Report: Lemieux about '85 percent' healthy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com news services
Team Canada played without captain Mario Lemieux on Sunday night, but he fully intends to be in the lineup for Monday night's game against the Czech Republic, the Toronto Sun reports.
In fact, Lemieux wanted to play against Germany but was talked out of it by team officials -- particularly executive director Wayne Gretzky -- who believed that in the long run, the team would be better served if he rested. Lemieux was ineffective on Friday in Canada's 5-2 loss to Sweden.
On Saturday night, Lemieux sought treatment for his injured hip and wanted to get an injection from one of the United States' team doctors, a man who has treated him in the past.
But International Olympic Committee regulations prohibit the team doctor for one country from administering injections to an athlete from another country, even if both parties are in favor.
As a result, Lemieux did not get the shot and is relying upon his body to heal itself naturally. He feels that although he's not in top form, he's about 85 percent healthy, according to the Sun.
Lemieux was clearly bothered by the hip injury Friday, so much so that on Swedish television Curre Lundmark, the coach of Team Sweden in the 1994 Olympics, said, "Lemieux is skating like an old tractor."
