Mario’s return raises questions over licensing

Mario Lemieux's return to the ice means the return of his fabled No. 66 Pittsburgh Penguins jersey to the racks. Whether the league will get that jersey to shoppers in time for the holidays is another issue.

As last week ended, the NHL, NHL Players' Association and Lemieux were working to figure out how to license merchandise bearing Lemieux's name or likeness.

Lemieux's preference was for it to be handled as any other licensed merchandise, with players sharing equally in royalties, said his agent, Steve Reich. But because he is an owner and not a full-fledged member of the union, that might not be possible. Lemieux will donate his royalties to charity if he can't be part of the NHLPA's licensing program, Reich said.

"It's still a bit fuzzy, but I can't imagine the league taking long to straighten it out," said Scott Killian, CEO of FanBuzz.com, which handles e-commerce for the NHL. "They need to capitalize on this and capitalize on it quickly."

— Bill King and Andy Bernstein