Mario Lemieux
Date of Birth: October 5, 1965
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
NHL Debut: 1984
Draft Information: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins 1st overall in the 1st round of the 1984 NHL Draft.
Playing Style: Mario Lemieux was a generational talent known for his effortless skating, elite vision, and unmatched hands. At 6'4", he combined size and finesse in a way the NHL had never seen. “Le Magnifique” could take over games single-handedly, scoring at will or making dazzling passes — all with a seemingly unshakable calm.
Career Highlights and Achievements
🏆 Stanley Cup Championships: 2 (1991, 1992 as player), 1 (2009 as owner)
🏆 Conn Smythe Trophy Winner: 2× (1991, 1992)
🏆 All-Star Appearances: 10+ (1985–2003)
🏆 Major Awards and Recognitions:
- Hart Trophy (MVP): 3× (1988, 1993, 1996)
- Art Ross Trophy (Most Points): 6× (1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997)
- Calder Trophy: 1985
- Lester B. Pearson/Ted Lindsay Award: 4× (1986, 1988, 1993, 1996)
- Bill Masterton Trophy (Perseverance): 1993
- Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee: 1997 (waived the 3-year waiting period)
- Named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players: 2017
- Only person to win the Stanley Cup as both a player and owner of the same team
🏆 Milestones:
- Scored on his first NHL shift, first shot, first game (Oct 11, 1984)
- Finished career with 1,723 points in just 915 games — 2nd all-time in points-per-game (1.88)
- Only player in NHL history to score 5 goals in 5 different ways in a single game (even strength, power play, short-handed, penalty shot, and empty net)
- Battled through Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple back injuries to return to dominance multiple times
- Became the only player-owner in modern NHL history (returned from retirement in 2000 while owning the Penguins)
