WinterSports2002.com, Friday, March 01, 2002

Mario to miss rest of season

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — The news was so discouraging, the Pittsburgh Penguins didn't tell their players until after their game was over: Mario Lemieux won't be rescuing them this season.

Only four days after helping Canada to the Olympic gold medal, Lemieux said Thursday the hip injury that has bothered him since training camp will sideline him the rest of the season.

The decision hardly was a surprise; doctors have struggled for weeks to determine the cause of Lemieux's hip pain, which almost forced him to skip the Olympics.

But with their playoff hopes fading fast despite a 4-3 overtime victory Thursday night in Columbus, the Penguins — who haven't missed the postseason since 1990 — still weren't totally prepared for Lemieux's decision.

Coach Rick Kehoe didn't tell his players until after the game so the news wouldn't distract them on the ice.

"We've played a lot of the season without him," Kehoe said. "For some guys, they've adjusted. For other guys, they're still looking at him as being the guy who's going to save us."

With the Penguins four games under .500, Lemieux might not have been able to do that even if were healthy.

Medical tests revealed chronic tendinitis in one of Lemieux's major hip muscles, as well as inflammation of the hip capsule. Lemieux was told that playing again this season could lead to further damage.

The 36-year-old Lemieux still plans to play next season, so the decision to cut short this season was easy — even if the Penguins will lose $2 million to $3 million in projected revenue if they miss the playoffs.

© 2002 Deseret News Publishing Company