Former Avs agitator Lemieux's improbable tour stops in Denver

By Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 26, 2009 at 11:02 p.m.

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Photo by Allsport / 1999

Elbows up, Lemieux, an alternate captain with the Avalanche in 1999, tangles along the boards with a Dallas Stars player during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Photo by Ben Margot / Associated Press

Claude Lemieux, center, returns to Denver tonight with the San Jose Sharks after coming out of a five-year retirement at age 43.

Photo by Allsport / 1995

Lemieux downplays the difficulty of his comeback. "People think it's been hard. It hasn't been hard," he says. "What's hard is when you're not playing or when you're not training for a purpose."

Some athletes have farewell tours.

Not Claude Lemieux.

When Lemieux walked away from hockey with four Stanley Cup rings, his departure undoubtedly was celebrated by bitter rivals across North America.

Five years later, the man opponents love to hate has launched a comeback. Call it the "Bet You Never Thought You'd See My Ugly Mug Again Tour."

With a few more strides left in his skates, a few more slap shots left in his stick and a whole new generation of opponents to agitate, Lemieux is back in the NHL - much to the surprise and chagrin of those who said good riddance when he retired in 2003.

"People think it's been hard. It hasn't been hard," Lemieux said in a telephone interview last week. "What's hard is when you're not playing or when you're not training for a purpose.

"Not knowing if I was going to get signed or not knowing if I was going to get a contract or a tryout, that was a tough time. But once I got on the ice and got an opportunity to play, it's been a lot of fun."

Given the fact Lemieux made the decision only a few months after his 43rd birthday, the cynics far outnumbered the believers when he began working out with the Arizona Sundogs of the Central Hockey League in October.

"A lot of people were saying there's no way," Sundogs coach and general manager Marco Pietroniro said. "Even ex-teammates were saying he was slow and 'You'll never make it.' "

A comeback that started in central Arizona and continued with bus rides through central Massachusetts makes its only stop in Denver tonight when the Avalanche faces Lemieux and the San Jose Sharks at the Pepsi Center.

Who would have thunk it? Avalanche captain Joe Sakic won't be on the ice as he recovers from back surgery, but Lemieux - Sakic's teammate for four-plus seasons in Colorado - will be.

"Just to go back and play in that building and to have a chance to compete in the NHL, it's going to be a great feeling again," Lemieux said.

"It's kind of weird that from now until the end of the season, I'm going to have a chance to visit all the cities that I played in: New Jersey and Dallas and Phoenix and Montreal. It starts in Colorado, so it will be pretty unique."

During his first 20 NHL seasons, Lemieux raised the Stanley Cup with Montreal (1986), Colorado (1996) and New Jersey (1995, 2000).

Blood feud

Twice during those championship runs, in 1995 and 1996, Lemieux defeated the Detroit Red Wings. What would a Lemieux comeback be without a visit to Joe Louis Arena?

"Believe it or not, it's on that list, too," he said.

Avalanche and Red Wings fans remember Lemieux as the man who almost single-handedly launched a bloody rivalry that brewed strong from 1996 to 2002.

Lemieux, who took pride in his ability to tick off the opposition, lit the pilot light when he sucker- punched Red Wings forward Slava Kozlov in retaliation for a questionable hit on Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote in Game 3 of the 1996 Western Conference finals.

Detroit coach Scotty Bowman added to the madness when he shouted obscenities at Lemieux and his family as they left the McNichols Arena parking lot after the game.

"It was wonderful hockey craziness," Avalanche TV analyst Peter McNab said. "Both clubs had hockey players that were magnificent, yet there was this aura and atmosphere of violence surrounding it.

"You almost shook your head at the emotion that was involved. Those were some of the most hypocritical (post-series) handshakings in all of sports."

Six nights after Bowman's tirade, Lemieux checked Detroit forward Kris Draper from behind along the half-boards in front of the Red Wings bench. Draper later needed reconstructive surgery to repair a broken cheekbone, a fractured jaw, a broken nose and several broken teeth.

The Avalanche and Red Wings brawled each of the next two seasons, but some of the helium went out of the rivalry when Lemieux was traded to New Jersey 13 games into the 1999-2000 season.

"It was a great rivalry," Lemieux said. "The Draper thing was blown out of proportion and something that shadowed a really good rivalry between two great teams. But that's what rivalries are about. It's part of it and I have good memories of those days."

The way to San Jose

During the past five years, Lemieux discovered what so many retired players have learned before him: Memories can't replace the adrenaline rush that comes from playing the game.

He spent time with his family, operated his commercial real-estate company and chased a golf ball around the Arizona desert.

Prodded, in part, by his 12-year-old son Brendan and 11-year-old daughter Claudia, Lemieux followed in the footsteps of restless retirees such as Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong and decided to give hockey one more try.

"My initial reaction was, 'If there's anybody who can do it, it's him,' " Pietro niro said. "Knowing his competitive edge, you kind of take him seriously when he says something. The only challenge he had was somebody giving him a chance."

The Sharks, seeking championship intangibles that have been missing throughout their 11 playoff appearances, gave Lemieux his big break.

After paying for Lemieux to play a few games for the China Sharks of the Asian Hockey League, San Jose assigned Lemieux to its American Hockey League affiliate in Worcester, Mass.

Lemieux, playing at a solid 215 pounds, scored three goals and added 11 assists in 23 games for Worcester before the Sharks called him up Jan. 19.

"I hadn't really set a timetable in my head," Lemieux said. "I felt that 20 games, give or take, I could see myself ready to go, but I didn't know if that was going to happen after 10 games or 15 or 20 or 25."

Photo by Allsport / 1999

During retirement, Lemieux spent time with his family, operated his commercial real-estate company and played golf, but admits his return "just felt great. Just very exciting."

With his wife and children in attendance, Lemieux took three shots and delivered three hits while playing 7:08 in his Sharks debut Jan. 20.

"It just didn't feel like it was real," he said. "I have watched so much hockey over the last five years and to think that I was now on the ice with those guys, it just felt great. Just very exciting."

The comeback story took a brief hiatus for the All-Star break, allowing Lemieux to gather his thoughts and belongings in Phoenix before rejoining the Sharks for tonight's game in Denver.

"I think it's stunning, in a fun way," McNab said. "He obviously thought long and hard and committed an extraordinary effort. It's a wonderful story."

Forgive those outside of San Jose who might not quite agree.

• January 27, 2009

  10:15 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  SE7EN writes:

  lol. Welcome back Claude. I'm actually more surprised that the Avs didn't try to get Claude back in an Avs Jersey when they brought back Forsberg and Foote last year. It would have been more fitting :).

• January 27, 2009

  1:10 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  trekers writes:

  Welcome back Pepe! Been following news about you for ages & still think you left the game too early...guess this proves it huh? So happy you're back, just wish it was with the AVs where you always belonged. We've missed you & what you bring to the game; hockey needs players like you & the fans most of all! Good luck & God bless.

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