[size=18px]Lemieux intends to play next season[/size]
6/1/2003
(TSN.ca) - The rumours of Mario Lemieux playing for the New York Rangers should be taken seriously, although some significant hurdles remain to be overcome.
Sources have told TSN that Lemieux fully intends to play in the NHL next season and that he would prefer to do it with a team other than the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The big hitch, though, is that Lemieux's ownership stake in the Penguins could prevent that from happening. If Lemieux wants to play for a team other than Pittsburgh he must sell his interest in the Penguins.
At this time, there doesn't appear to be any prospective buyers for Lemieux's ownership stake and the league would have to approve any transaction, ensuring that Lemieux is indeed divesting himself of the club and not just putting his shares of the team in trust.
If, however, Lemieux can find a legitimate buyer, sources say he's interested in playing for only one of two NHL clubs -- the Rangers or the Philadelphia Flyers -- at market value, which would mean he would be getting a salary of at least $10 million a year, twice what he earned with the cash-strapped Penguins last season.
Sources say Lemieux is not interested in playing for the Montreal Canadiens.
In the event Lemieux isn't able to divest himself of the Penguins' ownership, it's not clear whether he would return next season on the Pittsburgh roster. But he has apparently suggested to his inner circle that he is prepared to play next season.