Lemieux Will Return For ‘95-96 Season After One-Year Layoff

Mario Lemieux decided he missed hockey as much as hockey missed him.

Lemieux, the four-time NHL scoring champion, said Tuesday he will end his one-year, health-related sabbatical from hockey and return to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 1995-96 season.

Lemieux, who led the Penguins to Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992, apparently will play an abbreviated schedule, missing perhaps as many as 20 regular-season games to keep from putting too much strain on his often-troublesome back.

“This is a great day for hockey and a great day for the Pittsburgh Penguins,” owner Howard Baldwin said.

As in the past, the condition of his back will most likely determine his status on a game-to-game basis. Lemieux said his back feels better than it has in years, but he is uncertain how returning to hockey after a year off will affect it.

Terry Simpson is staying on as coach of the Winnipeg Jets under a three-year contract, even though the NHL team’s future is uncertain.

Simpson took over last April when John Paddock gave up his coaching duties to concentrate on being general manager. The Jets had a 7-7-1 record under Simpson after going 9-18-6 under Paddock.