Super Mario returns in Pens-Caps alumni game

Super Mario will be back on the ice Friday morning, and he's bringing a host of other alumni from his Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals with him.

Final rosters have been set for Friday's alumni game at 9:30 a.m. at Heinz Field featuring the return to the ice of Lemieux, the current Penguins' owner and former superstar.

The alumni game, which will stream live on NHL.com from 9:15-11 a.m., will be the first official event on the Winter Classic rink at Heinz Field. NHL Network will present a one-hour special on Wednesday, Jan. 5.

"We all grew up playing on outdoor rinks, so we're really looking forward to having this chance to skate on the Winter Classic rink at Heinz Field," Lemieux said earlier this month. "There is so much history between the Penguins and Capitals, and it will be good to get together and see friends on both benches."

Lemieux is the seventh-leading scorer in NHL history, with 690 goals and 1,033 assists for 1,723 points in only 915 games. The next-leading scorer to have played fewer than 1,000 games is Peter Stastny, who with 1,239 points in 977 games is 36th on the scoring list.

Lemieux is a 10-time scorer of 40 or more goals and 100 or more points, including career highs of 85 goals and 199 points during the 1988-89 season. The following season he set a franchise record with a 46-game point-scoring streak.

Lemieux also had 76 goals and 172 points in 107 career playoff games and led the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992.

Joining him on the Penguins' alumni roster are Hockey Hall of Famers Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Larry Murphy and Bryan Trottier, as well as Rod Buskas, Gary Roberts, Greg Malone, Bob Errey, Bill Guerin, Jay Caufield, Craig Simpson, Francois Leroux, Gary Rissling, Troy Loney, Kevin Stevens, Gilles Meloche, Phil Bourque, Dave Hannan, Peter Taglianetti, Warren Young, Frank Pietrangelo, Rob Brown and Rick Tocchet. Coaches will be Eddie Johnston, Randy Hillier and Pierre Larouche. The honorary GM is Jack Riley.

Peter Bondra, a 500-goal scorer, leads the Capitals' alumni roster, which also includes new Hall of Famer Dino Ciccarelli, Michal Pivonka, Sylvain Cote, Don Beaupre, Pat Ribble, Ken Sabourin, Yvon Labre, Mark Lofthouse, Nick Kypreos, Alan Hanglesben, Dean Evason, Errol Rausse, Alan May, Craig Laughlin, John Druce, Dennis Maruk, Greg Adams, Blair Stewart, Gord Lane, Robert Picard, Paul Mulvey and J.R. Reich. Coaches will be Granny Grant, Joe Reekie and Bucky Gallagher.

The alumni game is sold out. Fans with tickets can also attend the Penguins' practice session Friday at 11:30 a.m.

The 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Penguins and Capitals is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Heinz Field.