Mario Lemieux Retires. What's next for Crosby?

So, this is the end for Mario Lemieux, who retired due to heart problems.

It certainly is an anti-climatic ending to a great career, but almost fitting given the
numerous injuries and ailments he’s overcome over his adult life.

I know a faulty heart isn’t anything to mess with, but I am surprised that Lemieux did not come back for one more farewell game. With him giving up his executive position with the Penguins, he seems to be divesting himself from the club awfully quick.

In the meantime, the focus, as is has been most of the year, will shift even more to the rookies and young stars in the NHL. Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, and many others are already stars in their own right and have given us many memorable highlight reel plays.

From PittsburghPenguins.com:

“I realize that the new NHL is really for the young guys. I think we have a lot of young guys in the league who are dominating,” Lemieux said. “We have a few in Pittsburgh, too. These young guys are the future of the NHL and look forward to next several years watching these guys play.”

Now, where does this leave Sidney Crosby? I heard some rumours that he would be given the Captain’s “C”, which would be an awful idea and not likely to happen. Crosby has been living with Mario this year, but now has to be ‘the man’ now that both Zigmund Palffy and Lemieux are retired. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it may be very likely that nobody gets the “C” this season.

"Being young coming in here, obviously he was in a similar situation coming in, he’s faces a lot of adversity and been able to rise through it. I think that just being around him and learning through his experiences have helped me,” said Crosby, who lives with the Lemieux family. “It’s tough to see him leave. He had such a great impact on the game. He really has a passion for the game. It’s never easy to go and I am 18 years old, but that’s something I can still feel for that and realize that you play hockey for so long and then, all of a sudden, one day you have to stop. It’s something that can’t be easy at all."

“It’s really tough. You never like to see anyone have to step away from a game they love,” he continued. “I am glad I got a chance to know him so well. He really is a great person and has a real passion for the game. He’s put so much into it. At least he’s going away on his own terms.”

In addition, Crosby, already an alternate captain, seems a natural fit to assume Lemieux’s role as the Penguins’ leader on and off the ice.

“I don’t think I will ever be able to do the job that he did, but if I can even come close to that, I think it will be all right,” Crosby said. “He was an amazing player and an amazing person. When I came in here, it’s tough to know what to expect living with someone I grew up watching and idolizing, but he’s helped me so much. Hopefully, I will continue on from now.”

On that note, it is also time for be to take a break of sorts. I am feeling a bit of blogger’s burnout as you can tell in the recent days. Posting will be light for me for about a week or two, until I get my mojo back or something stirs within me. In the meantime, I’ll have a few update posts and I invite you to visit some of the other excellent blog sites located on the right.