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Q: Will we have to put up with those awful powder-blue uniforms again this year? The much more appropriate throwbacks are the ones from the early 1990s, when Mario Lemieux was leading us to our first two Stanley Cup championships.

Ray Reed, Pickerington, Ohio

MOLINARI: The Penguins are scheduled to wear their powder-blue uniforms jerseys 13 times in 2009-10, with the first of those Oct. 17. Two of the other 12 will be on the road.

Although the Penguins were just 3-4-2 while wearing them last season, the powder-blues have been well-received by the merchandise-buying public since debuting at the outdoor game in Buffalo two years ago and the plain truth is, convincing people to part with their money is the most important thing about any third jersey.

While the Penguins' uniforms from the early 1990s, especially the post-Cup, black away sweaters that had "Pittsburgh" spelled out diagonally down the front, do seem to have strong support from some a segment of the fan base, there's no indication team officials have any short-term plans to abandon the powder-blue ones that turn up in the crowd in great numbers almost everywhere they play these days.

Q: There has been a lot of talk about the troubled Phoenix franchise and the possibility of the team moving to Canada. My question is, why not send the team back to Winnipeg? Every time I remember watching hockey highlights when the Jets were at home, their arena was packed. Obviously, they had the support there.

Chris Townsend, Salisbury, N.C.

MOLINARI: The notion of the NHL returning to Winnipeg percolated to the surface again a few days ago after a televised report in Canada suggested that the Atlanta Thrashers could be moving there at some point. At least for now, that report appears to be, at best, premature.

To suggest that the Jets played before a capacity crowd every time they stepped onto the ice at Winnipeg Arena isn't accurate -- there were plenty of empty seats quite a few times when the Penguins visited, perhaps because back problems almost always prevented Mario Lemieux from making the trip -- but there's no disputing that the game's roots run very deep in that part of the world.

However, operating a successful franchise in today's NHL requires more than a passionate and knowledgeable fan base. Because of the huge dollars involved, strong corporate support is mandatory, and it's far from certain that there are enough large businesses based in Winnipeg willing and able to put forth the cash needed for things like sponsorships and arena suites.

What's more, there aren't all that many people in the area, in terms of what is required to support a major-league franchise. In that regard, putting a team in southern Ontario makes a lot more sense because of the population there, although doing that could lead to some serious territorial disputes with Toronto and/or Buffalo.

Unfortunately, the days when the NHL had a presence in relatively small markets like Winnipeg and Quebec City -- areas where the game undeniably is part of the fabric of everyday life for a lot of people -- likely have been relegated to hockey history. (Unless, of course, some network decides to give the NHL an NFL-style TV deal, in which case franchises could be based anywhere from Key West to Goodsoil, Saskatchewan and be assured of turning a profit before they sell a single ticket. Kind of a longshot, though, until there's hard evidence that more than a relative handful of people actually watch hockey on TV in this country.)

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