000 11:29 AM
As the news of Mario Lemieux’s return sent shockwaves through the NHL and those who follow it, CNNSI.com spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Kostya Kennedy, who considers Lemieux's return the best possible holiday gift for the NHL. CNNSI.com: We hear of dual titles, but it’s not too often that we hear of a player-owner. Will this happen with Lemieux in Pittsburgh? Kennedy: Well, yes. Lemieux is going to pay himself a salary. The league may have to rule on that because there’s no precedent. But there’s nothing to stop the situation from happening. No doubt that when he first goes back out he’ll be a player-owner. CNNSI.com: When do you expect that day to come? Kennedy: Dec. 27 is the day I’m predicting. It’s the start of a four-game homestand for the Penguins. CNNSI.com: Quite a Christmas present for the league, isn’t it? Kennedy: It is. It’s the best thing the NHL could have received. The league has been looking for a star bigger than the game ever since Wayne Gretzky retired. With Eric Lindros out and Paul Kariya not taking his game to that next level, the closest the league has come has been Dominik Hasek and Jaromir Jagr, and neither comes close to having the impact that Mario did and will have. CNNSI.com: When Lemieux originally retired, skeptics said he was, proverbially, taking his ball and going home. Is there an air of selfishness in a comeback? Kennedy: You can look at is as self-serving. But I don’t fault him for it at all. It’s every athlete’s prerogative. No athlete has to play if he or she doesn’t want to. Mario had his reasons for retiring -- the clutching and grabbing, the obstruction he had to endure was one -- and every retirement is personal. He retired because he was fed up with the game. But let’s not forget that this guy led the league in points the last two seasons he played. He was still putting up phenomenal numbers. CNNSI.com: Was Lemieux just not enjoying ownership? Kennedy: I think he might have become bored by just watching. He goes to these games all the time. Maybe he became bored with playing when he was playing, but now it’s different. There’s not that much to ownership. CNNSI.com: Is the NHL these days really all that appealing? Kennedy: Not the way guys keep getting cracked over the head. But for a hockey player it’s still the best thing out there. I think it’s maybe even more violent than a couple of years ago; for some reason it seems that the violence has been ratcheted up the past couple of years. In terms of obstruction, though -- the clutching and grabbing, I mean -- teams still trap. That’s still there, but the game definitely seems to me to have opened up. CNNSI.com: You mentioned Dec. 27 as a possible return date, which would mean Lemieux could still play about 45 games this season (and more if he returns earlier). Are we talking about a guy who can put up 100 points over, say, 50 games? Kennedy: First thing we should remember is that Mario was never in great condition. But he was always in excellent game shape. If he’s in game shape he’s as good as anybody. I don’t know if you’ll see 100 points in 50 games, but maybe 75 over that span. I don’t think a point and a half a game is unrealistic. CNNSI.com: With Lemieux back and Jaromir Jagr in the mix, is there a point any longer to having a coach behind the bench? Kennedy: No. I’m applying for the job right now. In a way Ivan Hlinka is as good as anybody there; especially in terms of helping some of the younger Czech players. Mario and Jagr aren’t going to be spending a lot of time nurturing younger players. And that’s where the coaching staff will come in. As far as X’s and O’s, that’s out. CNNSI.com: Will this take the rug out from under what Jagr appeared to earnestly want to accomplish in and for the city of Pittsburgh -- namely a Stanley Cup of his own? This hasn’t been "Mario Jr.’s" most sparkling season. How do you think he will respond to this? Kennedy: I think he’s going to explode. He has been frustrated, and we’ve seen several outbursts. There’s somebody there now to lessen the burden. This is Mario’s team again. There’s no doubt about that. Jagr didn’t win a Cup, and he also never had a team that was as strong as the teams that Mario was a part of in his prime. Jagr’s still the consensus best player in the world. It’s kind of like when a boxing title is voided because a champion hasn’t fought for so long. Well, Mario is going to have to work to take the title back from Jagr. But I think Jagr and Lemieux will share the team. Jagr likes Mario. They got along well. One guy in the organization who can understand a superstar is the other superstar. CNNSI.com: Will the salary Lemieux settles on for himself -- if he is allowed to do so -- be high enough to cause a Joe Sakic or Rob Blake to raise an eyebrow? Kennedy: He’ll pay himself a good salary, but I don’t anticipate it being anything near that level. CNNSI.com: Is it too early to speculate about with whom he would play on a line? Kennedy: As of the Wednesday evening after the announcement, yes. But I’ll tell you what, there’s a pretty good chance it will be the best line in the league. CNNSI.com: What does Lemieux stand to gain from coming back? Kennedy: The Stanley Cup. This Eastern Conference is wide open. The Devils are a stronger team on paper than the Penguins, and New Jersey has better goaltending. Toronto is a better team. Buffalo looks stronger to me. But Mario sees that the conference can be had. That’s a big motivator. The Penguins could make it to the conference finals and nobody would be shocked. The other thing to gain: filling the arena, which he also owns. And a couple more years of an athletic career. CNNSI.com: Lemieux hasn’t ever been the most durable player; do you think he could play until he’s 40? How long do you think this could last? Two years, five years … 10 games? Kennedy: One of the things that makes it hard to predict is his back, which has been a chronic injury area and probably contributed as much as the Hodgkin’s disease and everything else to the retirement, but I certainly don’t think it’s only going to be 10 games. It’s just too hard to speculate on whether he’d play until 40. If I’m guessing, I’d say this season and one or two more. Sports Illustrated staff writer Kostya Kennedy covers the NHL and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
