Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux was born on October 5, 1965, in Montreal, Canada. He is a former professional hockey player and one of the greatest in NHL history. Lemieux won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins during his 17-year NHL career.

Mario Lemieux career

Lemieux loved hockey from an early age. He and his brothers played in the basement using wooden spoons as sticks and bottle caps as pucks. Their father, Jean-Guy Lemieux, later built a rink on their front lawn so they could practice even more.

At 15, Lemieux joined the Laval Voisins in the QMJHL and immediately dominated. In his final junior season, he scored 133 goals and 149 assists in 70 games—a record-setting performance.

The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted Lemieux first overall in 1984. He scored on his first NHL shot after stealing the puck from future Hall of Famer Ray Bourque. Lemieux finished his rookie season with 100 points (43 goals, 57 assists) in 73 games and won the Calder Trophy.

In the late 1980s, Wayne Gretzky owned the Art Ross Trophy, winning it seven straight years. Lemieux broke that streak in 1987–88 by scoring 168 points (70 goals, 98 assists) in 77 games. The next season, he set a career-high with 199 points (85 goals, 114 assists).

Before the 1990–91 season, the Penguins signed Jaromir Jagr. Lemieux and Jagr led Pittsburgh to its first Stanley Cup that year and repeated the feat the following season.

Cancer diagnosis

In January 1993, Lemieux revealed he had Hodgkin lymphoma. He underwent radiation but missed only 24 games. Despite the illness, he won the Art Ross Trophy with 160 points (69 goals, 91 assists) in 60 games—an incredible 2.67 points per game, the third-highest average in NHL history.

Lemieux retired after the 1996–97 season due to injuries. He entered the Hall of Fame on November 17, 1997, with the waiting period waived.

Lemieux returned to the NHL in 2000 so his son Austin could see him play. In his comeback game, he scored one goal and two assists against the Toronto Maple Leafs. That season, he led the league in points per game.

Mario Lemieux stats

He played until the 2005–06 season and retired with 1,723 points (690 goals, 1,033 assists) in 915 games. His 1.88 points per game rank second in NHL history.

Lemieux won two Stanley Cups, one World Cup, one Olympic gold medal, and a World Championship. He also earned six Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Trophies, and many other awards.