Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux is a former Hall-of-Fame hockey player and is currently owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fast Facts

1. 1st overall pick in 1984
2. 2-time Stanley Cup Champion
3. 2002 Olympic Gold Medal winner
4. 2-time Conn Smythe winner as Playoff MVP
5. 3-time Hart Trophy winner as league MVP
6. Part-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins

Early Career

Prior to his NHL career, Lemieux played three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, starting in 1981. He was then drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins first overall in the 1984 NHL Draft.

Rookie Honors

Lemieux joined the Penguins in the 1984-85 season, scoring 100 points his rookie year. He earned his first of 10 NHL All-Star Game selections in 1985 and was selected as the MVP of the game. Following the season he was given the Calder Trophy for the NHL Rookie of the Year.

Championship Years

Lemieux helped the Penguins win back to back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the playoffs MVP each year.

Personal Struggles

In 1993, Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He missed two months of playing time in treatment for the cancer. After overcoming the Lymphoma, Lemieux immediately returned to the Penguins. At the end of the season he was given the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for his commitment to the league. His medical troubles continued that year, when he had his second back surgery during the off season.

Retirement?

Lemieux retired as a player in 1997. He was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the same year. In 1999, he announced that he had purchased the Penguins with his business group and that he would return as both player and owner of the Penguins. He returned to the ice in 2000, playing nearly five additional seasons. Lemieux retired again on January 24, 2006, devoting full time attention to the his administrative duties on the Penguins.

Kansas City Penguins

The Penguins struggled with the city of Pittsburgh in 2007 over financing of a new arena. After negotiations fell through, the team believed the would have to move to Kansas City, but Lemieux was able to arrange for funding of a new arena locally. He was considered a key component in keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh over the future three decades.

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