After a number of valiant comeback attempts, Mario Lemieux, a man who went straight into the Hockey Hall of Fame after he first retired, has finally called it quits for good. As recently as over the weekend, I recall Lemieux telling the Penguins cable television team that he was looking forward to returning to the ice. I'm guessing something significant changed in the interim. I'm sure that question will get asked during the press conference making the official announcement later today.
This announcement, of course, comes just days after Lemieux announced he would step down as Penguins CEO, though he would remain the Chairman.
This is nothing but bad news for Pittsburgh's hopes to keep the team. If anything, it looks like Lemieux is unwinding his committments to the team one strand at a time, all in preparation for the moment when the team packs up and leaves town.
