Vinny poses for SI

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Vinny Lecavalier doesn't remember how long the photo shoot lasted, but said it seemed like it took "all day."

Still, spending time last summer with girlfriend Caroline Portelance in what the Lightning center was told was a $28-million Manhattan apartment where scenes from HBO's Sex in the City were filmed was "a good time."

The result: one picture of the hundreds taken of Lecavalier and Portelance appears in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue.

Other couples appearing include pitcher Roger Clemens and wife Debbie, and golfer David Toms and wife Sonya.

It is the third major magazine, including Vanity Fair and GQ, in which Lecavalier has appeared.

"It was different," he said. "I just had a little pajama bottom on. We were also in the pool and took some pictures there. But it was an unbelievable apartment."

Lecavalier, 22, a native of Ile Bizard, Quebec, said he did not mind the relative lack of clothes.

"It was no big deal for me," he said.