Adieu, Lemieux

IN THE Jan. 24 press conference announcing his retirement, Mario Lemieux, a catch in his voice, reminded young NHL players to revel in their careers because everything passes, and quickly. The sentiment might have been directed toward his Penguins prot�g�, Sidney Crosby, who was in attendance, but the bittersweet irony is that Lemieux, 40, didn't always follow his own advice. Until his comeback in December 2000, from a retirement 3 1/2 years earlier, he seemed to be working at rather than playing hockey, shredding defenses and record books almost with a Gallic shrug. There was undeniable grace to his game, just few grace notes or embellishments. Lemieux, of course, returned five years ago as a different player, a center who filtered the action rather than dominated it. But he also returned as a different man. He connected to hockey in a new way, promoting the game and the NHL, which he once derided as a "garage league." In turn, fans connected to him. Ultimately an irregular heartbeat, which sidelined him in December, forced Lemieux's second retirement. After 690 goals, two Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medal, the man who belatedly uncovered a passion for hockey had to listen to his heart.