There are few individuals that have the gravitas in the NHL to influence both the owners and the players.
It seems like everyone has a dog in the fight. You are either on the side of the players or the owners. Skepticism is the reaction if you are trying to promote a "fair" settlement that will get the players on the ice.
However, one person who could have some influence on both sides is Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux.
He is certainly a "player" in the negotiations because he runs the team along with co-owner Ron Burkle. Conversely, while he certainly has the title of owner, Lemieux is still considered a player by many within the game. He is arguably the second- or third-best player in the game's history (with Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr filling the top two spots), and his creativity on the ice has rarely been matched.
He was a magician on the ice during his playing days, but he also has played a key role as an executive. Lemieux convinced Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell to give the final go-ahead on the Consol Energy Center (per the Pittsburgh Post-Tribune), and then Burkle closed the deal.
While the NHLPA and NHL ar ...
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Article written by Steve Silverman
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