AP
Mario Lemieux at SLC Olympic Games

Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux is expected to miss the rest of the National Hockey League season because of the painful hip injury that has bothered him since training camp. Lemieux was advised Thursday by team physicians to undergo a period of rest and rehabilitation for the problem, which bothered Lemieux even as he helped Team Canada win the Olympic gold medal Sunday at the Salt Lake City games. Recent tests and evaluation revealed chronic tendinitis in one of Lemieux's hip flexor muscles, as well as inflammation of the hip capsule. As a result, the six-time NHL scoring champion, already in the Hall of Fame, was told that playing again this season could lead to further damage. Lemieux had two assists Wednesday night as the Penguins lost to the Los Angeles Kings, 5-4. The Penguins' owner-player first experienced the hip pain during training camp in September.

Some information for this report provided by AP.

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