Kevin Dupont

The surprise wasn’t that Mario Lemieux finally retired. He had been there, done that already, some nine years ago, and even way back then it wasn’t a shock. By that stage of his life, two Stanley Cups in the bank, he already was a cancer survivor.

Now, here in retirement redux, he told everyone that he had his immediate sights set not on No. 1: A great round of golf, but most likely on No. 2: Having heart surgery, aimed at stabilizing a racing pulse rate that landed him in the hospital in December.

So, let’s see ... age 40, cancer at bay, a back and hip that require constant maintenance, a new NHL based on speed and adrenaline and youth, and a cardiologist on speed dial.

OK, and the surprise was ...?

“If I could play the game at a decent level, I would do that,” said a chagrined Lemieux. “But it’s really the new NHL, and it’s built on speed.”

Truth is, Lemieux is leaving the game as a player, and based on the way things have evolved of late, could be in the throes of leaving Pittsburgh hockey for good. Let’s not forget, less than a week before he said farewell to his career, Lemieux and his Penguins’ FOM (Friends of Mario) ownership group slapped a “For Sale” sign on the franchise.

Career kaput. Franchise out to bid.

No disputing there is a trend here, and it’s less of Lemieux, not more.

His name now officially off the Pittsburgh player payroll, and his club up for grabs, that doesn’t leave Lemieux a lot of true hockey roles to fill in western Pennsylvania. His most valuable playing minutes now will be to convince someone to buy his team, which will be all the harder with the greatest name in franchise history no longer on the roster.

That No. 66 sweater was a more valuable asset on the ice than in the rafters. Nostalgia can’t pot a pair against the Flyers on a Wednesday night in February.

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Sidney Crosby, whom Lemieux mentioned a few times in his farewell address, is indeed a franchise gemstone. But despite Sid the Kid’s sizzle ’n shine, the franchise sank to the bottom of the standings like a chunk of granite this season. Only the Blues had fewer points (29) than the Penguins (31) at the hour (2 p.m. EST, Jan. 24, 2006) Lemieux called it quits.

Meanwhile, Mario Magnifique now must play pitch man, trying to convince local, county and state governments to back a plan to build a new arena for his For Sale Penguins. The plan is tied to gaming, and for those who seek greater detail, click on: www.slotsformario.com.

Slide show   Lemieux retires Click to see pictures from the career of one of hockey's greatest stars.

Honest. You can look it up. The future of the NHL in Pittsburgh, landing the flightless birds on a suitable sheet of ice inside a state-of-the-art arena, rests on FOM finding new owners, and a gaming outfit by the name of Isle of Capri. The Web site keeps track of signatures supporting the Lemieux initiative. At last look, 29,286 were on the bus (local football expression).

Yeah, you betcha, Isle of Capri and www.slotsformario.com. One must wonder, just when will HBO turn this into a weekly series to rival the Sopranos?

No doubt, anyone who places a serious bid on the Penguins with the intent on keeping them in Pittsburgh will seek to make that bid contingent upon a plan being in place for the new arena. The acquiring party very well might be interested in retaining Lemieux, even if only in a consultant’s role, paying off his percentage of ownership interest in weekly installments for staying on as the revered face of the franchise. The possible ties there seem infinite.

But, boy, there is a stretch here that resembles Lemieux’s ever-unfolding wingspan from his playing days.

If all the pieces were to fall in place, the Pens 1. Would be sold; 2. Would be kept in Pittsburgh by new owners; 3. Would play in a new arena; 4. Would have that arena built though assets with ties, directly or indirectly, to Isle of Capri gaming; it would be built on public fun rather than public funding.