Heart ailment flairs up; Lemieux won't practice

The 40-year-old is expected to miss 10 days to two weeks.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Mario Lemieux will be out of the Pittsburgh Penguins' lineup indefinitely and won't practice for 10 days to two weeks as doctors adjust the medication he began taking this month for an irregular heartbeat.
Lemieux's pulse began racing again Friday night during an overtime loss to Buffalo, his first game back after being hospitalized Dec. 7 with atrial fibrillation -- a fluttering in his heart that causes his pulse to dramatically speed at times.
Lemieux did not make the trip to Buffalo for the following day's game, and he met again Monday with his doctors to reevaluate his treatment. He was cleared to work out daily, but will be monitored at all times in case the problem flares up again.
General manager Craig Patrick promised that the 40-year-old owner-captain won't come back prematurely, as he may have done Friday after practicing for only one day.
"That's the one thing we've got to be careful of -- him feeling the pressure, putting it on himself to get back on the ice," Patrick said. "We've got to calm him down from here on out, we've got to make sure it's right. We've got to not listen to him this time and say, 'No, Mario, not until we say you're ready."'
Rushed return
Lemieux's doctors thought they had determined the proper dosage of his medication before he played Friday but, Patrick said, "My personal opinion is he came back too soon this time, so why rush it? Let's do it the right way and make sure he's ready when he comes back."
Lemieux showed up in the Penguins' locker room Monday following their intense off-day practice with new coach Michel Therrien -- the team has lost 10 of 11 games -- but he did not talk with reporters.
There is no indication his latest medical problem will force Lemieux to retire for the second time in an oft-interrupted Hall of Fame career that began in 1984. But Patrick said that can't be ruled out if the problem doesn't go away.
"It all depends on his heart," Patrick said. "You don't know -- there might come a time when they say that but, at this point, nobody's said that."
One problem is his doctors don't know for certain what causes Lemieux's heart to dramatically speed up. The problem developed at least once in a practice and again in Friday's game, but it also occurred early last summer when he wasn't in a stressful, in-season mode.
"We have equipment now, and there will be somebody with him when he's training all the time, and if it does act up they're going to put it on him right away so they can maybe eventually find out what causes it," Patrick said. "Right now, they're not sure."
Under pressure
Lemieux has been under pressure to perform for what has been one of the NHL's most disappointing teams this season and, as owner, had to agree to Patrick's decision last week to fire close friend Eddie Olczyk as coach.
There are off-ice pressures, too, with the franchise expected to lose $7 million this season and questions about its future in Pittsburgh. Since he bought the team in 1999, Lemieux has been unable to reach an agreement to build an arena to replace 44-year-old Mellon Arena, the oldest and smallest in the NHL.
Despite the myriad of problems, Lemieux was averaging well above a point a game earlier this season, but now has seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points in 26 games. He hasn't had a goal in nine games and has one goal and three assists in 11 games.
"We're all concerned about Mario," Patrick said. "That's why we're going to make sure we do this right."
Lemieux retired in 1997 following years of back pain, a rare bone infection and a bout with cancer, but unexpectedly came out of retirement five years ago this month.
He has not yet played a full, injury-free season since returning, missing most of two seasons with hip problems and another full season when the NHL shut down last year as owners and players negotiated a labor agreement.
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