Mario Lemieux : Ice Hockey
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ, (born October 5, 1965) is a Quebec-native, former professional ice hockey player, acknowledged to be one of the greatest players of all time. He played for 17 seasons with the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1984 to 2006 and in 1999; he bought the Penguins and their top minor-league affiliate, the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins out of bankruptcy. He is the current owner and chairman. Mario Lemieux became the talk of the hockey world when he was picked first overall in the 1984 Entry Draft, after a successful career with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), by the Pittsburgh Penguins who were looking for a natural goal scorer to improve their game. Due to his size, height and skills, many hockey analysts believe that he would have been the greatest player in almost any NHL era, standing 6’4” and weighing 230 lbs.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Mario Lemieux scored a total of 43 goals and 57 assists during his whole rookie season in 1984-85. His final career stats include 915 regular seasons games played, 690 goals and 1,033 assists for 1,723 points. He led the Penguins to two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. He led the team Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002, championship at the 2004 World Cup of Hokey and a Canada Cup in 1987.
Mario Lemieux also won the Lester B. Pearson award, most outstanding player voted by the players four times, the Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL’s MVP) six times and the Conn Smythe Trophy twice (1991 and 1992). During the time of his retirement, he became the seventh-ranked all-time scorer of NHL with 690 goals and 1,033 assists. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997, a year after retirement, waiving the normal three-year waiting period.
Why Was He So Good?
Mario Lemieux was massive and tough but didn’t often bully his way through defenders. He was known for his speed and finesse, most of the time being compared to great players like Wayne Gretzky and Guy Lafleur. Even as a kid, in scoring and size, he was always bigger.
What You May Not Know
- Mario began playing hockey at the age of three and was later encouraged by his father. His father always packed snow in their front hallway so Mario and his brothers could practice skating inside. He played with kids a few years older than him.
- Lemieux is French for “The Best”. He was also called as the “Le Magnifique”, “The Magnificent One” and “Super Mario”.
- After 10 months of radiation treatment due to cancer of the lymph nodes, he was back with the Penguins and scored a goal and an assist. They won a total of 15 games straight.
Was he a legend?
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Related Pages
- More ice hockey players
- About Ice Hockey
- Athlete Database home
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