Ray Bourque
Raymond Bourque, playing for the Boston Bruins in October 1981.
Born	(1960-12-28) December 28, 1960 (age 51) Saint-Laurent, Quebec, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Boston Bruins Colorado Avalanche
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	8th overall, 1979 Boston Bruins
Playing career	1979–2001
Hall of Fame, 2004

Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and became its longest-serving captain. He finished off his career with the Colorado Avalanche where he won the Stanley Cup in his last NHL game.

Playing career[link]

Raymond Bourque was born in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada, December 28, 1960 then moved with his family to Montreal at the age of 10. Bourque was the third-round pick of the Trois-Rivières Draveurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Half-way through his rookie season, coach and GM Michel Bergeron traded Bourque to Sorel for high-scoring Benoit Gosselin. After a stellar junior career with Sorel and Verdun of the QMJHL, in which he was named the league's best defenceman in 1978 and 1979, Raymond Bourque's NHL debut came in 1979 after being drafted 8th overall by the Bruins, with a first-round draft choice obtained from the Los Angeles Kings in a 1977 trade for goaltender Ron Grahame, whose son John would be a future teammate of Bourque's.

He would make an immediate impact in Boston, scoring a goal in his first game while facing the Winnipeg Jets.^[1] Bourque asserted himself from the start as one of the best defencemen in the league, winning both the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and a First Team All-Star selection, the first time in NHL history a non-goaltender had ever achieved the distinction. His 65 points that season was a record at the time for a rookie defenceman.^[2]

In 1985, upon the retirement of Bruins' captain Terry O'Reilly to coach the club, Bourque and veteran Rick Middleton were named co-captains of the team, Middleton to wear the "C" during home games and Bourque for road games. Upon Middleton's retirement in 1988, Bourque became the team's sole captain, and retained the position for the remainder of his Bruins' tenure. In so doing, he passed Dit Clapper as the longest tenured Bruins' captain in history, as well as passing Alex Delvecchio of the Detroit Red Wings as the longest-serving team captain in NHL history, a mark since surpassed by Steve Yzerman of the Red Wings.

Bourque proved a solid force for Boston for twenty-one seasons (1979–2000), famous for combining offensive prowess at a level that few defencemen in league history had ever achieved—he was a perennial shot accuracy champion at All-Star Games—and near-unparalleled defensive excellence. ^[3] Bourque won five Norris Trophies as the league's top defenceman and finished second to Mark Messier in 1990 in the closest race ever for the Hart Memorial Trophy, the league's Most Valuable Player award. The Bruins' reliance on Bourque's on-ice mastery was so total that—while Bourque was very durable throughout much of his career—the team was seen by many to flounder whenever he was out of the lineup.^[4]

During Bourque's tenure with the Bruins, the team continued what would be a North American professional record twenty-nine consecutive seasons in the playoffs, a streak that would persist through the 1996 season. It should be noted this feat is made much easier for NHL teams to accomplish because historically the NHL has a far higher percentage of it's teams eligible for the playoffs than the other major North American professional sports leagues. For instance during Boston's 29 year run, from the 1979/1980 season, when the NHL expanded due to a merger with the World Hockey Association, sixteen of the twenty-one teams would make the playoffs each season until the 1992 playoffs when the league again had expanded to twenty-two teams with the addition of the San Jose Sharks. In the playoffs, Bourque led the team to the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers in both 1988 and 1990, where the Bruins lost in both series.^[5]

Bourque was also popular among Bruins fans because of his willingness to re-sign with Boston without any acriminous or lengthy negotiations. He passed over several opportunities to set the benchmark salary for defenceman; instead, he usually quietly and quickly agreed to terms with the Bruins, and this stance irritated the National Hockey League Players' Association which had been pushing to drive up players' wages.^[6]

#77[link]

Ray Bourque No. 7 Boston Garden 1979

Bourque was famous for wearing number 77 for the Bruins and Avalanche, but it was not his original number. When Bourque debuted in the NHL he was assigned jersey number 7 by the Bruins, a number that had been rarely issued by the team after Phil Esposito departed from the team in 1975. In December 1987, the Bruins decided to retire the number 7 in honor of Esposito and Bourque, who was co-captain of the team, was called on to make a presentation at the end of the ceremony. Wearing his jersey, he skated over to Esposito, took the jersey off, and handed it to Esposito while revealing his new jersey, numbered 77, to the crowd, "surrendering" the number to the Hall of Famer although Bourque could have continued wearing the number if he so desired.^[1]

International play[link]

Bourque played for Team Canada in the Canada Cup in 1981, 1984, and 1987. However, he did not play in the 1991 edition, despite attempts by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier to persuade him to take part. Bourque also played for the NHL All-Stars in Rendez-vous '87 against the Soviet Union, and played for the Canadian team in the 1998 Winter Olympics, leading all defencemen in scoring.

Colorado Avalanche[link]

The Bruins' record for North American professional sports, twenty-nine consecutive seasons in the playoffs, was ended in the 1997 season. The next two seasons, the Bruins returned to the playoffs and in 1999, they won a playoff series for the first time since 1994.

Despite a nucleus of young talent and high expectations for 1999–2000, injuries caused the Bruins to plummet to the bottom of their division, and they went on track to miss the playoffs. This was further exacerbated by negative attention over teammate Marty McSorley's hit on Donald Brashear.^[7][8][9] Bourque requested a trade from the fading Bruins so he would have a chance to win the Stanley Cup.^[2] Initially, he requested a trade to a team on the East Coast such as the Philadelphia Flyers, and Flyers' general manager Bobby Clarke offered the Bruins Andy Delmore and Daymond Langkow for Bourque. In reality, Bruins general manager Harry Sinden was finalizing a trade with the Colorado Avalanche, under the condition that it could not be leaked to the press. Sinden badly wanted Bourque to have a chance to close out his career with a Cup win, and told Bourque, "This may not be your first choice, but this is the team I feel is best." On March 6, 2000, Bourque was traded to Colorado with fellow veteran Dave Andreychuk for Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Sammy Pahlsson and a first round draft pick.

Although Bourque played just a season and a half with the Avalanche, he proved to be a force both on the ice and in the locker room. In 2000, he helped the struggling Avalanche improve their form and capture their division. During the playoffs, they advanced to the conference finals, where they lost to the Dallas Stars in a hard-fought series, with Bourque hitting the post in the last minutes of Game Seven which would have tied the game after his team rallied from a 3–0 deficit in the third period to 3–2.

In 2000–01—what turned out to be his only full season in Colorado—he was named an alternate captain. He led all Colorado defencemen in scoring, and formed a solid defensive pairing with Adam Foote and Rob Blake, the latter of whom the Avs received from the Los Angeles Kings in a trade. Bourque was named to the postseason First All-Star team, finishing as runner-up to the Detroit Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom for the Norris Trophy.

In the 2001 playoffs, Bourque scored the game-winning goal in Game Three of the finals against the New Jersey Devils. After a 4–1 loss in Game Five that put the Avalanche in a series deficit 3–2, Bourque flew in his family and relatives for the pivotal Games Six and Seven, winning them 4–0 and 3–1, respectively. Finally, on June 9, 2001, after 22 seasons, Bourque—and the Avalanche—won the Stanley Cup, in what proved to be Bourque's final game as a player. After team captain Joe Sakic, who had just won his second title, took the Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, he immediately handed it to Bourque (without hoisting it himself) so Bourque could take the first victory lap around the ice. This broke a longstanding tradition that called for the captain to take the first lap. Victorious Colorado goalie Patrick Roy, whose fourth championship had come the same day as Bourque's first, said of the Cup and his teammate, "A name was missing from that [Cup], and today it is back to normal."^[10]

Bourque had waited longer to win his first Cup than any other Cup-winning player had in the 108-year history of the Stanley Cup, having played 1,612 regular season and 214 playoff games before winning the Cup. On June 12, 2001, three days after the Cup victory, Bourque exercised his right as a player to bring the Cup back to Boston for an emotional rally in Boston's City Hall Plaza, attended by some 20,000 fans. Bourque retired shortly thereafter, having set defensive regular season records in goals (410) and assists (1169) for 1579 points. During the 2000–01 season, which would be the last for both players, Bourque surpassed Paul Coffey (intended to be Bourque's replacement on his former team, the Bruins) to become the all time leader in goals, assists and points for a defenceman at any senior professional level.

Retirement[link]

The Aréna Raymond-Bourque in Saint-Laurent, QC.

Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004, the first season he was eligible. His uniform number #77 has been retired by both the Bruins and the Avalanche; he is one of only six players (Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Patrick Roy) whose jersey has been retired by more than one club. His birthplace of Saint-Laurent named the Aréna Raymond-Bourque in his honour.^[11]

He still lives in the Boston area with his wife Christianne, remaining active in several local charities, and was named a Boston Bruins team consultant on November 3, 2005. He is also the co-owner of an Italian restaurant called Tresca^[12] in Boston's North End.

His elder son, Christopher, was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2004. Christopher is a well-regarded prospect who subsequently turned professional, playing for the Hershey Bears in the 2007 season and making his NHL debut for the Capitals in 2007. His younger son, Ryan, was a 3rd round draft choice by the New York Rangers in 2009, and was a member of the USA's 2010 gold-medal World Junior Championship team, earning three assists during the tournament.^[13][14][15] Ryan plays junior hockey for the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL who are coached by Raymond's old teammate Patrick Roy and was an alternate captain for the USA's 2011 World Junior Championship team, in which he again earned three assists as the team won the bronze medal.^[13][16][17]

Awards and achievements[link]

Bourque's prowess led him to become one of the most honored players in hockey history. During his career, he was selected to thirteen NHL First Team (the most in history) and six Second Team All-Star squads, second in total in league history only to Gordie Howe and most amongst defencemen. He won the Norris Trophy as the top defenceman in the league five times, fourth all-time after Doug Harvey, Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidström.

Among his numerous other records and honors are the following:

• Retired third (second among defencemen), and is currently eighth (fourth among defencemen), in all-time games played with 1,612.
• Retired second, and is currently fourth, in all-time assists with 1,169; this is still a record for defencemen.
• Is eleventh in all-time points scored with 1,579.
• Is first in all-time points scored by a defenceman with 1,579.
• Is first in all-time defence goals scored with 410.
• The career leader in shots on goal with 6,206, nearly one thousand ahead of the second leading shooter, Marcel Dionne.^[18]
• Led the NHL in shots in 1984, 1987, and 1995.
• Is third in all-time cumulative plus-minus with 528, behind Larry Robinson and Orr.^[3]
• Won the Norris Trophy in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1994.
• Won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1992.
• Received the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2003.
• Named a NHL First Team All-Star in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 2001.
• Named a Second Team All-Star in 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995 and 1999.
• Became only the sixth defenceman in professional history to score 30 goals in a season (1984).
• Became only the third defenceman in professional history to reach the 1,000 NHL points milestone (1992)
• Is the Bruins' all-time career leader in games played (1,518), assists (1,111) and points (1,506), also ranking fourth in goals and first in assists with a single team (any position).
• Registered his 1,528th point Oct. 25, 2000, vs. Nashville, passing Paul Coffey as the NHL's all-time leader among defencemen.
• Registered his 1,137th assist Dec. 21, 2000, vs. L.A. Kings, passing Coffey for second place on the NHL's all-time assists list and first among defencemen.
• Named to play in the All-Star Game for the 19th consecutive season, passing Wayne Gretzky for the league record, 2001; Bourque also appeared in the All-Star Game in every season that it was held during his career (there was no game in 1987 or 1995).
• Was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game in 1996.
• Is third all-time in playoff assists and tenth all-time in playoff points.
• In 1998, three years before the end of his career, he was ranked number 14 on The Hockey News' list of the one hundred greatest hockey players of all time. He was the highest-ranking player who had not yet won a Stanley Cup, the next highest being No. 38-ranked Dionne.^[19]
• Stanley Cup champion — 2001.

Career statistics[link]

See also[link]

• Captain (ice hockey)
• Hockey Hall of Fame
• List of NHL statistical leaders
• Notable families in the NHL
• List of NHL players with 1000 assists
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ray Bourque's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Ray Bourque's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

Phil Esposito
Born	(1942-02-20) February 20, 1942 (age 70) Sault Ste. Marie, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	New York Rangers Boston Bruins Chicago Black Hawks
National team	Canada
Playing career	1963–1981
Hall of Fame, 1984

Philip Anthony Esposito, OC (born February 20, 1942) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have ever played in the National Hockey League. Phil is the older brother of Tony Esposito, a goaltender who, like Phil, is a Hall-of-Famer.

After retiring as a player, Esposito served as a head coach and general manager for the New York Rangers before co-founding the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was the principal studio analyst for the NHL on Fox circa 1995-1998. He now serves as Tampa Bay's radio color commentator.

Biography[link]

Minor league[link]

Esposito signed with the Chicago Black Hawks as a teenager and was assigned to the Sarnia Legionnaires Jr. 'B' hockey team for the 1960-61 season. In just 32 games with the Legionnaires he scored 47 goals and 61 assists, for 108 points. It was a scoring pace of 3.3 points per game. In a playoff game, he scored 12 points in one game as the Legionnaires advanced to the Western Ontario final before being eliminated. After a sparkling junior season with the St. Catharines Teepees of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1962, Esposito spent two seasons with Chicago's minor league affiliate, the St. Louis Braves, scoring 90 points in his first season and 80 points in only 46 games in his second.

Chicago Black Hawks[link]

Midway through the 1964 season, Esposito was called up to the parent Black Hawks to make his NHL debut. Centering for the great Bobby Hull beginning in the 1965 season, he proved himself a quality playmaker, twice finishing amongst the league-leading scorers over the next three seasons.

Boston Bruins[link]

In 1967, he was dealt to the Boston Bruins in a blockbuster trade, along with Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield. While the hitherto unremarkable Hodge and Stanfield became stars in the black-and-gold, Esposito blossomed into the greatest scorer of his day, becoming the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season with 126 in the 1969 season. He would top the "century" mark six times in all, including five consecutive seasons between 1971 and 1975 (plus a 99-point season in 1970), capturing the Art Ross Trophy in 1969 and 1971–74 as the top regular season scorer, and leading the league in goals for six straight seasons, (69/70 to 74/75).

Esposito was named to the NHL's First All-Star team six consecutive times (from 1969–74), and won the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player in 1969 and 1974. His Boston fans printed and displayed bumper stickers during his best years to celebrate his scoring: they read, "Jesus saves, Espo scores on the rebound." Esposito, while not a fast or graceful skater, was best known for his unmovable presence in front of the opposition net from which he could score from all angles. Esposito has said: “Scoring is easy. You simply stand in the slot, take your beating and shoot the puck into the net.”^[1]

During these great years, centering one of the most renowned forward lines in history with Hodge on right wing and left winger Wayne Cashman, Esposito and fellow superstar Bobby Orr led the Bruins to Stanley Cup victories in 1970 and 1972, and first-place finishes in the league in 1971, 1972 and 1974.

During 1970–71, Esposito shattered the record for most goals scored in a season when he finished up with 76. This record stood until 1982 when Wayne Gretzky scored his 77th, 78th and 79th goal against the Buffalo Sabres on February 24, 1982 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Esposito was on hand to present the game puck to Gretzky. Esposito also set the single season point-scoring record in 1971 with 152, a mark now held by Gretzky at 215. Only three other players have reached the 150 point-scoring plateau — Mario Lemieux 199, Steve Yzerman 155 and Bernie Nicholls 150 — and only Gretzky, Lemieux, Brett Hull, Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny have scored 76 or more goals in a season. That season also saw Esposito shatter the single season mark for shots on goal with 550. This record still stands; in fact, only one other player has been within 100 shots of tying it (Alexander Ovechkin in 2008–09, in a season that was four games longer than when Esposito set the record).

After his performance in the Summit Series, where he was the inspirational leader for Team Canada and its leading scorer in the series, he won the 1972 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's outstanding male athlete of the year and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Esposito also scored the first goal of the series and he scored or assisted four times in the deciding game. During that series, his scolding of Canadian fans, who booed the national team after a 5–3 loss to the Soviet Union in Game Four, was credited with firing up his teammates:^[2]

"If the Russian fans boo their players in Moscow like you people are booing us, I'll come back and apologize personally to every one of you, but I really don't think that will happen. We gave it and are doing our best. All of us guys are really disheartened. . . . We came out here because we love Canada. They're a good hockey team, and we don't know what we could do better, but I promise we will figure it out. But it's totally ridiculous — I don't think it is fair that we should be booed."

^[3]

He also played for Team Canada in the inaugural Canada Cup in 1976, on a line with Hall of Famers Bobby Hull and Marcel Dionne. The following year, Esposito would represent Canada once more in the 1977 World Championships.

New York Rangers[link]

In 1975–76, he and Carol Vadnais were traded to the New York Rangers for Brad Park, Joe Zanussi and Jean Ratelle.

While not as glittering an offensive force as in his glory days, as captain of the Rangers, Esposito led the Blueshirts in points each of his full seasons with the club and remained an effective scorer until his final season. The highlight of his years in New York was leading the Rangers to the Stanley Cup final in 1979 where at 37 years of age he finished third in postseason scoring.^[4][5]

On November 4, 1977, Esposito scored his 600th NHL goal at Vancouver, becoming the first player to reach that milestone in a Rangers uniform.

He retired in 1981, behind only Gordie Howe in career goals and total points, and third in assists to Howe and Stan Mikita.

Management[link]

Esposito served as General Manager and coach of the Rangers for three years in the mid 1980s, during which he earned the nickname "Trader Phil" for the numerous transactions he made. During his tenure as GM, he made more trades than the Vancouver Canucks had made in the entire 1980s.^[6] While serving as GM, two of his most famous trades included the trade for the legendary Marcel Dionne and one which he sent a first round pick to the Quebec Nordiques as compensation for signing Michel Bergeron to be the Rangers' coach.

He moved on to found the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning but faced competition from the Compuware Group who wanted to place a team in nearby St. Petersburg. It was proposed to Esposito that he merge his bid with the Compuware Group to which he refused.^[7] His reputation and force of personality was widely credited with winning the expansion bid for Tampa Bay—in 1992, serving as the team's president and general manager until 1998. Compuware eventually purchased the Hartford Whalers.

In the Lightning's inaugural season, he made hockey history by signing Manon Rhéaume, making her the first woman to sign with an NHL team. He later admitted in his autobiography that signing Rheaume was only a publicity stunt for the new franchise and that she had no business being in the NHL. He remains the team’s radio color commentator, and also co-hosts a daily call-in show on XM Satellite Radio's Home Ice channel.

Esposito was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. In December 1987, his #7 jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins in an emotional ceremony where the then-current wearer, superstar defenseman Ray Bourque, pulled off his #7 jersey to reveal his new number, 77—dramatically "surrendering" his old number in Esposito's favor. Esposito was "visibly moved" when Bourque showed the Boston Garden crowd his new number, which he used for the rest of his career.^[8] Esposito was also on hand in Boston to hand Bourque his retired number after the latter retired.

Esposito's younger brother Tony is also an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Former NHL player Alexander Selivanov is Esposito's son-in-law.

Awards and achievements[link]

• 1968–69 - Art Ross Trophy winner
• 1968–69 - Hart Memorial Trophy winner
• 1969–70 - Stanley Cup champion
• 1970–71 - Art Ross Trophy winner
• 1970–71 - Lester B. Pearson Award winner
• 1971–72 - Stanley Cup champion
• 1971–72 - Art Ross Trophy winner
• 1972–73 - Lester B. Pearson Award winner
• 1972–73 - Art Ross Trophy winner
• 1973–74 - Art Ross Trophy winner
• 1973–74 - Hart Memorial Trophy winner
• 1977–78 - Lester Patrick Trophy winner
• 1984 - Inducted in to the Hockey Hall of Fame
• December 3, 1987 - #7 jersey retired by the Boston Bruins
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980)
• NHL First All-Star Team (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974)
• NHL Second All-Star Team (1968, 1975)
• Retired as the second leading all time NHL goal and point scorer, and third in assists.
• Among the all-time NHL leaders in goals scored (5th), assists (21st), and total points (10th), as of the end of the 2008–09 season.
• Won Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year in 1972.
• Holds the record for shots on goal in a single season with 550 in 1970–71.
• All time leader in game winning goals with 118.
• Had thirteen consecutive 30+ goal seasons, second most in history.
• First NHL player to score 1,000 points in a decade.
• In 1998, he was ranked number 18 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
• Inducted in 2007 (alongside brother Tony) into the Sault Ste Marie Walk of Fame.
• Ranked No. 23 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & Sons, 2009).
• Received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Canada^[9] in 2009.
• Statue unveiled in his honor in front of the Tampa Bay Times Forum on December 31, 2011.

Career statistics[link]

International play[link]

• Played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series
• Played for Team Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup
• Played for Team Canada in the 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships

International statistics

Pop-culture references[link]

He and New York Rangers teammates Ron Duguay, Dave Maloney and Anders Hedberg famously appeared in a TV commercial for Sasson designer jeans in 1977. In 1979, Esposito and Ranger teammates recorded a song written by Alan Thicke as a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation called the Hockey Sock Rock.^[10]

Phil Esposito is referred to in the Barenaked Ladies song "Celebrity", and the Fun Lovin' Criminals song "Smoke 'Em".

A shorter paraphrase of his speech during the Summit Series was delivered by Brent Butt on the "The Good Old Table Hockey Game" episode of Corner Gas. Later in the same episode, a table hockey figure is shown to be fallen on the ice, it is remarked to be Esposito.

He has also made two appearances in the Showcase series Rent-a-Goalie, first in a subplot involving the stealing of his DNA and second playing poker with his brother Tony.

Esposito has made several appearances on the Denis Leary created television show Rescue Me. He plays Battalion Chief "Izzy" who also serves as the coach of the Fire Department hockey team.

See also[link]

• Hockey Hall of Fame
• List of NHL statistical leaders
• Notable families in the NHL
• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• 1972 Summit Series

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Phil Esposito

• Phil Esposito's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Phil Esposito's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Esposito learned to love the Big Apple
• The Trade

Mario Lemieux
Born	(1965-10-05) October 5, 1965 (age 46) Montreal, QC, Canada
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	235 lb (107 kg; 16 st 11 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Right
Played for	Pittsburgh Penguins
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	1st overall, 1984 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	1984–1997 2000–2006
Hall of Fame, 1997

Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ (/ˈmærioʊ ləˈmjuː/; French pronunciation: [maʁjo ləmjø]; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian American former professional ice hockey player and co-owner of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Pittsburgh Penguins and the American Hockey League's (AHL) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He is widely acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time.^[1] He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL between 1984 and 2006. A gifted playmaker and fast skater despite his large size, Lemieux often beat defensemen with fakes and dekes.^[2] He is currently the Penguins' principal owner and chairman of the board, having bought the team out of bankruptcy in 1999. He is the only person ever to win the Stanley Cup as both a player and an owner.^[3]

Lemieux led Pittsburgh to two Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992, won a Stanley Cup as a chairman in 2009 with the Penguins, led Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002, a championship at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and a Canada Cup in 1987. He won three Hart Trophies as the NHL's most valuable player (MVP) during the regular season, six Art Ross Trophies as the league's leading scorer, and two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP. At the time of his retirement, he was the NHL's seventh-ranked all-time scorer with 690 goals and 1,033 assists.^[4] He ranks second in NHL history with a 0.754 goals-per game average for his career, behind only Islanders great Mike Bossy (0.762).^[5] In 2004, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

Playing only 915 out of a potential 1428 regular season NHL games, Lemieux's career was plagued by health problems. His numerous ailments included spinal disc herniation, Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic tendinitis of a hip-flexor muscle, and chronic back pain so severe that other people had to tie his skates.^[6] He has retired twice because of his health (and also missed an entire season because of it prior to his first retirement): first in 1997 after battling lymphoma (he returned in 2000), and for a second and final time in 2006, after being diagnosed with an atrial fibrillation.^[4] Despite his lengthy absences from the game, his play remained at a high level upon his return to the ice; he won the Hart Trophy and scoring title in 1995–96 after sitting out the entire previous season, and he was a finalist for the Hart when he made his comeback in 2000.^[2]

The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Lemieux immediately after his first retirement in 1997, waiving the normal three-year waiting period; upon his return in 2000, he became the third Hall of Famer (after Gordie Howe and Guy Lafleur) to play after being inducted.^[2] Lemieux's impact on the NHL has been significant: Andrew Conte of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review called him the "savior" of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and after Lemieux's retirement, Wayne Gretzky commented that "You don't replace players like Mario Lemieux [...] The game will miss him."^[7] Bobby Orr called him "the most talented player I've ever seen." Orr, along with Bryan Trottier and numerous fans,^[4] speculate that if Lemieux had not suffered so many issues with his health, his on-ice achievements would have been much greater.^[7]

Early years[link]

Mario Lemieux was born in Montreal to Pierrette, a stay-at-home mom, and Jean-Guy Lemieux, an engineer. He and his older brothers Alain and Richard grew up in a working class family in the Ville-Émard district. Mario began practicing hockey at age 3 in his basement; before using real equipment, he and his brothers used wooden kitchen spoons as hockey sticks and bottle caps as pucks.^[8] His father created a rink on the front lawn so that the boys could practice as much as possible,^[9] and according to family legend, the family sometimes packed snow onto the living room carpet so the brothers could practice indoors when it was dark.^[10]

Lemieux playing for the Laval Voisins of the QMJHL in 1984

Lemieux started his career with the Laval Voisins of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). When he was drafted at age 15, he declared that he would break league records;^[10] in the 1983–84 QMJHL season, Lemieux broke the league record for points in a season with 282 (133 goals, 149 assists) in 70 games.^[11] In his last game of the regular season, Lemieux needed three goals to tie Guy Lafleur's record of 130 goals— he scored six goals and added six assists in a 16-4 victory.^[2]

Although he played in the 1983 World Junior Hockey Championships, Lemieux did not play for the Canadian Juniors in 1984 because he disliked how coach Dave King treated him in the previous tournament.^[12] He also did not want to break up his junior season.^[8] He finished his QMJHL career with 562 points (247 goals, 315 assists) in three seasons. Before the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Lemieux announced he wanted to play for whomever drafted him.^[8] He and his agent were deadlocked with the Penguins and could not negotiate a contract. Because of this, when the Penguins called his name as the first overall draft pick, he did not shake general manager Eddie Johnston's hand or don the Penguins jersey, as is NHL tradition. He claimed he was upset about the contract negotiation, and said that "Pittsburgh doesn't want [him] bad enough."^[8] Even though the draft was held in Montreal, over 3,000 fans viewed a broadcast in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena—a typical Penguins game drew less than 7,000 fans at the time.^[8] After the draft, Johnston signed Lemieux to a two-year contract for $600,000, plus a $150,000 bonus for signing.^[8]

Playing career[link]

At the start of Lemieux's career, the Penguins were in financial turmoil and there were rumours of relocation. The team had declared bankruptcy after the 1974–75 season, and by 1983, they were averaging fewer than 7,000 fans per game—less than half of their arena's capacity.^[8]

He debuted on October 11, 1984, against the Boston Bruins and on his first shift, he stole the puck from Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque and scored a goal with his first NHL shot against Pete Peeters.^[13] Later that season, Lemieux played in the NHL All-Star Game and became the first rookie to be named the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player. Despite missing seven games during the season, Lemieux scored 100 points and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the rookie of the year.

The next season, Lemieux finished second in league scoring with 141 points, behind Wayne Gretzky's NHL-record 215 points. He won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL's best regular-season player as voted by his peers. Lemieux missed 17 games of the 1986–87 NHL season—his point production slipped, and the Penguins once again failed to make the playoffs. However, he played in the Canada Cup during the summer of 1987 and set a tournament record 11 goals in 9 games; his last goal, which clinched the Canadian victory, came against the Soviet team with 1:26 remaining in the third period. Lemieux cited his Canada Cup experience as the reason for his elevated play later on, stating, "Remember, I was only 21 years old at the time. To be around guys like Wayne [Gretzky] and Mark Messier and Paul Coffey [...] was a tremendous learning experience."^[14]

By the 1987–88 season, Wayne Gretzky had won seven consecutive Art Ross Trophies for leading the league in points. That season, fueled by his Canada Cup experience,^[14] Lemieux scored 168 points and won his first NHL scoring title. He also won his first Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player to his team, and the All-Star Game MVP award after a record-setting six-point game. Despite Lemieux's success, the Penguins did not qualify for the playoffs.

1988–1992: 199 points[link]

In the 1988–89 season, Lemieux led the league with 114 assists (tied with Gretzky) and 85 goals for 199 points; he is the only player to approach Gretzky's mammoth 200+ point seasons.^[15] Lemieux finished the season a close second to Gretzky in voting for the Hart Trophy, and set several milestones and records in the process, becoming the second player to score 70+ goals in two seasons, the fourth player to score 50 goals in 50 games, and the only player to score 13 shorthanded goals in one season.^[16]

Perhaps the defining moment of Lemieux's season was on December 31, 1988, in a game against the New Jersey Devils.^[15] In that game, Lemieux scored eight points and became the only player in NHL history to score a goal in all five possible game situations in the same game: even-strength, power-play, shorthanded, penalty shot, and empty-net. Lemieux had another five-goal, eight-point performance in a 10-7 victory during the postseason against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 25, 1989. He tied the NHL record for most goals and points in a postseason game, most goals in a postseason period (four in the first), and most assists in a postseason period (three in the second).^[17] However, the Penguins lost the series four games to three.

During the 1989–90 NHL season, Lemieux scored at least one point in 46 consecutive games before he ended the streak by leaving a game due to injury.^[18] The streak's length was second only to Gretzky's 51-game streak.^[19] Lemieux won his third All-Star Game MVP with a four-goal performance.^[20] Although he missed 21 games, he finished fourth in the league in scoring with 123 points (45 goals, 78 assists).^[16] The Penguins did not qualify for the playoffs.

Lemieux's back injury progressed into a herniated disc, which subsequently developed an infection. On July 11, 1990, Lemieux underwent back surgery to fix the disk, and he missed 50 games in the 1990–91 NHL season. In his absence, the Penguins acquired players Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy, Ron Francis, and Ulf Samuelsson in hopes of becoming serious contenders for the Stanley Cup. Despite significant back pain, Lemieux scored 16 goals and 28 assists for the playoff lead, and led the Penguins over the Minnesota North Stars for their first Stanley Cup.^[16] Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. His 44 playoff points rank second only to Wayne Gretzky's 47 in 1984–85.

One of the most famous goals in NHL history is the goal Lemieux scored in the 2nd period of game two. Receiving the puck between the Penguins blue line and the centre line, Lemieux skated solo into the North Stars zone facing two defencemen and the goalie by himself. Mario skirted the puck through one of the defenders' legs, skated around him, forced the goalie to commit left, then switched the puck to his backand side and sliding the puck in before crashing into the net himself. The brief video of the goal has been since featured on recent Stanley Cup promo ads by the NHL (played in reverse), as well as the opening montage of Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts.^{[citation needed]}

Lemieux played only 64 games in his injury-plagued 1991–92 season. Despite missing several games, he won his third Art Ross Trophy with 131 points. During the second game of the Patrick Division finals, the New York Rangers' Adam Graves slashed and broke Lemieux's left hand; Lemieux missed five games, but still led the playoffs with 16 goals and 18 assists.^[16] The Penguins swept the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final, and Lemieux won his second Conn Smythe Trophy.

1992–1997: Cancer, return, and retirement[link]

The Penguins started the 1992–93 season well, and Lemieux set a franchise record with at least one goal in twelve consecutive games, from October 6 to November 1.^[21] He was on pace to challenge Gretzky's records of 92 goals in one season (1981–82) and 215 points in one season (1985–86),^[22] until January 12, 1993, when he made the shocking announcement that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was forced to undergo energy-draining aggressive radiation treatments, leaving his career and possibly his survival in doubt. He missed two months of play, and without him, the Penguins struggled. When he returned, he was 12 points behind Buffalo's Pat LaFontaine in the scoring race.^[22]

On the day of his last radiation treatment, Lemieux flew to Philadelphia to play against the Flyers, where he scored a goal and an assist in a 5-4 loss. Before the game Lemieux earned a standing ovation from Philadelphia fans—a rare occurrence for a visiting player.^[22] With Lemieux back, Pittsburgh won an NHL record 17 consecutive games to finish first overall for the first time in franchise history;^[22] their 119 points are still a franchise record. Lemieux scored at an incredible pace, notching an average 2.67 points per game—the third highest points-per-game for a season, behind only Wayne Gretzky's 1983–84 and 1985–86 averages of 2.77 and 2.69, respectively.^[22] Lemieux won his second straight and fourth overall scoring title, finishing with 160 points (69 goals, 91 assists) in 60 games, beating out LaFontaine by 12 points.^[16]

The Penguins dispatched the New Jersey Devils in the first round in five games, but were upset by the New York Islanders in seven. During the series against the Islanders, Lemieux was repeatedly knocked out of his game by Darius Kasparaitis. After the season, Lemieux was awarded his second Pearson Trophy, and his first Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.^[16]

On July 23, 1993, Lemieux underwent his second back surgery, this time to repair a herniated muscle. He missed the first ten games of the season to recover from surgery, and missed 48 more games from back problems.^[16] After the season, he announced that he would take a leave of absence because of fatigue brought on by his radiation treatment.^[16] Lemieux returned for the 1995–96 season, and on October 26, 1995, he scored his 500th career goal in his 605th game, played against the New York Islanders. Lemieux was second only to Gretzky, who scored 500 goals in 575 games.^[16] Lemieux finished the season with 69 goals and 92 assists to lead the league; he became the seventh player to win three Hart Trophies, and the fourth player to win five Art Ross Trophies.^[16] Despite his return, the Penguins fell to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final in seven games.

Lemieux's exhibit in the Hockey Hall of Fame

The next season, Lemieux, playing against the Vancouver Canucks, scored his 600th career goal in his 719th game, and went on to put up his tenth career 100-point season, both the second-most in history after Wayne Gretzky's 600 goals in 718 games and fifteen 100-point seasons.^[16] In his last game against his hometown Montreal, Lemieux tied an NHL record for most goals in a period, with four goals in the third.^[24] Lemieux won his sixth scoring title with 122 points (50 goals, 72 assists). The Penguins qualified for the playoffs again, but were eliminated in five games by the Eric Lindros-led Philadelphia Flyers during the first round. Lemieux scored one goal and earned an assist in his final game, played in Philadelphia, where he skated around the ice after the final buzzer and received a standing ovation from the Philadelphia crowd.^[16] Upon his first retirement, Lemieux became the only player to retire from the NHL with a greater than 2 points per game average (1494 points in 745 games). On November 17, 1997, Lemieux was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, becoming the ninth player in history to have the mandatory three-year waiting period waived.

1997–2000: Post-retirement[link]

The Penguins' free-spending ways of the early 1990s came at a high price, however. Through most of the 1990s, Penguins' owners Howard Baldwin and Morris Belzberg badly mismanaged the team, owing over $90 million to various creditors. As a consequence, the Penguins asked Lemieux and other prominent players to defer their salaries. The team was also forced to make several trades to stop the bleeding, most of which backfired.

The situation became so dire that the Penguins were forced to declare bankruptcy in November 1998. For most of the 1998–99 NHL season, it looked like the Penguins would either move out of town or fold altogether. At this point, Lemieux stepped in with an unusual proposal. Years of deferred salaries, adding up to $30 million, had made him the Penguins' largest creditor. He sought to recover this money by converting it into equity and buying the team. He also promised to keep the team in Pittsburgh. Lemieux later said that he would have put in a bid even if he had not been owed the deferred salary. The NHL's Board of Governors approved his application for ownership on September 1, 1999.^[25] Two days later, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved Lemieux's reorganization plan, allowing him to formally assume control. This made the then-retired star the first former NHL player to become majority owner of his former team. Lemieux assumed the position of chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of the Penguins.

Lemieux's plan was designed to pay everyone the organization owed. In August 2005, the Post-Gazette reported that the Penguins had indeed fully paid the principal it owed to each of its creditors, both secured and unsecured. Lemieux was given much of the credit, according to the article, for his insistence that everyone owed be paid.^[26] He has since relinquished the president's and CEO's posts to Ken Sawyer, but remains the team's principal owner and chairman. In January 2006, Lemieux confirmed the team was for sale, but would consider offers only from those who will keep the team in Pittsburgh.

Out of retirement[link]

Lemieux in 2001

Late in 2000, there were rumours that Lemieux was attempting a comeback. Upon announcing his comeback, Lemieux also signed a "career spanning deal" with Nike to wear their equipment on the ice, and to endorse their products off the ice. This deal would include Mario endorsing their line of footwear and their golf equipment. It is said that the deal was worth $500,000 (US) a season and would remain in effect for the rest of his career.^[27]

On December 27, 2000, he returned to the NHL against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The game was nationally broadcast on ESPN2 in the U.S. and on Hockey Night in Canada. Lemieux proved that his scoring touch had not disappeared by scoring a goal and three points, including an assist 33 seconds into the first shift of his return. While Jaromír Jágr remained captain of the Penguins, Lemieux was named captain of the North American All-Stars during the midseason All-Star game in Denver, Colorado. Despite playing in only 43 games in 2000–01, Lemieux scored 76 points to finish 26th in scoring, finishing the season with the highest points-per-game average that season among NHL players. In fact, he had the highest points-per-game average amongst NHL players for the entire period from his 2001 return until his final retirement in 2006. Lemieux was one of the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson NHLPA awards and earned a selection on the postseason NHL All-Star Second Team.

Lemieux led the Penguins in the postseason and led in playoff scoring for much of it. His team surprised many by going to the Eastern Conference finals, knocking off the higher-seeded Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres along the way in six and seven games, respectively. The Penguins lost in five games to the top-seeded New Jersey Devils, as their players held Lemieux and Jagr without a goal that series. Lemieux finished Game Five in the penalty box after slashing the Devil's John Madden; afterwards Lemieux signed his stick and handed it to a young fan.^[28]

Before the start of the 2001–02 season, Pittsburgh was forced to trade most of their expensive players, so the team plummeted to the bottom of the NHL and missed the playoffs in each of these four seasons. Lemieux again resumed the captaincy, as Jaromír Jágr was sent to the Washington Capitals. However, Lemieux only appeared in 24 games, partially due to injuries that would also plague him for the next three seasons. He also skipped some Penguins games in 2001-02 so he could be in condition to play what would be his only chance at the Olympics in his career. However, Lemieux played only one more game after the Salt Lake City Olympics before being out for the rest of the season due to a nagging hip problem, leading one Pittsburgh columnist to demand that Lemieux apologize for making Team Canada his priority.^[29]

On December 23, 2002, during his afternoon radio show in Pittsburgh, host Mark Madden said he would donate $6,600 to the Mario Lemieux Foundation if the hockey great ever scored off a faceoff. That very night, the Penguins played the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh and Lemieux, who was aware of the challenge, made good on it when he scored the game-winning goal right off a faceoff during the third period.^[30]

In 2002–03, at age 37, Lemieux led the National Hockey League in scoring for most of the season but missed most of the games towards the end of the schedule and finished eighth in scoring with 91 points in only 67 games. Lemieux missed all but ten games during the 2003–04 season.

After the lockout concluded, Lemieux returned to the ice for the 2005–06 season. Hopes for the Penguins were high due to the salary cap and revenue sharing, which enabled the team to compete in the market for several star players. Another reason for optimism was the Penguins winning the lottery for the first draft pick, enabling them to select Sidney Crosby. Lemieux opened up his home to Crosby to help the rookie settle in Pittsburgh, and served as Crosby's mentor. ^[31]

Player/owner status[link]

Lemieux's unique status as player and owner placed him in a potential conflict of interest with respect to NHL labor negotiations. Because he was also an owner, Lemieux was no longer a member of the National Hockey League Players Association, although he still paid union dues to maintain his pension. By agreement with the NHLPA, Lemieux was paid the average league salary of about $1.4 million and it was from this amount that his union dues were calculated and deducted. He did not vote in owners' meetings, delegating this role to a Penguins vice-president. He suggested that the NHL adopt a salary structure similar to the National Football League, which has a hard salary cap. Lemieux and fellow team owner Gretzky brought the parties together in a last-ditch effort to save what remained of the 2004–05 season, but no agreement was reached and the season was lost.^{[citation needed]}

Second retirement[link]

On January 24, 2006, Lemieux announced his second and permanent retirement from professional hockey at the age of 40. This followed a half-season in which he struggled not only with the increased speed of the "new NHL" but also with yet another threatening physical ailment, a heart condition called atrial fibrillation that caused him to experience irregular heartbeats. Although he had put up points at a pace that most NHL forwards would be very content with (22 points in 26 games) in his last season, Lemieux still remarked that "I can no longer play at a level I was accustomed to in the past."^[32]

Lemieux during the Penguins' victory parade for the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals

In October 2006, Lemieux's ownership group announced that it had reached an agreement to sell the Penguins to Research in Motion Chairman and Co-CEO Jim Balsillie. However, Balsillie unexpectedly rescinded his offer two months later after an apparent dispute with the NHL Board of Governors over purchasing conditions, despite Balsillie having earlier pledged to the Board that he would not relocate the team.^[33][34] Lemieux was offended that Balsillie had pulled out at last minute and initially refused to return Balsillie's deposit, saying that it was in breach of their agreement.^[35]

On March 13, 2007, Lemieux's ownership group announced a final agreement for a new multi-purpose arena, eventually to be named Consol Energy Center, to be built across the street from the current Mellon Arena. The deal will keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh for at least 30 years. Lemieux was instrumental in negotiating this deal, despite outside efforts to move the team to Kansas City. It was later revealed that Lemieux had only visited Kansas City to put pressure on the city and state to push through plans for the new arena.^[36]

The Penguins returned to the playoffs, losing in 5 games to the Ottawa Senators in 2007, and making the Finals in 2008 where they lost in six games to the Detroit Red Wings. On June 12, 2009, Lemieux won his 3rd Stanley Cup, this time as an owner as the Penguins won a rematch with the Red Wings in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, in seven games.^[37]

International play[link]

Medal record
Competitor for  Canada
Ice hockey
World Cup
Gold	2004 World Cup
Olympic Games
Gold	2002 Salt Lake City
Canada Cup
Gold	1987 Canada
World Championships
Silver	1985 Czechoslovakia
World Junior Championships
Bronze	1983 Soviet Union

Lemieux played for Canada in the 1983 World Junior Championships (bronze medal), 1985 World Championships (silver medal), 1987 Canada Cup (championship), 2002 Winter Olympics (captain, gold medal) and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey (captain, championship).

At the 2002 Winter Olympics, having been selected by Gretzky to captain the roster, Lemieux led the Canadian men's team into Salt Lake City, United States. The team had failed to win a gold medal at the Olympics in fifty years but were still considered favorites to win. Lemieux was second to Joe Sakic in team scoring with six points in five games, and led the team to gold by defeating the United States 5-2 in the final game. Lemieux showcased his amazing hockey intelligence during the gold medal game against the United States. With Team Canada trailing 1-0 in the first period, Lemieux made one of the most famous and savvy plays in Olympic hockey history. After a cross-ice pass from Lemieux in the neutral zone, Canadian defenceman Chris Pronger carried the puck across the blue line into the American's zone, and fired a pass across the zone. Lemieux then faked like he was receiving the pass and proceeded to take a shot at the net, all while letting the puck slide through his legs, knowing he had forward Paul Kariya streaking behind him. Lemieux's fake caused American goalie Mike Richter to lunge in Lemieux's direction, and thus created a wide open net for Kariya to fire the puck in, as he received the pass from Pronger after Lemieux let it go to Kariya. During the tournament, his hip injury required several painkilling injections to keep him on the ice, and he only played one more NHL game after the Olympics before being lost for the season.^[29]

He would then play in his final international event, once again captaining Team Canada to victory in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where he'd be Team Canada's 4th leading scorer, despite being 38 years old, having injuries, and playing in just 10 NHL games that year. Lemieux was also selected by team Canada for the 2006 Winter Olympics, but declined due to health.^[38]

Personal life[link]

The youngest of three sons of Jean-Guy and Pierrette Lemieux, he was raised by his stay-at-home mother, and his father, who was a construction worker. Lemieux was born on the same day as Patrick Roy, in the province of Quebec, just 200 kilometers apart.

Off the ice, Lemieux smoked a half a pack of cigarettes daily. ^[39] He finally gave it up, perhaps due to Hodgkin's Disease. ^[40]

Mario Lemieux married Nathalie Asselin on June 26, 1993.^[41] They have four children: Lauren (born April 1993),^[42] Stephanie (born 1995),^[43] Austin Nicholas (born 1996)^[44] and Alexa (born 1997).^[45] Austin was born prematurely, weighing just two pounds, but he is perfectly healthy today. The family lives in the affluent Pittsburgh suburb of Sewickley.

Lemieux has opened his home to young Penguins stars such as Marc-André Fleury and Sidney Crosby until they settled into the Pittsburgh area, as he did with Jaromír Jágr following the 1990 NHL Draft when he lived in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He is a naturalized American citizen^[46] and on March 30, 2007, Lemieux, a registered Republican,^[47] contributed $2,300 to Democratic U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign fund. In the past, he has also made contributions to the reelection fund of Republican former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum.^[48]

On June 17, 2009, Lemieux was given the honorable title Knight from Quebec Premier Jean Charest.^[49]

On September 3, 2010, Lemieux was given the Order of Canada from then-Governor-General Michaëlle Jean.^[50][51]

The Mario Lemieux Foundation[link]

He created the Mario Lemieux Foundation during the same year he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma (1993). The purpose of the Foundation is to fund medical research projects.

Additionally, the Lemieux Foundation supports other organizations such as the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Leukemia Society, the Lupus Foundation and the Children's Home of Pittsburgh.

In 2007, Mario Lemieux along with Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Mia Hamm, Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Alonzo Mourning and Cal Ripken Jr. founded Athletes for Hope, a charitable organization, which helps professional athletes get involved in charitable causes and inspires millions of non-athletes to volunteer and support the community.

Legacy[link]

"Le Magnifique", a bronze statue honoring Lemieux.

Mario Lemieux has a considerable number of records, and stands in comparison along with Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Gordie Howe as one of the best NHL players of all time. Two records, (points in a season and assists in a season) have their first 10 listings as either Gretzky or Lemieux. Absences from pro Hockey due to Hodgkin's lymphoma and various injuries shortened Lemieux's playing time in the NHL, which has led many to speculate that his career totals would have been far higher had he been healthy throughout his career.

A statue in his honor was erected in Pittsburgh in March, 2012, outside of the Consol Energy Center. ^[52]

Records[link]

NHL[link]

• 5 goals in different ways in one game (shorthanded, full strength, powerplay, penalty shot, and empty net) (December 31, 1988, against the New Jersey Devils; only player to accomplish the feat) - Not an officially recognized NHL record.
• Shorthanded goals, season (13 in 1988–89)
• Goals, period (4, 26 January 1997, shares record)
• Only player to score 30+ power-play goals in two different seasons
• One of only two players to score 10 or more short-handed goals in two different seasons. The other, Wayne Gretzky.
• Most goals scored or assisted on, season (57.3% of team's goals, 1988–89)
• Only player with three 8-point games
• Four career 5-goal games (shares record)
• Best goals per game in the regular season and playoffs at .750 (Mike Bossy is second with .747)
• Third best goals per game in the regular season at .754 (Bossy is first with .762, Cy Denneny is second with .756)

All-Star Game[link]

• Career goals (13, shares record)
• Goals in a single-game (4 in 1990, shares record)
• Points in a single-game (6 in 1988)
• MVP awards (3, shares record)

Playoffs[link]

• Goals in a single period (4, shares record)
• Goals in a single game (5, shares record)
• Points in a single period (4, shares record)
• Points in a single game (8, shares record)
• Best goals per game in the playoffs at .710 (Bossy is second with .659)

Pittsburgh Penguins[link]

• Games (915)
• Goals, career (690)
• Assists, career (1033)
• Points, career (1723)
• Longest goal-scoring streak (12 games)
• Longest point streak (46 games)
• Goals, season (85 in 1988–89)
• Assists, season (114 in 1988–89)
• Points, season (199 in 1988–89)
• Goals, game (5, four occasions including playoffs)
• Assists, game (6, three occasions, shares record)
• Points, game (8, three occasions including playoffs)

Career statistics[link]

Regular season and playoffs[link]

International[link]

Year	Team	Event	Result	GP	G	A	P	PIM
1983	Canada	WJC		7	5	5	10	12
1985	Canada	WC		9	4	6	10	2
1987	Canada	CC		9	11	7	18	8
2002	Canada	Oly		5	2	4	6	0
2004	Canada	WCH		6	1	4	5	2
International totals				36	23	26	49	24
Senior totals				29	18	21	39	12

NHL All-Star Games[link]

Awards[link]

Lemieux's star on Canada's Walk of Fame

• Hockey Hall of Fame – 1997
• Stanley Cup champion – 1991, 1992, 2009 (as owner)
• Olympic gold medalist — 2002
• Hart Memorial Trophy – 1988, 1993, 1996
• Art Ross Trophy – 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997
• Conn Smythe Trophy – 1991, 1992
• Lester B. Pearson Award – 1986, 1988, 1993, 1996
• NHL Plus/Minus Award – 1993
• Calder Memorial Trophy – 1985
• Chrysler-Dodge/NHL Performer of the Year – 1985, 1986, 1987
• Dapper Dan Athlete of The Year – 1986, 1989
• Lester Patrick Trophy – 2000
• Bill Masterton Trophy – 1993
• NHL All-Star Game MVP – 1985, 1988, 1990
• NHL First All-Star Team – 1988, 1989, 1993, 1996, 1997
• NHL Second All-Star Team – 1986, 1987, 1992, 2001
• NHL All-Rookie Team – 1985
• CHL Player of the Year - 1984
• ESPN Hockey Player of the Decade – 2000
• ESPY Award NHL Player of the Year – 1993, 1994, 1998
• Lou Marsh Trophy – 1993
• In 1998, he was ranked number 4 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, the highest-ranking French-Canadian player.
• Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2004.
• His #66 has been retired by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Team Canada, and Laval Titan.
• In 2009, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for his contributions as one of hockey’s most gifted players, as an inspirational role model and mentor, and for supporting charitable initiatives through the Mario Lemieux Foundation".^[53]

Cultural references[link]

• Lemieux had a hockey video game, Mario Lemieux Hockey (1991) for the Sega Genesis, named after him.^[54] Additionally, he was featured as the cover athlete on EA Sports' 2002 edition of its popular NHL series for multiple platforms.

• Mario Lemieux was mentioned in the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest's track "Keep It Rollin'", which was released on the group's third studio album, "Midnight Marauders".^[55] On the track, rapper Phife Dawg sings: "I skate on your crew, like Mario Lemieux."

• Canadian Hardcore punk band Comeback Kid are named after a newspaper article which nicknamed Mario Lemieux 'the comeback kid'^{[citation needed]}
• Lemieux appears in NHL 12 in the game's 'Be A Legend' mode.

Celebrity Golf[link]

Lemieux is a regular competitor at the American Century Championship, the annual competition to determine the best golfers among American sports and entertainment celebrities. He won the tournament in 1998 and has a total of two top ten finishes.^[56] The tournament, televised by NBC in July, is played at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.^[57]

See also[link]

Ice hockey portal

• 50 goals in 50 games
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• List of NHL players with 1000 assists
• List of NHL statistical leaders
• Notable families in the NHL
• List of select cases of Hodgkin's Disease

Notes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Stewart, Mark (2002). Mario Lemieux: own the ice. Millbrook Press. ISBN 0-7613-2555-7. http://books.google.ca/books?id=7zEw57_gr9IC&lpg=PP1&dq=Mario%20Lemieux&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true 
• O'Shei, Tim (2002). Mario Lemieux. Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN 0-7910-6307-0. http://books.google.ca/books?id=I6ocpRlwgHoC&lpg=PP1&dq=Mario%20Lemieux&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mario Lemieux

• Mario Lemieux's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Career Stats
• Mario Lemieux's NHL player profile
• Pittsburgh Penguins profile
• The Mario Lemieux Foundation
• Athletes for Hope
• The Children's Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center
• CBC Digital Archives – Becoming magnificent Interview with a young Mario Lemieux
• Mario Lemieux's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database