ELLWOOD CITY - Mario Lemieux is in the best shape of his career more than a month before the Pittsburgh Penguins are due to open training camp, according to general manager Craig Patrick and other team officials.

Lemieux declined comment during a Penguins alumni golf outing Monday, but personal trainer Jay Caufield said Lemieux has never worked harder during an offseason. Caufield is a former Penguins player who has helped with Lemieux's conditioning since the owner-player ended a 44-month retirement in December 2000.

Lemieux weighs about 230 pounds, or nearly 20 pounds fewer than he did when he resumed his playing career.

Lemieux, who will be 39 on October, has missed most of two seasons with hip-related injuries - the 2001-02 season in which he also played for gold medalist Canada in the Olympics and last season. Lemieux appeared in only 10 games last season before injuring his left hip Nov. 1 against Boston.

One reason why Lemieux's offseason program began earlier than usual was so he can play for Canada in the World Cup. World Cup training camps open in mid-August, about a month earlier than they do for NHL teams.

Even if the 2004-05 NHL season is delayed or not played due to a labor impasse, Lemieux has said his advancing age forces him to train much harder than he did when he was younger.