Hockey Hall Of Fame Will Install Lemieux

Forget the three-year waiting period. Mario Lemieux is a Hall of Famer.

The Pittsburgh Penguins great, who led the team to its only two Stanley Cup championships, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday. The usual wait after retirement was waived, the Hall said, because of Lemieux’s “outstanding pre-eminence and skill.”

“I am overwhelmed by the thought of entering the Hall of Fame this November, especially in light of the fact that so few have gone in without waiting the three years,” Lemieux said. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is unquestionably the highest honor a player can receive, and I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life.”

Bryan Trottier, Lemieux’s teammate on the Penguins’ title-winning teams in 1991 and 1992, also was elected.

Edmonton Oilers general manager Glen Sather was honored in the builder’s category. All three will be inducted Nov. 17.

The New Jersey Devils signed Michigan center Brendan Morrison, the nation’s best college hockey player last season, to a multiyear contract.

Dallas businessman John Spano Jr., whose failed bid to buy the New York Islanders prompted a criminal investigation, has agreed to plead guilty to charges that he defrauded two lenders of at least $5.1 million, according to court records and federal prosecutors. However, Spano denies there is any such agreement.