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NHL ENTRY DRAFTJuly 30, 2005Mario LemieuxOTTAWA, ONTARIO THE MODERATOR: We have Mario Lemieux for questions. Q. A lot of people have sort of imagined that Sidney might move in with you. How do you feel about having another house guest? Can you talk about what you said to Sidney. I understand you had dinner last night. And then what you said to him on the podium today. MARIO LEMIEUX: You know, we had a good dinner last night. Obviously, it was mostly social. We talked a lot about Pittsburgh, what he's going to be facing this year in his rookie year. We had a good talk as far as him staying with me. It's going to be up to Sidney, whatever he feels comfortable doing. We'll be there for him, myself and the organization. We haven't discussed that thus far, but if he wants to stay with us, we have some room. Q. In light of the new provisions in the CBA with the possibility of a rookie becoming unrestricted at the age of 25, is there any circumstance under which you would consider having Sidney go back to Juniors next year to have an extra year? MARIO LEMIEUX: No, not at all. Q. Can you tell us what you think Sidney Crosby brings to the game in terms of the skill? Can you talk about how he might bring back the fan base? MARIO LEMIEUX: Yeah, I think he's going to create a lot of excitement around the league, around hockey, and especially in Pittsburgh. We've seen that so far with ticket sales, it's booming in Pittsburgh. Everyone's very excited - not only in Pittsburgh, but throughout the National Hockey League. It's really going to help us to bring back our fans and grow the game and make it better for everybody involved - not only the players, but most importantly the fans who have been supporting us throughout our careers. He's going to be a big piece of the puzzle going forward. He's a great young player. I mean, we've talked about it for many years, that we knew this kid was coming. He's got all the tools to be a great, great player in this league and have a great career. You know, he sees the ice very well. Obviously, he's a great skater. I was talking last night, he says he needs to work on his shot a little bit. But it looks pretty good to me. Yeah, he's just a great asset for all of us. Q. You said last night you talked to Sidney about what he would be facing in his rookie year. What will he be facing in his rookie year? MARIO LEMIEUX: Well, the grind of playing 82 games. Obviously, this is a big change for him. I think the speed of the game is going to be something that he's going to have to adjust, you know, the first month or so of the season. I told him the players are a lot bigger and stronger and faster. That's something that is going to be an adjustment, as well. As I said before, he's got a lot of talent, and he's strong enough to play in our league right away. I think the key for us in Pittsburgh is to surround him with some great players and some guys that can make his job easier to start. I think we'll be in a position to do that come October. Q. Can you remember the first time you met Sidney, the first time you skated with him? Describe what you saw then. MARIO LEMIEUX: Yeah, it was, you know, last year. We spent a lot of time in LA training. I had a chance to skate with him a couple times. But just his dedication to his training, the game of hockey. Loves to talk about hockey all the time. You know, he's a great talent. I'm glad I had a chance to spend some time with him last year. I'll be spending a lot more time now. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. MARIO LEMIEUX: You bet.
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