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Penguins Get Financial Break
With Lemieux Sidelined |
Penguins Owner/C Mario Lemieux will miss the remainder of the season after having hip surgery, and in Pittsburgh, Dave Molinari notes Lemieux has already missed 30 games, "the total needed to trigger insurance payments," so the Penguins will recoup a percentage of his $5.25M salary pro-rated over the remaining 42 games. While the standard payment is 80% of the outstanding salary, the Penguins "are expected to get less in this instance because of Lemieux's age" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 1/7). Also in Pittsburgh, Karen Price reports the Penguins will recoup $1.5-2M of Lemieux's salary (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 1/7). ESPN's Ray Ferraro, on the insurance payments: "This is kind of a financial break for the Penguins" (ESPNews, 1/6).
THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE PENGUIN'S BACK? In Pittsburgh, Bob Smizik writes the status of a new arena "could enter into Lemieux's thinking [about whether to retire]. If there's a plan in place to build a new facility by the time next season starts, that might be enough to get Lemieux in uniform. But if there's not a plan in place, it could well mean NHL hockey is dead in Pittsburgh and there would be little reason for Lemieux to resume his career" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 1/7). ESPN's Al Morganti: "I think Lemieux is done for his career and ... this may be the death knell for hockey in Pittsburgh. ... If (CBA negotiations) go a long time, ... the stress on Pittsburgh taxpayers is going to be too much, and you may see the end of that franchise" (ESPNews, 1/6). In Pittsburgh, Mike Prisuta writes, "Confidence in the team is perhaps at an all-time low, and only Lemieux can restore it. His efforts at doing so of late have suggested only that he has a hidden agenda, which, right or wrong, is a perception that can eventually kill the Penguins" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 1/7).
