Mario Lemieux: Super Mario and the Pittsburgh Penguins
Lemieux played 17 seasons in the NHL over a 21 year period. Drafted out of junior hockey, he scored his first goal on his first shot in his very first shift. Shades of much more to come. He retired twice due to health concerns, once in 1997 when he was battling lymphoma, but he returned in 2000, ending his career in 2005.
When he retired, he was ranked 7th all-time in scoring with 690 goals, 1,033 assists for 1,723 points.
Rookie Season: 1984-85
The Penguins First-Rounder Develops Into A Rookie Sensation
Lemieux suited up for the Pittsburgh Penguins in his first NHL on October 11, 1984 against the Boston Bruins. He scored his first goal against the Bruins Pete Peeters on his first NHL shot.
It was like a re-birth for the hockey franchise. The Penguins had been suffering from financial difficulties for years with half-filled stadiums and consistently losing teams. Lemieux heralded a new era for the Penguins.
He scored 100 points in that rookie season, was named to the NHL's First All Star Team (he was named the All Star Game's MVP, the 1st rookie to be so honored), and received the Calder Trophy as the league's Most Outstanding Rookie.
He was just getting started.
MARIO LEMIEUX Pittsburgh Penguins 1992 CCM Vintage Hockey Jersey
MARIO LEMIEUX Pittsburgh Penguins 1992 CCM Vintage Throwback Away Hockey Jersey
MARIO LEMIEUX Pittsburgh Penguins 1992 CCM Vintage Throwback Away Hockey Jersey
Same style jersey that Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins wore in 1992 while capturing the Stanley Cup.
JERSEY FEATURES:
- Manufactured by CCM
- V550 Replica model
- Vintage Collection Throwback Series
- 100% polyester heavyweight "Air Knit" fabric
- re-inforced stitching on shoulder and armhole seams
- Double layer shoulders
- CCM Vintage neck label
- CCM embroidered logo on lower back hem
Team Logo(s) Features:
- As with every CCM Vintage V550 replica model the Penguins front embroidered crest is glued on the jersey.
Lemieux Wins Calder Trophy As The NHL's Rookie Of The Year In 1985
Lemieux Helps Penguins, But Team Remains Last
There was no doubt that when Mario Lemieux skated onto the ice that he was going to make have a huge impact on the Pittsburgh Penguins and the NHL. After what can only be described as an incredibly successful junior hockey career, Lemieux raised the talent level the moment he joined the league.The Pittsburgh Penguins had been limping along from season to season and once again finished in last place in the 1983-84 season. Choosing Mario Lemieux, the junior superstar with their number one draft pick was the easiest decision the Penguins could make that year. In Lemieux's first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team still finished in last place again, but the team improved their total points by 15 points, which showed the beginnings of respectability.
The National Hockey League recognized Mario Lemieux as the best rookie, and Lemieux etched his name as the Calder Trophy winner for 1984-85.
1985-86: Lemieux Steps Up His Game
His 2nd season showed exponential growth as a player. Mario Lemieux finished the season with 141 points, second only to Wayne Gretzky's incredible 215 point season.
Lemieux was awarded the Lester Pearson Award as the NHL's best regular season player as judged by the players themselves. The Pittsburgh Penguins remained on the outside looking in, having missed the Stanley Cup playoffs again.
1986-87: Lemieux Is A 21-Year-Old Star
But Misses 17 Games
Mario slipped to only 107 points (54 goals, 53 assists) in his 3rd season. But he missed 17 games due to various injuries. Gretzky won the Art Ross with 183 points, Jari Kurri was 2nd with 108 points (1 more than Lemieux).
Mark Messier ended tied with Lemieux with 107 points, but the Edmonton Oilers' stars didn't end 1-2-3 in the points race because Mario had 17 more goals than Messier.
The Penguins missed the playoff yet again, but this time by only 4 points.
The 1987 Canada Cup Tournament
Gretzky And Lemieux Together
Time was winding down and both Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were on the ice. Gretzky steals the puck and passes to Lemieux who scores the Canada Cup winning goal with a little over a minute left.
1987-88: Lemieux Dethrones Gretzky As Art Ross Trophy Winner
Mario Scores 70 Goals, But Pens Again Miss Playoffs
After the heady experience of winning the Canada Cup and playing with Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux stepped up his game. Now in his 4th NHL season, 22 year old Lemieux really began to show what a truly spectacular player he could be, scoring 70 goals and adding 98 assists for an astounding 168 points in only 77 regular season games.
Lemieux was awarded the Art Ross Trophy for having scored the most points ending Wayne Gretzky's run of 7 consecutive wins. Also, Mario received the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player. Even in the 1988 All Star game that year, Lemieux outshone all others as he scored a record 6 points.
Unfortunately, even with all the personal heroics displayed by Mario Lemieux, the Pittsburgh Penguins again missed out on the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Penguinos missed the playoffs by a single point!
Mario Lemieux at a Glance
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ (born October 5, 1965 in Montreal, Quebec) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1984 and 2005. Lemieux was a gifted playmaker and fast skater, despite his large size and strength, preferring instead to beat defencemen with a series of fakes and dekes.[http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p199701&page=bio#photo] 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 to win the Stanley Cup as both a player and an owner.
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Lemieux Gets Five Goals In One Game
The Penguins eventually won the game 8-6, but Lemieux was the big difference. Not only did he get those five goals, he assisted on the other three Pittsburgh goals - meaning Mario had an eight-point night.
Shout Out For Mario Lemieux!
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Reply
- UCAN2 UCAN2 Jan 26, 2009 @ 2:07 am
- I remember when Lemieux was selected by Pittsburgh. He was the first player who publicly stated that he did not want to go to the team that drafted him. Who would have guessed then that he would never leave.
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