PENGUINS Healthy Lemieux will play this year

He had hinted after last season that he would not return for his 16th year,
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are about to get the news they've waited months to hear: Mario Lemieux is ready to announce that he will play at least one more season.
Team officials anticipated that Lemieux would reveal at a news conference this morning that he plans to play the 2003-04 season, the 16th of his injury- and retirement-interrupted career.
Lemieux began working out six weeks ago -- something he almost certainly would not be doing if he weren't planning to play -- and he intends to resume his usual on-ice conditioning program next month.
Lemieux, who will be 38 in October, said at the team's annual golf outing earlier this week that he has had no back discomfort or physical problems since last season ended.
"If I feel 100 percent physically, I'd love to play," Lemieux said. "After a couple of months of rest ... I feel pretty good."
Hinted of retirement
With the Penguins just beginning to rebuild following consecutive losing seasons, Lemieux dropped hints at the end of last season that he would retire. He wore a number of jerseys and played with two dozen numbered sticks during the Penguins' final home game April 2.
One of the most gifted offensive players in NHL history also suggested that he wasn't up to the challenge of playing with younger, far less skilled teammates who couldn't take advantage of the scoring opportunities he creates. The Penguins have won only 27 of their last 91 games, their worst such stretch since Lemieux's early days with the team in 1984-85.
However, Lemieux apparently had a change of heart during the off-season. Even after dealing most of their veteran players at the trading deadline in March, the Penguins still could put a top line of Lemieux, Martin Straka and Aleksey Morozov on the ice. They will also have their fastest team in years, which could benefit Lemieux during odd-man rushes.
Box office boost
A return by Lemieux would also be a significant boost to the Penguins at the box office. Without Lemieux in the dual role of owner-player, their marketing campaign would be built around inexperienced coach Eddie Olczyk and a cast of little-known players, at a time when many pro sports teams -- including the Penguins -- are scrambling to sell tickets.
Maintaining his visibility as a player could boost the Penguins' efforts to land an arena financing deal. The Penguins are working with state officials to free up funding for a planned $280 million arena across the street from 42-year-old Mellon Arena, the NHL's oldest and, in a few months, its smallest venue.
Lemieux also has some additional incentive to play again. The sixth-leading scorer in NHL history with 682 goals, 1,010 assists and 1,692 points, he didn't score a goal in his final nine games last season, the longest such streak of his career.
Tarnstrom re-signs
Defenseman Dick Tarnstrom avoided salary arbitration by agreeing Wednesday to a $2.5 million, two-year contract.
Tarnstrom, claimed off waivers last year from the New York Islanders, had seven goals and 34 assists in 61 games, even though his production fell off after he missed a month of the season with a broken foot.
The 28-year-old Tarnstrom made $475,000 last season, but will make $1.1 million this season and $1.4 million in 2004-05. He is now the Penguins' highest-paid defenseman.
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