Equipment manufacturers "would love to have" Penguins
Owner/C Mario Lemieux "use their sticks, skates and pads
when he resumes playing," according to Dave Molinari of the
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, who writes that Lemieux would not
be "opposed to supplementing" his $1.4M, pro-rated salary
with checks "from a few of those companies." Lemieux:
"Absolutely. I've done it before." Lemieux "had a long
relationship" with Koho, using its sticks and gloves during
the "first part of his playing career." But he has been
"experimenting with equipment from other makers during the
informal workouts he's gone through for the past few weeks."
Lemieux has recently used a Bauer stick and "sounded as if
he will give it serious consideration." Lemieux: "I like
the stick. That was the first time I used it" (POST-
GAZETTE, 12/19). The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's King &
Bernstein report that at the end of last week, the NHL,
NHLPA and Lemieux "were working to figure out how to license
merchandise bearing Lemieux's name or likeness." Lemieux's
agent, Steve Reich, said that Lemieux's "preference was for
it to be handled as any other licensed merchandise, with
players sharing equally in royalties." But King & Bernstein
write that because Lemieux "is an owner and not a full-
fledged member of the union, that might not be possible."
Reich added that Lemieux will "donate his royalties to
charity if he can't be part of the NHLPA's licensing
program" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/18 issue).
