For the people of Pittsburgh, this is not 1997. It’s the year 1 A.L. After Lemieux.

With the start of training camp, reality is starting to set in. Mario Lemieux, the city’s hockey hero, won’t take the ice anymore. And he’s not just sitting out one season with an injury -- Super Mario’s career is officially over.

When times are tough, the Penguins can’t look to Lemieux. When the team needs a miracle, No. 66’s name won’t be called.

Life after Lemieux will definitely put a strain on even the most enthusiastic hockey fans in Pittsburgh -- on the ice and in their pocketbooks. Lemieux left many memories on the Civic Arena ice that fans will remember forever. But he also left behind inflated ticket prices that were used to pay his salary. Lemieux is gone, but the expensive seats still remain.

Will Pens fans still shell out huge sums of cash to watch a watered down Penguin squad? Owner Howard Baldwin is hoping so. Despite Lemieux’s absence, ticket prices remain high. The best seats in the house, sections A and B, have a $75 price tag. Section C will command $65 while section D is $50 a pop.

If the Penguins have a mediocre season, there will more than likely be a lot of empty seats in the Igloo. But Baldwin and the rest of the Penguin organization are counting on one man to make sure that doesn’t happen -- Jaromir Jagr.

Jagr is being touted as the next great one in Pittsburgh. There’s little doubt that the wild and crazy Czech is one of the most exciting players in the game today, but there are questions as to whether he can lead a franchise like Lemieux did. The 1997-98 season, or for those in Pittsburgh, 1 A.L., will be the year of judgement for Pens fans.

Jagr has a daunting task ahead of him. Gone are the Penguins glory days of the early ‘90s. The offense, which used to be the most powerful in the league, is now one-dimensional.

With Ron Francis getting up in years, Jagr is the focal point. He can be sure teams are going to key in on him like teams keyed in on Lemieux early in his career. Without capable linemates, it will be hard for Jagr to do much offensively. Lemieux constantly complained about the amount of infractions that weren’t called when he had the puck. Jagr will now find much of the same -- the hooking, the holding, the tackling -- unless the league calls a tighter game. Whatever...

Petr Nedved isn’t helping Jagr’s cause much by holding out of camp. The restricted free agent turned down a hefty three-year deal that is worth somewhere in the $15 million range and asked to be traded. The Penguins denied his request. The offer, which the Penguins said was their final one, is around the same amount of money that Tony Amonte and Adam Oates just signed for. Nedved and his agent, Tony Kondel, obviously feel he is worth more to a team than either one of those players. Amonte, by the way, finished near the top in MVP voting last season.

This isn’t the first time Nedved has had problems working out a deal. Last season he didn’t sign until a few hours before the season opener.

Some LCS Hockey advice to Nedved: Quityerbitchin’. That’s right. Sign another damn one-year deal for whatever the Pens give you, then go out and prove yourself. If you become the All-World player you think you are, go out next year and sign a big-ass long-term contract with whoever you want. So you played behind Mario Lemieux last year...big deal. No matter who you played behind, you still didn’t average a point a game. Quit whining, get into camp and prove you’re a team player. If Tony Amonte had the kind of talent surrounding him that you’ve had the past two seasons, he’d score a hell of a lot more than you. You, my friend, are no Tony Amonte. Thank you.

The Penguins also seem to be tired of Nedved’s contract demands.

"We're just not going to throw money improperly at people," general manager Craig Patrick said. "They've got to earn it. When they sit in this dressing room, the players around them have to realize they're being paid proper value for what they contribute to the team. We're not going to get disjointed because somebody's not going to be happy with their (contract)."

Amen to that, brother Patrick.

But back to the Pens offense. How bad have things gotten? Bad enough for the Pens to offer Rob Brown a tryout. You remember Rob Brown, don’t you? Played on Lemieux’s line for a season or two in the late ‘80s, scored a bunch of goals, then fell off the face of the earth. Well, Dauntaun Robbie Brown is back. And he actually made it through the rookie camp and is practicing with the big guys. Brown has always been able to score, but teams just haven’t been able to overlook his lack of defensive abilities and his terrible skating. Is the Penguins offense really that bad that Rob Brown can make the team?

While the talent of the Penguin offense has decreased significantly since the team’s Cup years, the defense has been hit even harder. Last season the Pens’ defense was one of the worst in the league, and although a healthy Chris Tamer and Neil Wilkinson should help, it will once again be very suspect. The Penguins gave up 280 goals last season. Only the Boston Bruins gave up more (300).

Patrick is trying anything in order to improve the defense without spending big money (which the Penguins apparently have little of). Over the off-season he signed minor leaguer Brad Werenka, traded for the rights to Jiri Slegr and even invited former Pen Grant Jennings to camp. Jennings, who spent last season with Quebec (IHL), failed to make it past rookie camp and was cut. That could be considered a good sign for the Penguins defense...

The goaltending situation in Pittsburgh is also in turmoil. Tom Barrasso, who was all but locked out of the Civic Arena last season, is attempting a comeback from shoulder surgery/paranoia/insert something here. While Tommy B has had some problems the past few years, there’s no question that he used to be one of the top goalies in the league. Now the question is whether he wants to be one of the best again.

Kenny Wregget’s still there and is his usual self. How can you not like Kenny? He never complains and is always there when needed. He’s just a fun-lovin’ goalie who does his job. And his name is Kenny, which is an added bonus...

Despite the happy-go-lucky Wregget, there is much concern in the ‘Burgh.

Without their leader, the Pens could fall into a tailspin that is too hard to pull out of. And if they do, will the fans still come and watch despite not being able to see one of the game’s greatest players of all time? And if they don’t come and watch, will the team be able to afford to stay in Pittsburgh?

So many questions, and only 82 games to answer them in.

Such is life in the year 1 A.L.

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