CANONSBURG, Pa. -- The shooting touch is there, the leg
strength is coming. After 3½ years away from the ice, Mario Lemieux
seemed back at home Tuesday while practicing with the Pittsburgh
Penguins for the first time since announcing his comeback.
Lemieux steered shots into the top of the net, just as he did in
winning six NHL scoring titles, and had no trouble keeping up
during 3-on-3 rushes or end-to-end skating drills.
|  | | Lemieux was just one of the guys during his first practice as a Penguins player on Tuesday. |
After an hourlong practice and 20 minutes of extra shooting --
he was the last player off the ice -- Lemieux said he must develop
only one aspect of his game to again be the player he once was.
His patience.
"I'm not going to step on the ice and score 5-6 points my first
game," said Lemieux, the Penguins owner-player who plans to return
Dec. 27 against Toronto. "I was talking with (coach) Ivan
(Hlinka), and he said, 'You're going to have to be patient with
yourself and give yourself time, and not get frustrated.'
"I've made up my mind that's what I'm going to have to do, be
patient, and everything will work out."
But will the fans be as patient? Lemieux's unexpected comeback
has clearly excited Penguins' fans, nearly 500 of whom turned out
for a practice that was televised live on a Pittsburgh cable sports
channel.
Last week, the 35-year-old Lemieux said he wouldn't return
unless he could again be hockey's best player. He won't predict
when his game will be at that level.
"I've really made up my mind that I have to be patient this
time," said Lemieux, a three-time MVP and one of the sport's most
dominating players. "The fact that I've been off for so long, to
come back at that level is not easy. I'm in pretty good shape
physically and mentally, but it takes time."
It didn't take Hlinka long to put him on the top line alongside Jaromir Jagr and Jan Hrdina, though Lemieux said he has not
discussed where he will play.
"I thought I would be on the fourth line," he said.
Not a chance, not with so many fans in the stands. Forward Martin Straka peeked out of the dressing room about a half-hour
before practice began, saw the stands nearly filled, and said,
"Oh, my gosh."
"It was just like a game," goaltender Rich Parent said. "Any
time he scored, they cheered."
Lemieux looked winded by the end of practice, and was breathing
hard during post-practice drills, but insisted he felt fine. He
said the private workouts he began three weeks ago with former
teammate and fitness instructor Jay Caufield were more demanding
than a routine practice.
"The big questions are his leg strength and his stamina," said
assistant coach Joe Mullen, Lemieux's former teammate. "That's a
lot of time to be off from anything, but he's always been a natural
at the game and his skills should come back easily."
Never a fan of practice or conditioning, Lemieux realizes both
are important as he begins a comeback unprecedented not only
because of who is making it, but how long he has been away from the
game.
"I think I'm in much better shape than when I was 22, 23," he
said. "I never used to train in the offseason, and all of this is
new to me.
"My legs were pretty strong skating-wise and I think it's just
going to be a matter of time and getting used to the traffic again.
Obviously, I'll know more in 3-4 days, but the first practice, I
was pretty happy with it."
Lemieux arrived at the Penguins' suburban practice rink 2¼ hours
before the 11 o'clock workout. He said the locker room was a little
quieter than normal, or just as it often is whenever a new player
arrives.
"I was a little bit nervous, which I didn't think I would be,
and I had trouble sleeping for a while, just thinking about
practicing with the guys again," Lemieux said. "I didn't know
what to expect but, right now, I feel pretty good about my progress
the last couple of weeks and about my improvement, and that's going
to give me a lot of confidence to go forward.
"I feel very, very close to it."
Asked if it will be disconcerting for the Penguins to suddenly
be dressing alongside their owner, Mullen said the opposite should
be true.
"The guys in the room have to say, 'Hey, I have to perform for
this guy,' " Mullen said. "I think it will be a big positive,
getting the best player in hockey back."
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AUDIO VIDEO
 Mario Lemieux sits down with ESPN's Al Morganti for a Sunday Conversation.
RealVideo: 28.8
 Mario Lemieux talks about his first day back to practice.
wav: 192 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mario Lemieux talks about his fitness level.
wav: 61 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jaromir Jagr says that Mario Lemieux "still has his hands".
wav: 213 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mario Lemieux sees an increase in the size of goalies.
wav: 128 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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