PITTSBURGH, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Saturday that center Mario Lemieux will not play for Team Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics at Torino, Italy.
Earlier this week, he was hospitalized overnight because of an irregular heartbeat, which doctors said could be treated with medication. It was a problem the 40-year-old Lemieux had been dealing with for some time.
"I am feeling pretty good, actually. I have been feeling pretty good the last couple of days with the medication I am taking now," Lemieux said Saturday. "It was pretty scary, especially when you don't know what it is. Hopefully, it's just going to get better from now on."
A timetable for his return to the ice has not been set. Lemieux missed two games recently because of a stomach virus.
In 25 games this season, he has seven goals and 14 assists.
He is a six-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in scoring.
