If you didn't know any better, the man behind the bench was a nameless, faceless youth

hockey coach on a Saturday afternoon rather than one of the greatest players in NHL history.

That's how Mario Lemieux operates these days in his continuous battle to remain under

the radar.

Lemieux is a hockey superhero and owner of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

He's 6-foot-4, has GQ looks and could be the most respected sports figure in a city that

includes Sidney Crosby and Ben Roethlisberger, yet he carries himself like he's

the utility infielder for the Pirates.

Super Mario is quietly coaching his son's Bantam Minor (1996 birth year) team in the Empire

West Amateur Hockey League. In the interest of full disclosure, his Junior Penguins team plays

in the same league as my son's West Seneca team. Lemieux isn't just the sponsor or a

figurehead. He's the head coach.

And he's having a ball.

"I'm sure he is," said Crosby, who spent three years living with Lemieux. "I can't even

imagine that, being a kid, and having Mario Lemieux as my coach. I mean ... that's just not

something you could really appreciate at a young age."

Let's hope these little monsters understand someday. Heck, this is like private batting

practice with the late Ted Williams or cello lessons from Yo-Yo Ma.

Confirming his priorities were in order, Lemieux was behind the bench with his son

Austin and the kids for a 6:40 p.m. start in suburban Pittsburgh last Saturday even

though Sid and the Kids were facing off against Tampa Bay at 7:30 p.m. in the Igloo. He could

have easily skipped the youth game, especially after the mini-Pens won the first of a

morning-evening doubleheader in a blowout.

Let's remember that Lemieux played 17 years, had 690 goals and 1,723 points and won two

Cups, plus another as an owner. But last weekend, he might as well have been Jocelyn

Lemieux. He wasn't hounded for autographs from nutty parents or pictures with opposing

players. He was friendly. He was talkative. He shook hands with all the players and coaches.

He wasn't Super Mario. He was just, well, a coach.

And that's the beauty in the whole thing.

Last April, he was in Chicago with the Junior Pens while the Penguins clinched their first-

round series against the Flyers in six games. Both games were played in the afternoon, so

Lemieux couldn't even watch the game in Philly on television. Stanley Cup playoffs or 12-year-

olds on a road trip? He chose the kids.

"Mario let me know he was going to be on the bench, and he wanted me texting him updates,"

Penguins Vice President of Communications Tom McMillan said. "I got a text at 5:01

saying, "OK, I'm on bench. Can't see game, anymore.' [Sergei] Gonchar scored, Sid

scored into an empty net and we won the game. Even though it was a playoff game, he committed

to coaching his son's team. It's a sign of Mario that usually only we see."

Lemieux refused interview requests last year while the Penguins were making their run

toward the Cup, and he wasn't interested last week in talking about his role in youth hockey.

In both cases, he wasn't being aloof or uncooperative so much as trying to deflect attention

away from him and toward where it belonged — on his players.

For once, my respect for a sports figure soared because he blew me off. His silence showed

his heart was in the right place, that he was coaching for the right reasons while

rediscovering the purity of the game. In this me-me world, you have to admire a guy who's the

polar opposite.

Lemieux always was more comfortable staying in the backdrop during his playing days. He's

known behind the scenes for being humble and having a great sense of humor. He can usually be

found wearing jeans. Take away the Hall of Fame career and the big bank account, and he's just

like the rest of us.

"I know how much I enjoyed, as a kid, being at the rink and having my dad be there to

support me," Crosby said. "I'm sure Austin has that going on with Mario coaching and

traveling, and I know Austin is enjoying that time with his dad. They're very close. I think

any hockey dad will tell you they love to spend time with their son — to be able to

coach them and spend time with him is important. It's the best time of your life."

Trade relieved Ratchuk

South Buffalo native Mike Ratchuk's career took a major turn for the better last

week when the Flyers traded him to the Blue Jackets for prospect Steve Legein. Ratchuk

was told of the move after being pulled off the ice during practice and reported to AHL

Syracuse for a three-game set this weekend.

Ratchuk, picked 42nd overall in 2006, was caught in a numbers crunch in a Flyers

organization that was overcrowded along the blue line and for years was slow to develop

players. He moved from the sixth or seventh defenseman in Adirondack (13th on the Flyers'

depth chart) to the top pairing in Syracuse.

"As soon as [Flyers GM Paul Holmgren] said, "We traded you today,' it was a feeling

of relief," Ratchuk said by telephone. "That was before I knew where I was going. I knew I was

going to get a better look. The other part of being traded was saying goodbye to my teammates.

It was a really good feeling and a really bad feeling all at once."

Ratchuk, 21, should be thrilled.

GM Scott Howson has a great eye for talent and helped turn around the Jackets. Coach

Ken Hitchcock, who was behind the bench in Philly when Ratchuk was drafted, is among

the better coaches in the business. They were looking for help on the power play, which suits

the smooth-skating and highly skilled Ratchuk's game.

Syracuse gets him closer to the NHL and, for now, closer to home. He left Buffalo for the

U.S. development program after his sophomore year at Bishop Timon-St. Jude, spent two years at

Michigan State with neighbor Tim Kennedy, another year in Philly with the Phantoms and

this year in Adirondack.

"It's exciting," he said. "It nice to be that close, for sure."

Penner worth the hassle

Oilers winger Dustin Penner has shown early signs this year that he was worth the

hassle. Penner had seven goals and 14 points in his first nine games and was making GM

Kevin Lowe look pretty bright after all.

If you remember, Penner's departure from Anaheim sparked a feud between former Ducks GM

Brian Burke and Lowe over signing restricted free agents from other teams. Penner

landed a five-year contract worth $21.25 million. He had only 40 goals over his first two

seasons and was routinely booed at home while Burke laughed.

Penner was given a standing ovation Thursday after scoring twice and finishing with a

career-high five points in a 6-4 victory. Penner had 11 of the Oilers' 32 shots on goal while

Jackets star Rick Nash had no points, no shots and was minus-3. It was easily Penner's

best game with the Oilers.

"I don't have a lot of others to compare to," he said.

Ales Hemsky also finished with five points, marking the first time since Jimmy

Carson and Glenn Anderson on Nov. 19, 1988, in which the Oilers had two players

with five-point nights in the same game.

Tortorella reaches out

Marian Gaborik had seven goals and 13 points going into the weekend while fellow

newcomer and linemate Vinny Prospal had three goals and 12 points in the first 10 games

for the New York Rangers. Former Sabres winger Ales Kotalik is off to a great start

with four goals and 10 points while playing mostly on the third and fourth lines.

Blueshirts coach John Tortorella is concentrating more on his top six forwards who

haven't been producing. Christopher Higgins had no goals and only two assists going

into the weekend. Captain Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan had two goals and five

points apiece, one fewer than defenseman Dan Girardi.

"It can't be all on the shoulders of a Prospal and Gaborik," Tortorella said. "We need some

help elsewhere. Higgy needs to get going, Cally needs to get going. Dru is a guy that's

working hard but is coming up empty."

Quotable

Burke, now the Leafs' GM, on whether coach Ron Wilson should be fired: "It's

absurd. This guy has coached over 1,000 games in the NHL. Did he suddenly forget how to coach?

I can tell you this: There will be numerous, multiple player changes before the coaching staff

would even be looked at, let alone considered. The players are at fault."

Around the boards

Tampa Bay rookie James Wright has found a home on a line with Vincent

Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Wright scored his first NHL goal last week and

will likely stay with the Bolts rather than be sent back to junior. "He is tremendous," coach

Rick Tocchet said. "He comes in with a smile every day and works as hard as anybody,

maybe harder."

Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro was back on the ice with his teammates last

week while still recovering from hip-knee-head problems. They can't trade him and his 15-year

contract, but they can start shopping Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson. If the

Sabres were interested in Biron last summer, as he suggested, why not take another run at him?

Sergei Kostitsyn, still fuming about starting the season in Hamilton, is

looking for the exit. He's already been suspended twice for going AWOL. On Wednesday,

Canadiens GM Bob Gainey thought the winger was headed for Russia. Two hours later,

Kostitsyn showed up in Gainey's office. Two hours after that, he was headed back to the AHL.