Back Pain Sidelines Lemieux; Penguins Say He Might Not Return for Weeks

Mario Lemieux has left the Pittsburgh Penguins to seek treatment for back pain apparently unrelated to his off-season disk surgery. He might not return to the team for weeks.

Lemieux is in so much pain he cannot bend over to tie his shoes, General Manager Craig Patrick said, adding that the problem is not believed to be career-threatening.

Lemieux, the NHL’s two-time scoring champion, is all but certain to miss the Oct. 5 season opener against Washington and Patrick said it “very well may be” he won’t play for weeks. Lemieux returned to Pittsburgh a few hours before the Penguins’ 4-1 exhibition loss to the Kings in Houston Monday night.

Lemieux played only once in the Penguins’ final 22 games last season because of back pain and hasn’t participated in any scrimmages or exhibition games since camp opened last month. He waited until July 11 to undergo surgery because doctors hoped a rehabilitation program would eliminate the need for an operation.