By Mark Spector
SPORTSNET.CA
CALGARY - At age 43, edgy winger Claude Lemieux, is talking comeback. Now, all he requires is a team willing to entertain his whim.
Lemieux is living and skating in the Phoenix area, where he left a front office job with the Coyotes.
"I skated with some guys from the Coyotes, including one that played with the Avs for a while, Steve Reinprecht," he told the Denver Post. "After a scrimmage, he said to me, 'You're flying out there, you going to play again? And I said, 'You think I should?" and it kind of went from there."
Where its going is a matter of some mystery, however. The Coyotes are on a youth movement this season, after a failed try at dusting off some ageing talent in the 2005-06 season when they had thirty-somethings Brett Hull, Petr Nedved and Mike Ricci in what turned out to be a disastrous lineup.
"We tried that. It didn't work," said one member of the Coyotes organization.
The only tie Lemieux apparently has with Wayne Gretzky’s team is that he was seen wearing some Coyotes gear this summer while skating with pro players in Arizona.
Lemieux has said he is willing to start in the minors, and might get a shot from the organization he spent parts of six seasons with, the Colorado Avalanche.
"I'm not doing this just to play one game in the NHL and that's it. I really think I can still help a team make the playoffs, and into the playoffs," he told the Post. "It would sure be nice to get that fifth Stanley Cup.
"I'm going to give myself two to three weeks to see if any team will give me a chance, but even if that doesn't happen, it's a long year and I plan to keep working out hard. The biggest thing is that I know I can still play with guys who are still playing now for teams, and I know what it takes to win."
Mark Spector is the lead columnist for Sportsnet.ca
