15 interesting facts about Mario Lemieux

Was Le Magnifique one of hockey’s greatest players?
1. Lemieux was a superstar from the start
2. Better than Wayne Gretzky
3. Lemieux had a lot of fun nicknames
4. Lemieux’s career stats are truly impressive
5. A trophy magnet
6. Lemieux actually had more than 2 Stanley Cup wins
7. The only person to win the Stanley Cup as a player and an owner
8. Afraid of the spotlight
9. An Olympic gold medalist
10. The five goals game
11. A man of many injuries
12. A cancer survivor
13. A blowout return to the NHL
14. A man that never truly retired
15. Super Mario’s first five weeks back were amazing
Was Le Magnifique one of hockey’s greatest players?

Mario Lemieux was one of the greatest hockey players of all time. But if you didn’t live through the highs of his era then you might not understand just how crazy his career actually was. Here are fifteen facts you probably didn’t know about Le Magnifique.

1. Lemieux was a superstar from the start

In his first shift with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Lemieux stole from Boston defenseman Roy Baroque and scored a goal against Bruins goalie Pete Peeters on his first professional shot according to an account from Wikipedia. 

2. Better than Wayne Gretzky

Even though Lemeuix played 572 fewer games than The Great One according to Bleacher Report, he still holds the record for the highest career points per game at 2.005. 

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3. Lemieux had a lot of fun nicknames

While most fans would recognize Lemieux’s Le Magnifique moniker, the Pittsburgh Penguins center also known as Mr. 66, The Greatest One, and Super Mario. 

4. Lemieux’s career stats are truly impressive

For a guy who only played in a total of 1022 games, Mario Lemieux was able to stack up his stats scoring an impressive 690 goals and assisting 1033 times for a total of 1723 career points. 

5. A trophy magnet

Lemieux won a lot of awards while playing professionally. By the end of his career he held 3 Hart trophies, 2 Conn Smythe Trophies, one Calder Trophy, and took home the Stanley Cup a total of 2 times. 

6. Lemieux actually had more than 2 Stanley Cup wins

While Mr.66 only won the Stanley Cup twice as a player, but he got his name on the cup three more times as an owner of the Penguins when they won in 2009, 2016, and 2017 according to CBS Sports. 

7. The only person to win the Stanley Cup as a player and an owner

According to Canada’s Walk of fame, Le Magnifique is the only person in hockey history to have won a Stanley Cup as both a player and a team owner, both of which he did with the Penguins as we already mentioned. 

8. Afraid of the spotlight

Canada’s Walk of Fame also noted that Super Mario was rather shy. His biggest challenge during his hockey career wasn’t the pressure on the ice but rather public interviews. 

9. An Olympic gold medalist

While Lemieux earned several gold medals for Team Canada across a number of international tournaments, he never made a debut as a player in the Olympics. However, he did coach Canada’s 2002 Olympic team to a gold medal victory, adding that title to his already stellar record. 

10. The five goals game

In December 1988, Lemieux scored five goals in the five different ways a hockey player can get them. One even strength goal, one power-play goal, one shorthanded goal, one penalty shot, and one empty netter according to Bleacher Report. 

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11. A man of many injuries

Mario Lemieux might have been a great hockey player but he was terrible at avoiding injuries. Mr. 66 was always suffering from something bad but the worst was a back problem, the surgery for which caused him to miss 50 games in 1990. 

 

12. A cancer survivor

In 1993, Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma but he didn’t let it get him down, always looking forward to his return. “I thought about it even during radiation,” he told Sports Illustrated. “I was determined to come back and regain the lead.” 

13. A blowout return to the NHL

After his final radiation treatment On March 2nd, 1993, Super Mario got on a plane and flew to Philadelphia where he received a standing ovation and played one of the best games of his life, scoring two goals and netting one assist according to NHL.com. 

14. A man that never truly retired

In 1997, Lemieux announced his retirement due to severe back issues and lingering problems associated with his cancer diagnosis. But after 44 months off he returned in 2001 and he hadn't lost a single step in his game. 

15. Super Mario’s first five weeks back were amazing

“Five weeks into his comeback, the 35-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins center has nabbed 16 goals and 16 assists in just 16 games, and once again has his eye on the league scoring title,” wrote ABC News’ James Walker. 

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