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Q: I saw in the paper that Jaromir Jagr and Aleksey Morozov are still playing professional hockey, and doing quite well, it seems. Is there any chance or any talks with agents that might bring them back to the Penguins to finish out their careers?

Christine McIsaac, Alexandria, Va.

MOLINARI: It probably was inevitable that with Jagr and Morozov competing for their countries at the Olympics, the idea of bringing one of both back here would be resurrected. It had, after all, been hours since anyone had asked about such a possibility outside the context of the Games.

First of all, both are unrestricted free agents, for purposes of playing in the NHL. The Penguins have no more claim to them than any other club and have shown zero interest in trying to sign either during the past few years.

While both Morozov and Jagr have been productive in the Kontinental Hockey League -- Morozov with Kazan, Jagr with Omsk -- the quality of competition there is not as high as it is in the NHL, and the schedule is not as demanding. For those reasons, among others, the success those two have had playing in Russia would not necessarily translate to productivity in North America.

A few years ago, some NHL teams inquired about signing Morozov, but his salary demands scared them off. Jagr famously offered a while back to play for the league minimum with the Penguins as a show of his respect and admiration for co-owner Mario Lemieux, but he turned 38 Monday and even if he still could accumulate points, his personality would be a volatile ingredient to add to any locker room's chemistry. Jagr has a long history of wanting to be the dominant presence on his team; add him to a club built around the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and that simply wouldn't be the case.

Q: With the Igloo closing at the end of this season, I was wondering if the Pens or anyone at the arena had any plans for an "open house." The Flyers had one earlier this season with the Spectrum, where fans had the opportunity to walk through the locker rooms, the benches, the (playing surface), etc. I think that would be a pretty neat experience for Pens fans if they could be given the same experience.

Dave Guenther, Pottsville, Pa.

MOLINARI: Penguins officials still are formulating plans for precisely how they will mark the end of the team's tenure at Mellon Arena, but there's been no indication that anything like what you suggest is being considered.

One key difference between the Spectrum and Mellon Arena is that the locker rooms (and just about everything else) here still are being used on a daily basis, because it remains the Penguins' home rink. In Philadelphia, the Flyers moved into a new arena years ago, and their American Hockey League affiliate moved out of the Spectrum after last season.

It's reasonable to believe that coaches and players wouldn't be eager to have large numbers of outsiders wander around the areas where they store their equipment, hold meetings and conduct other work-related activities, even though tours obviously would not be done when the team was using the facilities.

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