Editing Mario Lemieux (section)

====Player/owner status====
Lemieux's unique status as player and owner placed him in a potential [[conflict of interest]] with respect to [[2004–05 NHL lockout|NHL labour negotiations]]. Because he was also an owner, Lemieux was no longer a member of the [[National Hockey League Players' Association]], although he still paid [[union dues]] to maintain his [[pension]]. By agreement with the NHLPA, Lemieux was paid the average league salary of about [[US dollar|$]]1.4 million and it was from this amount that his union dues were calculated and deducted. He did not vote in owners' meetings, delegating this role to a Penguins vice-president. He suggested that the NHL adopt a salary structure similar to the [[National Football League]], which has a hard [[salary cap]]. Lemieux and fellow NHL team executive Gretzky brought the parties together in a last-ditch effort to save what remained of the 2004–05 season, but no agreement was reached and the season was lost.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 16, 2005 |title=Lockout over salary cap shuts down NHL |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=1992793 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Heath |first=Thomas |date=February 18, 2005 |title=NHL, Union to Meet Again |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2005/02/19/nhl-union-to-meet-again/05a5fcc7-9539-4366-836d-884899e7fdb8/ |access-date=April 9, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>