| 1984 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
Mario Lemieux
Selected in first round
No. 1 overall
by Pittsburgh Penguins
Born October 5, 1965
 | Position:
Center
Height: 6-4 Weight: 200
Shoots: Right
|
|
| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Laval (QMJHL)
Birthplace:
Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec |
 |
 |
|
| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1980-81 |
Montreal | Que. AAA |
47 | 62 |
62 | 124 |
-- | | 1981-82 |
Laval | QMJHL |
64 | 30 |
66 | 96 |
22 | | 1982-83 |
Laval | QMJHL |
66 | 84 |
100 | 184 |
76 | | 1983-84 |
Laval | QMJHL |
70 | 133 |
149 | 282 |
92 |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
Canadian Major-Junior Player of Year: 1983-84 (Laval)
World Junior Championships: 1983 (bronze medal)
QMJHL Briere Trophy (MVP): 1983-84 (Laval)
Molson/Cooper QMJHL Player of Year: 1983-84 (Laval)
QMJHL Lafleur Trophy
(Playoffs MVP): 1983-84 (Laval)
QMJHL Best Professional Prospect: 1983-84 (Laval)
QMJHL Beliveau
Trophy (Points Leader): 1983-84 (Laval) (282)
QMJHL All-Star First Team: 1983-84 (Laval)
QMJHL All-Star
Second Team: 1982-83 (Laval)
QMJHL All-Star Game: 1984 (Laval)
Laval Captain: 1983-84
Major Junior Records: Most points in one season (282 for Laval in
1983-84), most goals in one season (133 for Laval in 1983-84), most
consecutive games with at least one point (61 for Laval from Sept. 16, 1983,
to Feb. 22, 1984), fastest 50 goals from start of season (27 games for Laval
in 1983-84, shares record)
QMJHL Records: Most points in one season (282 for Laval in 1983-84),
most goals in one season (133 for Laval in 1983-84), most consecutive games
with at least one point (61 for Laval from Sept. 16, 1983, to Feb. 22, 1984),
fastest 50 goals from start of season (27 games for Laval in 1983-84)
Laval Records: Most points in one
season (282 in 1983-84), most goals in one season (133 in 1983-84), most
assists in one season (149 in 1983-84), most consecutive games with at least
one point (61 from Sept. 16, 1983, to Feb. 22, 1984)
QMJHL Goals Leader: 1983-84 (Laval) (133 goals)
QMJHL Assists
Leader: 1983-84 (Laval) (149 assists)
QMJHL Playoffs Points Leader:
1984 (Laval) (52 points)
QMJHL Playoffs Goals Leader: 1984 (Laval)
(29 goals)
QMJHL Playoffs Assists Leader: 1984 (Laval) (23
assists)
Miscellaneous: Ranked by NHL Central Scouting Bureau as No. 1 overall
prospect for the 1984 NHL draft. ... Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as
No. 1 forward prospect for the 1984 NHL draft. ... Completed major junior
career in 1984 with QMJHL record (since broken) for career assists (315).
... Was Laval's first pick, No. 1 overall in 1981 QMJHL midget draft. ...
Dropped out of high school at age 16 in 1982 to focus on hockey, having
never gone beyond the 10th grade.
No World Juniors:
Long before he was drafted into the NHL, Lemieux made headlines for
declining his invitation to play
for Team Canada at 1984 World Junior Championships in Sweden. Lemieux said
he would not play for Canada in 1984 because he was unhappy
with how former coach Dave King had treated him during the 1983 tournament.
He also said he did not like having to break up his junior season to play
for Canada. At the time, Lemieux was hoping to break QMJHL records for
goals, points and assists, and he did not want to have to miss league games
as well as the QMJHL All-Star Game on Jan. 2. In response to Lemieux's
announcement, the QMJHL said it would suspend him for failing to report to
Team Canada, and he would not be allowed to play until the tournament ended.
Lemieux's agent Gus Badali threatened to sue the league if a suspension was
issued. A bitter standoff between Lemieux and the QMJHL ensued, but Lemieux
and Badali held their ground, arguing that it was unfair that Canadian
players were forced to play in the World Juniors or face suspension, but
American players, such as Pat LaFontaine in 1983, were not. Lemieux took the
league to court and won, as Quebec Superior Court Judge Frazer Martin gave
Lemeux a permanent injunction against suspension, allowing him to skip the
World Juniors without having to miss any QMJHL games. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 11, 1984 (Pittsburgh at
Boston)
Numbers: 66 (Pittsburgh) (number retired)
Stanley Cup:
1991, 1992.
Playing Status:
Active |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | |
1984-2005 |
Pittsburgh | 911 |
690 | 1,031 |
1,721 | 832 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | |
1989-2001 |
Pittsburgh | 107 |
76 | 96 |
172 | 87 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
HOCKEY HALL OF FAME:
Inducted 1997
Hart Trophy: 1987-88,
1992-93, 1995-96 (Pittsburgh)
Lester B. Pearson Award: 1985-86,
1987-88, 1992-93, 1995-96 (Pittsburgh)
Conn Smythe Trophy: 1991,
1992 (Pittsburgh)
Art Ross Trophy (Leading Scorer): 1987-88, 1988-89, 1991-92, 1992-93,
1995-96, 1996-97 (Pittsburgh)
Calder Trophy: 1984-85 (Pittsburgh)
NHL All-Star Game MVP:
1985, 1988, 1990 (Pittsburgh)
Masterton Trophy: 1992-93 (Pittsburgh)
Lester Patrick Trophy
(Service to U.S. Hockey): 2000
Pro Set/NHL Player of Year: 1991-92 (Pittsburgh)
Dodge
Performer of Year Award: 1987-88, 1988-89 (Pittsburgh)
Dodge
Performance of Year Award: 1987-88 (Pittsburgh)
Dodge Ram Tough
Award: 1988-89 (Pittsburgh)
Sporting News NHL Player of Year:
1987-88, 1988-89, 1992-93, 1995-96 (Pittsburgh)
Sporting News NHL Rookie of Year: 1984-85 (Pittsburgh)
Hockey News
NHL Player of Year: 1995-96 (Pittsburgh)
Alka-Seltzer Plus Award (NHL +/- Leader): 1992-93 (Pitt.) (plus-55)
NHL
All-Star First Team: 1987-88, 1988-89, 1992-93, 1995-96,
1996-97
(Pittsburgh)
NHL All-Star Second Team: 1985-86, 1986-87, 1991-92,
2000-01 (Pittsburgh)
NHL All-Rookie Team: 1984-85 (Pittsburgh)
All-Star Game:
1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993 (injured, did not play), 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002,
2003 (injured, did not play) (Pittsburgh)
Sporting News All-Star First Team: 1987-88, 1988-89, 1992-93
(Pittsburgh)
Sporting News All-Star Second Team: 1985-86, 2000-01
(Pitt.)
Pittsburgh MVP: 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90,
1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96
Pittsburgh Booster Club Award (3-Stars
Leader): 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1991-92,
1992-93, 1995-96
Pittsburgh Briere Trophy (Rookie of Year):
1984-85
Pittsburgh Leading Point Scorer Trophy: 1984-85, 1985-86,
1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96
Pittsburgh Dapper Dan Man of Year: 1986-87,
1988-89
Pittsburgh Player's Player Award: 1987-88, 1992-93
Pittsburgh Captain:
Mid-December 1987 until Aug. 29, 1994; June 20, 1995, until April 26, 1997;
and Oct. 2, 2001, to present
NHL Records: Most short-handed goals in season (13 for Pittsburgh
in 1988-89), most points in a playoff game (8 for Pittsburgh vs.
Philadelphia on April 25, 1989, shares record), most goals in playoff
game (5 for Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia on April 25, 1989, shares record),
most goals by one player in one period (4 for Pittsburgh at Montreal on Jan.
26, 1997, shares record), highest career goals-per-game average (.768), most
points in one period of one playoff game (4 for Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia
on April 25, 1989, shares record), most goals in one period of a playoff
game (4 for Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia on April 25, 1989, shares record),
most career goals in All-Star Game (13, shares record), most points in an All-Star Game (6 for Wales Conference
at St. Louis on Feb. 9, 1988), most goals in an All-Star Game (4 for Wales
at Pittsburgh on Jan. 21, 1990, shares record), most career
penalty shots (8), most career goals on penalty shots (6)
Pittsburgh Records: Most career
games played (900), most career points (1,713), most career goals (688),
most career assists (1,025), most points in one season (199 in 1988-89),
most goals in one season (85 in 1988-89), most assists in one season (114 in
1988-89), most career hat tricks (40), most career playoff points (172),
most career playoff goals (76), most career playoff assists (96), most
career playoff power-play goals (29), most career playoff short-handed goals
(7), most points in one game (8 vs. St. Louis on Oct. 15, 1988, and vs. New
Jersey on Dec. 31, 1988), most consecutive games with at least one point (46
from Oct. 31, 1989, to Feb. 11, 1990), most consecutive games with at least
one goal (12 from Oct. 6, 1992, to Nov. 1, 1992, most consecutive games with
at least one assist (14 from Jan. 15, 1986, to Feb. 16, 1986), most goals in one game (5 vs. New Jersey on Dec. 31, 1988; at N.Y.
Rangers on April 9, 1993; and vs. St. Louis on March 26, 1993), most assists
in one game (6 vs. St. Louis on Oct. 15, 1988; at San Jose on Dec. 5, 1992;
and vs. Tampa Bay on Nov. 1, 1995, shares record), most points in one
playoff game (8 vs. Philadelphia on April 25, 1989), most goals in one
playoff game (5 vs. Philadelphia on April 25, 1989), most assists in one
playoff game (4, multiple times, shares record), most career power-play goals (233), most power-play goals in one
season (31 in 1988-89 and 1995-96), most career short-handed goals (48),
most short-handed goals in one season (13 in 1988-89), most career shots on
goal (3,556), most shots on goal by a center in one season (382 in 1987-88),
most points by a rookie in one season (100 in 1984-85), most goals in one
season by a rookie (43 in 1984-85), most assists by a rookie in one season
(57 in 1984-85), most shots on goal by a rookie in one season (209 in
1984-85), most power-play points by a rookie in one season (33 in 1984-85), most points in one playoff year (44 in 1991), most assists in one playoff
year (28 in 1991), most power-play goals in one playoff year (8 in 1992),
most game-winning goals in one playoff year (5 in 1992), most shots in one
playoff year (93 in 1991), most consecutive playoff games with at least one
point (15 from April 13, 1991, to May 17, 1991), most consecutive playoff
games with at least one goal (7 from May 3, 1991, to May 17, 1991, and from
April 26, 1996, to May 11, 1996), most consecutive playoff games with at
least one assist (10 from April 19, 1991, to May 11, 1991), most career regular-season overtime goals (11), most power-play points in
one season (80 in 1988-89), most power-play assists in one season (58 in
1987-88), most points in one period (4, multiple times, shares record), most
goals in one period (4 at Montreal on Jan. 26, 1997), most assists in one
period (4 vs. Tampa Bay on Nov. 1, 1995, shares record), most shots in one
period (7, multiple times, shares record), most points in one calendar month
(38 in October 1988), most goals in one calendar month (18 in March 1993),
most assists in one calendar month (25 in March 1988), fastest four goals by
one player in one game (14:54 at Montreal on Jan. 26, 1997), most points in
one playoff series (17 vs. Washington in 1992), most goals in a playoff
series (9 vs. Philadelphia in 1989), most points in period of a
playoff game (4 vs. Philadelphia on April 25, 1989, and vs. Washington on
April 23, 1992), most goals in one period of one playoff game (4 vs.
Philadelphia on April 25, 1989), most assists in one period of one playoff
game (3 vs. Philadelphia on April 25, 1989, shares record), most career
playoff hat tricks (3), most consecutive games by a rookie with at least one
assist (6 from Oct. 27, 1984, to Nov. 8, 1984, and from Dec. 7, 1984, to
Dec. 21, 1984)
100-Point Seasons: 1984-85 (Pittsburgh) (100), 1985-86 (Pittsburgh)
(141), 1986-87 (Pittsburgh) (107), 1987-88 (Pittsburgh) (168), 1988-89
(Pittsburgh) (199), 1989-90 (Pittsburgh) (123), 1991-92 (Pittsburgh) (131),
1992-93 (Pittsburgh) (160), 1995-96 (Pittsburgh) (161), 1996-97 (Pittsburgh)
(122)
50-Goal Seasons: 1986-87 (Pittsburgh) (54), 1987-88 (Pittsburgh)
(70), 1988-89 (Pittsburgh) (85), 1992-93 (Pittsburgh) (69), 1995-96
(Pittsburgh) (69), 1996-97 (Pittsburgh) (50)
100-Assist Seasons: 1988-89 (Pittsburgh) (114)
NHL Points Leader: 1987-88 (Pittsburgh) (168), 1988-89 (Pittsburgh)
(199), 1991-92 (Pittsburgh) (131), 1992-93 (Pittsburgh) (160), 1995-96
(Pittsburgh) (161), 1996-97 (Pittsburgh) (122)
NHL Goals Leader:
1987-88 (Pittsburgh) (70), 1988-89 (Pittsburgh) (85), 1995-96 (Pittsburgh)
(69)
NHL Assists Leader: 1988-89 (Pittsburgh) (114, tie), 1995-96 (Pittsburgh)
(92, tie), 1996-97 (Pittsburgh) (72)
NHL Short-handed Goals Leader:
1987-88 (Pittsburgh) (10), 1988-89 (Pittsburgh) (13)
NHL Shots on Goal Leader: 1987-88
(Pittsburgh) (382)
NHL Playoffs Points Leader: 1991
(Pitt.) (44), 1992 (Pitt.) (34)
NHL Playoffs Goals Leader: 1992
(Pittsburgh) (16)
NHL Playoffs Assists Leader: 1991 (Pittsburgh)
(28)
Pittsburgh Points Leader: 1984-85 (100), 1985-86 (141), 1986-87
(107), 1987-88 (168), 1988-89 (199), 1989-90 (123), 1991-92 (131), 1992-93
(Pittsburgh), 1995-96 (161), 1996-97 (122), 2002-03 (91)
Pittsburgh Goals Leader:
1984-85 (43), 1985-86 (48), 1986-87 (54), 1987-88 (70), 1988-89 (85),
1989-90 (45), 1992-93 (69), 1995-96 (69), 1996-97 (50), 2002-03 (28)
Pittsburgh Assists Leader: 1984-85 (57), 1985-86 (93), 1986-87 (53),
1987-88 (98), 1988-89 (114), 1989-90 (78), 1991-92 (87), 1992-93 (91),
1995-96 (92, tie), 1996-97 (72), 2002-03 (63)
Pittsburgh Playoffs Points
Leader: 1989 (19), 1991 (44), 1992 (34), 1993 (18), 1994 (7), 1996 (27),
2001 (17)
Pittsburgh Playoffs Goals
Leader: 1989 (12), 1992 (16), 1993 (8), 1994 (4), 1996 (11, tie), 2001
(6)
Pittsburgh Playoffs Assists Leader: 1991 (28), 1996 (16), 2001
(11)
Management Career: Named Pittsburgh owner, chairman, CEO and
president on Sept. 3, 1999, and held position through 2003-04
season.
Miscellaneous: Ranked by The Hockey News in 1997 as the fourth
greatest NHL player of all time. ... Was represented by agent Gus Badali and
Montreal-based Bob Perno during early portion of
his NHL career. ... Caused a stir at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft when he
refused to put on the Pittsburgh sweater after the Penguins drafted him
first overall. He said he would not put on the sweater because he was
unhappy with the contract offer he was already getting from the team and not
because he was opposed to playing in Pittsburgh. ... Missed part of Pittsburgh's 1984 training camp with
sprained left knee, suffered in September 1984. The injury required him to
wear a brace for the start of the 1984-85 season. ... Scored goal on his first
shot in his first shift in his first NHL game, beating Boston's Pete Peeters at 2:59 of the
first period. The goal was Pittsburgh's first of the 1984-85 season Also had
assist in the game, which Boston won 4-3. ... Fought Vancouver's Gary Lupul
in his first NHL home game, on Oct. 17, 1984, in Pittsburgh. ... Missed part of 1984-85 season
with sprained left knee, an injury suffered
when he collided with Darren Veitch during Pittsburgh's Nov. 21, 1984, game
vs. Washington. He did not return to action until Pittsburgh's Dec. 7, 1984,
game at N.Y. Rangers. ... Scored two goals and had assist in his first NHL
All-Star Game on Feb. 12, 1985, at Calgary. He earned MVP honors in that
game. ... Tied Pittsburgh record (since broken) with assists in 10
consecutive games in 1984-85. ... Became only third rookie in NHL history to score
100 points in season when he achieved feat in 1984-85. ... Became first
player in Pittsburgh history to win Calder Trophy when he achieved feat in
1984-85. ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with back injury, suffered during
Pittsburgh's Nov. 24, 1985, game at Philadelphia. ... Tied Pittsburgh
single-game records (since broken) for points (6) and goals (4) at St. Louis
on Dec. 31, 1985. ... Scored at least one point in 28 consecutive games from
Jan. 11, 1986, until March 15, 1986, for the fourth longest scoring streak
in NHL history. ... Named NHL Player of Week for week ending Feb. 15, 1986.
... Set Pittsburgh single-season records (since broken) for points (141),
assists (93), power-play points (62), power-play assists, points by a center
(141) and assists by a center (93) in 1985-86. ... Set Pittsburgh record (since broken) for points in consecutive games (28 from Jan. 11, 1986, to
March 15, 1986) in 1985-86. .... Was runner-up to Wayne Gretzky in voting for
Hart Trophy in 1985-86. ... Named NHL Player of Week for week ending Oct.
19, 1986. ... Named NHL Player of Month for October 1986. ... Tied
Pittsburgh single-game records (since broken) for points (6), goals (4) and
goals in one period (3) vs. Toronto on Dec. 12, 1986. ... Missed part of
1986-87 season with sprained right knee, an injury suffered when his skate
got caught in a rut on the ice while he was checked by Ron Sutter during
Pittsburgh's Dec. 20, 1986, game vs. Philadelphia. He did not return until Pittsburgh's Jan. 21, 1987, game at Los Angeles. He had a goal
and an assist in that game. After his return, the injury continued to hamper
his play until March 1987, when he was fitted with two knee braces. ...
Missed part of 1986-87 season with bronchitis, diagnosed in mid-February
1987. The illness kept him out of four games. ... Tied Pittsburgh record
(since broken) for goals in one period with 3 vs. Buffalo on Oct. 24,
1987. ... Missed part of 1987-88
season with bruised right shoulder and back spasms, suffered when he was checked
by Alan Kerr during Pittsburgh's Nov. 5, 1987, game at N.Y. Islanders. He
returned to action in Pittsburgh's Nov. 14, 1987, game vs. N.Y. Rangers. ...
First took over as Pittsburgh captain while Dan Frawley was out with injury
in December 1987. He would not relinquish captaincy until his first
retirement in 1997. ... Tied Pittsburgh single-game record with four goals at Detroit on Jan. 10,
1988. ... Scored game-winning goal in overtime for Wales Conference in NHL
All-Star Game on Feb. 9, 1988). ... Tied Pittsburgh single-game record (since broken) with six points
at Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 1988. ... Tied Pittsburgh record (since broken)
for goals in one period with 3 at Washington on April 2, 1988. ... Tied
Pittsburgh single-game record (since broken) with four goals at Washington
on April 2, 1988. ... Became only fourth player in NHL history to score 70
goals in a season when he achieved feat in 1987-88. ... Became Pittsburgh's
career hat-trick leader when he passed Rick Kehoe with his ninth hat trick
during 1987-88 season. ... Set Pittsburgh single-season records (since
broken) for points (168), goals (70), assists (98), power-play goals
(22), short-handed goals (10), power-play points (80), shots on goal (382), points by a center (168), goals by a center (70)
and assists by a center (98) in 1987-88. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season
with sprained right wrist, suffered when he got caught against the
boards trying to cut off a clearing pass during Pittsburgh's Nov. 3, 1988,
game at Quebec. ... Passed Syl Apps as Pittsburgh's all-time assists leader
when he recorded his 349th career assist at N.Y. Islanders on Dec. 15, 1988. ...
Named NHL Player of Week for the week ending Dec. 31, 1988. ... Passed Rick
Kehoe as Pittsburgh's all-time points leader when he recorded his 637th
career point in Winnipeg on Jan. 20, 1989. ... Missed
part of 1988-89 season with pulled groin, an injury suffered during
Pittsburgh's March 14, 1989, game vs. Boston. ... Scored his 300th career
NHL goal during Pittsburgh's April 2, 1989, game at Philadelphia. ... Was first NHL points
leader to reach 100 penalty minutes in same season since Bobby Orr in
1974-75 by achieving feat during 1988-89 season. He finished the season with
199 points and 100 PIM. ... Became only second NHL player after Wayne
Gretzky to score 80 goals in a season and 70 goals in more than one season
when he achieved feat in 1988-89. ... Became only third NHL player after
Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr to record 100 assists in a season when he
achieved feat in 1988-89. ... Became only third player in NHL history to
score 30 power-play goals in one season when he achieved feat in 1988-89.
... Set NHL record in 1988-89 by having a hand in 57.3 percent of his team's
total goals. ... Passed Jean Pronovost as Pittsburgh's all-time goals leader
when he scored his 317th career goal during Pittsburgh's Dec. 6, 1989,
game vs. Washington. ... Became only third player in NHL history to record 100
points in each of his first six seasons (with Wayne Gretzky and Peter Stastny) when he achieved feat in 1989-90. ... Missed part of 1989-90 season
with back injury, suffered during Pittsburgh's Feb. 14, 1990, game vs. N.Y.
Rangers. He did not return to action until Pittsburgh's March 31, 1990, game
vs. Buffalo. ... Was Pittsburgh's nominee for 1989-90 Masterton Trophy. ... Missed start of 1990-91 season while recovering from back
infection that followed his July 1990 back surgery. He did not make his
1990-91 regular-season debut until Pittsburgh's Jan. 26, 1991, game vs.
Quebec. ... Recorded his 500th career NHL assist during Pittsburgh's Feb.
11, 1991, game at Edmonton. ... Missed part of 1990-91 season with bruised left foot, an injury
suffered during Pittsburgh's Feb. 21, 1991, game vs. Toronto. ... Sat out
Pittsburgh's March 27, 1991, game at Detroit and March 31, 1991, game at
N.Y. Rangers to help rest his back for playoffs. ... Was Pittsburgh's
nominee for 1990-91 Masterton Trophy. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season with
back spasms and hip pain, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Oct. 19,
1991, game vs. N.Y. Rangers. He did not return to action until Pittsburgh's
Oct. 29, 1991, game vs. Washington. ... Named NHL Co-Player of Week for the
week ending Dec. 29, 1991. ... Named NHL Player of Month for December 1991.
... Missed part of 1991-92 season with back spasms, an injury suffered in Pittsburgh's Jan. 4, 1992, game vs. Winnipeg . He did not return to
action until Pittsburgh's Jan. 23, 1992, game vs. Buffalo. ... Fined maximum
of $1,000 by NHL for criticizing league and officials following Pittsburgh's
Jan. 26, 1992, game at Washington. Lemieux had used the words "garage
league" to describe the NHL and complained that referees were letting less
talented players have the advantage due to their refusal to make necessary
calls. NHL president John Ziegler held a hearing with Lemieux on Feb. 7 and
fined him later in the day. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season herniated
muscle in back, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Jan. 28, 1992, game
vs. Winnipeg. He did not return to action until Pittsburgh's Feb. 15, 1992,
game at Minnesota. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season with the flu, an
illness contracted in February 1992. ... Scored his 400th career NHL goal
during Pittsburgh's March 14, 1992, game at Toronto. ... Scored his 1,000th
career NHL point during Pittsburgh's March 22, 1992, game at Detroit. ...
Named NHL Player of Month for March 1992. ... Missed remainder of 1991-92
regular season and start of 1992 playoffs with bruised right shoulder, an
injury suffered during Pittsburgh's April 13, 1992, game at New Jersey. He
did not return to action until Game 2 of Pittsburgh's first-round playoff
series at Washington on April 21, 1992. ... Missed part of 1992 playoffs
with broken bone in left hand, an injury suffered when he was slashed by
Adam Graves during Game 2 of Pittsburgh's second-round series at N.Y.
Rangers on May 5, 1992. Graves was suspended four games for the slash, and
Lemieux did not return to action until Game 2 of Pittsburgh's Wales
Conference Finals series vs. Boston on May 19, 1992. He had two goals and an
assist in that game. ... Finished 1991-92 season as NHL's all-time leader
(record since broken) for career points in overtime and career goals in
overtime. ... Became second player in NHL history (after Bernie Parent) to
win back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophies when he achieved feat in 1992. ...
Missed part of 1992-93 season with heel injury, suffered during Pittsburgh's
Dec. 1, 1992, game at N.Y. Islanders. ... Missed part of 1992-93 season with
re-aggravation of back injury, suffered during
Pittsburgh's Jan. 2, 1993, game vs. N.Y. Rangers and again during
Pittsburgh's Jan. 5, 1993, game vs. Boston. Two days later, doctors advised
Lemieux to rest his back for a few weeks. While he was out with the injury,
doctors removed a lump from his neck, and performed a biopsy to diagnose him
as being in the early stages of Hodgkin's Disease. He underwent radiation
treatments for the cancer from Feb. 1, 1993, to March 2, 1993, and returned
to action for Pittsburgh's March 2, 1993, game at Philadelphia. ... Set Pittsburgh single-season
record (since broken) with 10 game-winning goals in 1992-93. ... Missed part
of 1993 playoffs with re-aggravation of back injury, suffered in first
period of Game 1 of Pittsburgh's second-round series vs. N.Y. Islanders on
May 2, 1993. He did not return to action until Game 3 of the series on May
6, 1993. ... Became first player in NHL history to have won the Art Ross,
Hart, Calder, Conn Smythe and Masterton Trophies during the course of his
career by winning the Masterton in 1992-93. ... Had postseason surgery on July 28, 1993, to repair a herniated
muscle in his back. ... Missed majority of 1993-94 season with series of
back injuries. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with the flu, an illness
contracted in November 1993. ... Fined $500 by NHL for charging out of the
penalty box to try to get at referee Kerry Fraser during the first period of
Pittsburgh's April 4, 1994, game vs. Tampa Bay. Lemieux, who had been called
for a high-sticking penalty, was enraged because Fraser had not called a
penalty on Tampa Bay's Chris Joseph, but did call Lemieux for a retaliation
against Roman Hamrlik. As he was in the penalty box, giving his stick to one
of the linesmen, Lemieux was called for a 10-minute misconduct. That set him
off, as he came out to confront Fraser. Teammates restrained him, but he
received a game misconduct on the play. The NHL later reviewed the incident
and fined Lemieux $500 as a first-time offender. ... Skipped entire 1995
lockout season so that he could take further thoroughly rest his back. He announced his decision to take the
season off on Aug. 29, 1994. ... Announced return to NHL on June 20, 1995,
saying he would play a restricted schedule in 1995-96. ... Missed part of
1995-96 season with bruised back and hip, an injury suffered during
Pittsburgh's Oct. 20, 1995, game at Hartford. ... Scored his 500th career
NHL goal during Pittsburgh's Oct. 26, 1995, game at N.Y. Islanders. He
scored the second-fastest 500 goals in NHL history, achieving the feat in
605 games, just 30 more than the record held by Wayne Gretzky. ... Missed
part of 1995-96 season with the flu, an illness contracted in late-December
1995. ... Recorded his 800th career NHL assist during Pittsburgh's March 26,
1996, game vs. St. Louis. ... Became first NHL player to score at least 30
power-play goals in two seasons when he achieved feat in 1995-96. ... Missed
10 games in 1995-96 season because he was held out of lineup to rest his
back as part of plan to play a limited schedule. ... Missed part of 1996-97
season with back spasms, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Nov. 8,
1996, game at Tampa Bay, again during Pittsburgh's Jan. 21, 1997, game vs.
Calgary, and again during Pittsburgh's Feb. 4, 1997, game vs. Vancouver. ...
Named NHL Player of Week for week ending Jan. 6, 1997. ... Named NHL Player
of Month for January 1997. ... Scored his 600th career NHL goal during
Pittsburgh's Feb. 4, 1997, game vs. Vancouver. He scored the goal into an
empty net with 56 seconds remaining in the game. ... Missed part of 1996-97
season with hip flexor injury, suffered during Pittsburgh's March 1, 1997,
game at New Jersey, and again during Pittsburgh's March 14, 1997, game at
Colorado. He did not return from the second injury until Pittsburgh's March
20, 1997, game vs. Toronto. ... Scored his final regular-season NHL goal
(prior to first retirement) by beating Florida goalie John Vanbiesbrouck on
a penalty shot at 2:28 of the first period on April 11, 1997, in Miami. ...
Retired for the first time at age 31 on April 26, 1997, with career NHL records (since
broken) for regular-season overtime points (19) and regular-season overtime
goals (9). ... Retired for first time in 1997 with NHL career record for
average points per game (2.005). ... Did not officially sign his retirement papers until after the
start of the 1997-98 season, forcing Pittsburgh to leave him on its
protected list for the 1997 NHL Waiver Draft, in case Lemieux opted to
return. ... Pittsburgh retired Lemieux's No. 66 on Nov. 19, 1997, in an
event called Mario Lemieux Night. ... Recorded his 1,500th career point in
Pittsburgh's Dec. 20, 2000, game vs. Ottawa. ... Named NHL Co-Player of Week
for week ending Dec. 31, 2000. ... Named NHL Player of Month for January
2001. ... Recorded his 900th NHL assist during Pittsburgh's Feb. 25, 2001,
game vs. N.Y. Islanders. ... Was runner-up to Joe Sakic in voting for
2000-01 Hart Trophy. ... Was finalist for 2000-01 Lester B. Pearson Award.
... Missed part of 2001-02 season with strained hip flexor, an injury
suffered originally suffered during Pittsburgh's 2001 training camp and
later re-aggravated during Pittsburgh's Oct. 3, 2001, season-opener vs.
Colorado. He did not return to action until Pittsburgh's Oct. 14, 2001, game
at Buffalo. ... Missed part of 2001-02 season while recovering from
arthroscopic hip surgery, performed on Oct. 28, 2001. He did not return to
action until Pittsburgh's Nov. 10, 2001, game at Tampa Bay. ... Missed part
of 2001-02 season with hip injury, suffered during Pittsburgh's Nov. 14,
2001, game vs. N.Y. Islanders. He did not return to action until
Pittsburgh's Jan. 12, 2002, game vs. St. Louis. ... Missed remainder of
2001-02 season with hip tendinitis and inflammation of hip capsule, suffered
in Pittsburgh's Feb. 27, 2002, game vs. Los Angeles. He suffered the
season-ending injury in his first game back after returning from the 2002
Salt Lake City Olympics, where he had captained Team Canada to the gold
medal. ... Named NHL Player of Week for week ending Oct. 20, 2002. ...
Named NHL Player of Month for November 2002. ... Missed part of 2002-03
season, including NHL All-Star Game, with groin injury, suffered during
Pittsburgh's Jan. 7, 2003, game at N.Y. Islanders. Hd did not return to
regular action until Pittsburgh's Feb. 8, 2003, game at Boston. ... Recorded
his 1,000th career assist during Pittsburgh's Feb. 8, 2003, game at Boston.
... Missed remainder of 2003-04 season with strained left hip flexor, an
injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Nov. 1, 2003, game vs. Boston. The
injury required arthroscopic surgery on Jan. 13, 2004.
Five Goals, Five Ways: Lemieux made NHL history in a New Year's Eve game vs. New Jersey on Dec. 31, 1988.
On that night, he scored five goals, with one coming in every possible way a
goal can be scored -- at even strength, on a power-play, while his team was
short-handed, on a penalty shot and into an empty net. No other player ever achieved this feat in a single game. His first goal, which tied the
game at 1-1, came at 4:17 of the first period. It was an even-strength goal,
that beat New Jersey starting goaltender Bob Sauve. His second goal, scored
just over three minutes later at 7:50 of the first, came shorthanded, also
against Sauve, to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead. He then netted his third goal
on a power play at 10:59 of the period, putting Pittsburgh up 3-2. At 11:14
of the second period, Lemieux scored for a fourth time, beating relief
goalie Chris Terreri on a penalty shot to give Pittsburgh a 6-4 lead.
Finally, with just one second remaining in the game and Pittsburgh
protecting a 7-6 lead, Lemieux scored into an empty net to close out an 8-6
victory. In addition to the historic feat, Lemieux became the first
Pittsburgh player to scored five goals in one game.
First Major Back Injury: Lemieux missed the remainder of the 1989-90
season and most of the 1990-91 season with a herniated disc and arthritic
condition in his back. He played much of the 1989-90 season with the injury,
which was not officially diagnosed until February 1990. He continued to play
with the injury up until the pain became too great, and he was forced to
leave
Pittsburgh's Feb. 14, 1990, game vs. N.Y. Rangers after only two periods of
limited ice time. By failing to score a point against the Rangers,
he ended his Pittsburgh record streak of at least one point in 46
consecutive games. At the time he left, he was also the NHL's leading scorer
with 121 points. After Lemieux failed to respond to two days of intense
physical therpay, the Penguins flew him to Los Angeles, where he was
examined by a noted spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins. After consultation
between Watkins, Penguins team physician Dr. Charles Burke and San Francisco
back specialist Dr. Arthur White, it was determined that Lemieux would need
a new form of treatment and should be held out of the lineup until he was
clear of the problem without having to have potentially
career-threatening surgery. He remained out while undergoing extensive physical therapy, and did not resume
skating until March 22, 1990. He finally returned to
action for Pittsburgh's March 31, 1990, regular-season finale vs. Buffalo.
The Penguins needed to win the game to keep their playoff hopes alive, which
was a major reason Lemieux was permitted to play a week before doctors
expected him to be ready to return. Lemieux scored a goal and had an assist,
but Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Uwe Krupp.
Because the N.Y. Islanders had won their game, Pittsburgh was eliminated
from the playoff race. Just over three months later, despite efforts to
avoid it and the fact that he felt he was finally pain-free, Lemieux
underwent surgery to remove part of the herniated disc on July 11, 1990.
The 90-minute surgery, a micor-lumbar discectomy with bone decompression,
was performed by Dr. Peter Sheptak at Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh. On
July 13, Lemiueux was released from the hospital, and hoped to be ready for
training camp. He resumed skating on Aug. 27, 1990, and said he would be
ready for the last few preseason games and the season opener on Oct. 5,
1990. But the recovery took longer than he expected, and Lemieux bagan
experiencing more pain. He left training camp on Sept. 24, 1990, to seek
medical attention. A few days later, doctors found Lemieux had an infection
in his back, which they said would keep him out of action for at least three
months. The inflammation was not necessarily related to the surgery, and
might have gone back to a fever Lemieux had in the weeks before surgery.
Lemieux finally resumed skating on Dec. 30, 1990, and returned to practice
in mid-January. He finally rejoined the lineup for
Pittsburgh's Jan. 26, 1991, game vs. Quebec, and had three assists. He went
on to scored two more goals and another assist before suffering a pulled
groin during Pittsburgh's Feb. 2, 1991, game vs. Boston, due to his lack of
conditioning. He quickly recovered from that injury, and after returning for
Pittsburgh's Feb. 8, 1991, game vs. Winnipeg, he played regularly for the
remainder of the regular season and then starred during the playoffs in leading the
Penguins to their first Stanley Cup.
Lemieux's Battle
with Cancer: On Jan. 8, 1993, while he was out of the Penguins lineup
resting his back, Lemieux noticed a lump on his neck. The lump was
removed, and three days later a biopsy revealed Lemieux had the Nodular
Lymphocytic form of Hodgkin's Disease, an illness that had killed one of his
cousins. Fortunately, the disease was caught in the first of four stages,
making the likelihood of survival very high, particularly since 95 percent
of the time patients with Lemieux's condition were cured. At the time of the
diagnosis, Lemieux's cancer was contained within a tumor in one lymph node
and had not spread out to affect any other part of his body. To quickly
combat the disease, he was ordered to undergo three weeks of radiation
treatments, beginning in February. On Jan. 13, 1993, Lemieux came back to
the Penguins to notify his teammates of the disease, which he then made
public at a Jan. 15, 1993, press conference. At that time, he vowed he would
return to the NHL and said he hoped to be back before the end of the season.
For the next two weeks, Lemieux took antibiotics for a lingering respiratory
infection, delaying his ability to begin treatment. On Jan. 29, 1993,
doctors cleared Lemieux to begin radiation treatments, which he began on
Feb. 1, 1993. On Feb. 6, 1993, Lemieux made an emotional center-ice
appearance at the NHL All-Star Game in his hometown of Montreal. At the time
nobody knew if and when he would return. But he made tremendous progress in
his treatments, and by Feb. 12, 1993, he was working out with the team in
Pittsburgh. Finally, on the same day he completed the radiation treatments,
Lemieux returned to the Penguins lineup for Pittsburgh's March 2, 1993, game
at Philadelphia. He had a goal and assist in that game. He completed the
1992-93 season and playoffs, and was back for the 1993-94 season with the
cancer clearly behind him.
Second Major Back Injury: Lemieux missed most of the
1993-94 season with an assortment of back injuries and chronic pain. His
long chain of back trouble had started when he was forced to miss
Pittsburgh's 1993 training camp and the start of 1993-94 season while
recovering from off-season back surgery. During the 35-minute operation on
July 28, 1993, Dr. Peter Sheptak repaired a muscle hernia and cleared out
both scar tissue and a bone spur. After the surgery, Sheptak said Lemieux's
back showed signs of arthritis, but he should be ready for the Penguins'
season-opener. But by August, it was clear that Lemieux was far from
healthy. He announced that he would skip Pittsburgh's 1993 training camp due
to chronic back pain, and even though he planned to be ready for the Oct. 5,
1993, opener, he did not make his 1993-94 regular-season debut until
Pittsburgh's Oct. 28, 1993, game vs. Quebec. He had two assists in the game,
but also re-aggravated his back injury, forcing him to miss another game
before returning for Pittsburgh's Nov. 2, 1993, game at San Jose. He had a
goal and two assists in that game, but once again re-aggravated his back
injury and missed another game before returning for Pittsburgh's Nov. 6,
1993, game at Los Angeles. He played again the following night at Anaheim,
before missing a Nov. 9, 1993, game with the flu. Two nights later, on Nov.
11 in Chicago, he sat out the game with back pain. The following day, he
took himself out of the lineup, saying he needed time to rest his back. He
said he would not return until he was healthy enough to play without major
pain. Pittsburgh general manager Craig Patrick expressed regret that the
team had let Lemieux return from surgery before his back was at 100 percent.
After coming out of the lineup on Nov. 12, Lemieux did not return to
practice until late January 1994. He hoped to play in both Pittsburgh's Feb.
1, 1994, game vs. Florida or a Feb. 4, 1994, game at Detroit, but took
himself out of the lineup before game time. Frustrated, he even talked about
retiring from hockey for the first time in his career. He was finally able
to rejoin the lineup for Pittsburgh's Feb. 12, 1994, game vs. Dallas. He had
a goal and an assist in that game, and then came back the next night with
two third-period goals in a 3-0 win at Philadelphia. But just when it seemed Lemieux had left his back trouble in the past, he suffered another
re-aggravation in the Feb. 13, 1994, game and had to sit out a Feb. 15,
1994, game vs. Winnipeg and a Feb. 17, 1994, game vs. Hartford, while he
underwent cortisone shots. He came back for Pittsburgh's Feb. 19, 1994, game
at Montreal, and promptly re-aggravated his back injury. He did not return
to action until Pittsburgh's Feb. 26, 1994, game vs. Buffalo. He later sat
out Pittsburgh's March 6, 1994, game at Winnipeg. He returned to the lineup
for Pittsburgh's March 8, 1994, game vs. Boston, but re-aggravated his
injury during a March 12, 1994, game vs. N.Y. Rangers -- a game in which he
scored two goals and added two assists. He did not return to action until
Pittsburgh's March 22, 1994, game vs. San Jose. He later sat out
Pittsburgh's March 27, 1994, game at Edmonton and Pittsburgh's April 8,
1994, game at New Jersey to avoid playing on back-to-back nights.
An Entire Season Off: After enduring a difficult
1993-94 season, dominated by both fatigue and back problems, Lemieux
pondered retirement during the summer of 1994. In July 1994, he said he
would wait until September before making a final decision. That decision
came a bit early, on Aug. 29, 1994, when Lemieux said he would not retire,
but would instead take the entire 1994-95 season off to rest his back and
regain his energy for the 1995-96 season. At the time, Lemieux was seriously
thinking that he might never return to the NHL, but during his time off, he
began to feel stronger and was once again enthusiastic about playing. On
June 20, 1995, Lemieux announced that he would return for the 1995-96 season
and play a restricted schedule. His goal was to appear in all 42 home games
and at least half of the 42 road games. He would not play on back-to-back
nights, and also would skip the long Western road trips to avoid having to
sit for extended periods of time in an airplane.
Retirement
and Ownership: Following his first retirement on April 26, 1997, Lemieux
did not have to wait long to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Hall waived
its mandatory three-year waiting period and admitted Lemieux on Sept. 9,
1997. It appeared Lemieux had accomplished everything possible in hockey,
but he had one more chapter left. While Lemieux was in retirement, the
Penguins' financial situation began to unravel under co-owners Howard
Baldwin and Roger Marino. Without Lemieux in the lineup, attendance was
dropping. The first sign of trouble came on Feb. 10, when team president
Donn Patton resigned after less than 18 months at the head of the team. At
the time of the resignation, Baldwin admitted that the team was having
trouble selling its luxury boxes and might face financial problems if
attendance did not pick up. Lemieux, meanwhile, ended a long stay in Florida
and came back to Pittsburgh, where he organized a Celebrity Players Tour
golf tournament for June 25-28, 1998. The work on the golf tournament kept
him in the local sports headlines and made his success at raising money a
stark contrast to the declining financial fortunes of the Penguins
ownership. The situation grew worse in March 1998, when Marino said he would
try to buy out the remainder of Lemieux's contract at two-thirds value,
rather than pay him the $4-5 million in deferred payments he was still owed
from previous seasons. Projecting losses of $5 million for the season,
Marino suggested paying Lemieux could not be a priority when the team
couldn't expect to make money even if it won the Stanley Cup, because
attendance had been so low throughout the season. Lemieux, however, did not
accept the argument that he should not be paid in full. His contract had
called for all salaries and bonuses to be guaranteed, even if the league
considered the deal invalid. On May 15, 1998, Lemieux filed an intent to sue
action in Allegheny County Court, claiming he had not received scheduled
payments of $2 million on Jan. 1, 1997, and again on Jan. 1, 1998. He also
noted that under the terms of his contract, he had the right to sit out the
1997-98 season and still be eligible for contract money, because his
contract gave him the right to skip at least one of the seasons between
1995-96 and 1998-99. In addition, Lemieux was still owed more than $2
million in deferred money from the 1993-94 season. That money, scheduled to
be paid out on a monthly basis from Jan. 1, 2000, to Jan. 1, 2010, had been
added to the contract so that he could claim a salary of $1 million more
than Wayne Gretzky -- another stipulation of the contract that kicked in
after Gretzky renegotiated his salary for the 1993-94 season. Lemieux had
also agreed to defer his $3.5 million guaranteed salary from 1994-95 -- a
season he missed due to injury -- into five annual $700,000 interest-free
payments. Finally, Lemieux's contract called for him to be hired as a
"special adviser" to the owner for 10 years, beginning on Jan. 1, 2000. In
that role, he would be paid an annual salary of $500,000 on top of his
deferred money. Lemieux had also guaranteed he would not be traded, because
the contract ensured that if the Pens did trade Lemieux, they would have to
pay out all of his deferred money within 30 days. In any event, after his
retirement, it became clear that Lemieux could not expect to receive all of
his deferred millions from the struggling Penguins ownership. That led to
the $33 million lawsuit filed in June -- and a campaign by Lemieux to at least receive assets
equivalent to what he was owed. At around this time, as Lemieux began to
make noise about his money, Marino, who owned exactly 50 percent of the
team, began efforts to buy out Baldwin and become sole owner. Baldwin
countered by seeking an investment group that would buy out Marino's half.
The fight between the business partners, who had first begun working
together when Marino bought his share of the team in the spring of 1997,
became increasingly bitter. Baldwin, who had owned at least a share of the
team since November 1991, felt Marino was trying to upstage him and run him
out of town, since Marino had enough money to be the team's sole owner, but
Baldwin did not. The team had lost $40 million in 1996-97 and 1997-98, and
there was no way the Baldwin-Marino partnership could ever pay Lemieux the
full $33 million he might win in court. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman met
with Baldwin and Marino on July 8 to try to facilitate an amicable ending to
their partnership and leave the Penguins with one owner, but neither man was
willing to give up his share of the team. Marino believed Bettman was on his
side in the negotiations and continued to claim he was a better choice than
Baldwin because of his financial stability. By August, it was expected that
Marino would be able to buy out Baldwin, even though the two men were
refusing to speak to one another. Marino hired J. Garvin Warden as the
Penguins' interim CEO and asked him to come up with a business plan that
would help the Penguins get out of their debts, including the money owed to
Lemieux. On Aug. 10, 1998, Marino went to Kansas City to discuss the
possibility of relocating the Penguins to Kemper Arena. Baldwin became
enraged when he learned about the visit and the thought of moving the team.
The situation continued to decline, and when word surfaced that the team
might be moved, Lemieux stepped up in an effort to keep the team in
Pittsburgh even though he also continued to demand his money from Marino and
Baldwin. By Oct. 13, 1998, the Penguins were forced to file for Chapter 11
bankruptcy, owing creditors more than $100 million. The court appointed
Lemieux, who was owed the mostof any creditor, co-chairman of a seven-member
panel of Penguins creditors. The group was asked to figure out how to take
what was left of the Penguins' assets to pay off all creditors. It even
appeared that the team might have to fold in order to liquidate
sufficiently. Lemieux, who was still waiting on a total of $28.7 million,
decided that the best way to recoup his money was to gain ownership of the
team. He spent the 1998-99 season trying to put together an investment group
that would enable him to pay off all other creditors, and gain majority
ownership of the team so he could keep it in Pittsburgh. In January, the
amount of deferred money owed to Lemieux increased to more than $30 million.
By February, Lemieux was lobbying hard to buy the team, which had a
court-ordered price tag of $40 million cash. He met with Pennsylvania Gov.
Tom Ridge and NHL officials, trying to work out a settlement that would
leave him in charge. Lemieux's group got a boost when Pittsburgh mayor Tom
Murphy said he was not willing to help Baldwin/Marino get a new arena, but
he was willing to do so if Lemieux became the owner. While Baldwin appeared
prepared to let Lemieux take the team, Marino was determined to fight, and
he tried to prove to the bankruptcy court that he could turn the team
around. On Feb. 25, 1999, Lemieux said he would not work together with
Marino under any circumstances as some were suggesting. Lemieux countered
Marino in bankruptcy court, submitting his own plan for reorganization on
March 19. Lemieux hoped to prove that he was better equipped to take care of
creditors than Marino, who was still considering moving the team, would be.
The Lemieux-Marino feud dragged out into the summer with no end in sight. In
June, Pittsburgh mayor Murphy charged the arena management, SMG, of
subverting efforts to keep the team in his city. Murphy ordered SMG to
cooperate with Lemieux's group in securing a lease and threatened to void
SMG's rights to operate the facility. Meanwhile, the U.S. bankruptcy court's
Judge Berarnd Markovitz gave both Marino and Lemieux until June 24 to come
up with their best plans for keeping the team afloat. The NHL said it would
take over the Penguins if neither party came up with an adequate plan. As
Marino's bid weakened, the city of Pittsburgh helped Lemieux's cause even
more by proposing a new arena by 2007, provided Lemieux forgave $12.5
million of the Pens' $32.5 million debt and took a 22 percent stake in the
team with his remaining $20 million. In any event, Marino would be out, and
SMG would be forced to buy 11 percent of the team or risk losing its lease
for the arena. As the deadline approach, the NHL planned for a possible
dispersal draft of Penguins players in case Lemieux could not save the team.
But that worst-case scenario never unfolded. In late June, the NHL accepted
Lemieux's proposal, and gave him until July 16, 1999, to complete the deal.
Lemieux asked for an extension into August as he finished coming up with the
$50 million comitted by his group of investors. Bankruptcy Judge Bernard
Markovitz extended Lemieux's deadline to July with ownership to transfer
within 10 days of payment. The final details took longer than expected, but
on Sept. 1, 1999, the NHL Board of Governors dropped all support for Marino
and gave its blessing to Lemieux. After a final ruling by Markovitz, Lemieux
reached his goal, as ownership of the Penguins was officially granted to
Mario Lemieux and the Lemieux Group on Sept. 3, 1999. At the age of 33,
Lemieux took over as the Penguins' chairman, CEO and president.
The Grand Comeback:
Just over a year after Lemieux became the Pittsburgh Penguins' owner, he
began to see that the best way to maximize the value of his investment
would be a return to the ice as a player. Pittsburgh was a .500
team in 1999-00 despite a high degree of talent, and the Penguins were
fighting to remain in playoff positioning through the first 25 games of the
2000-01 season. Since he was only 35 years old and still young
enough to contribute, Lemieux began working out vigorously in secret. But by
Dec. 7, 2000, the secret was out. USA TODAY hockey writer Kevin Allen got
the scoop that Lemieux was coming back and posted the story on his
newspaper's web site. Finally, on Dec. 11, 2000, Lemieux made it official at
a press conference. In order to make his comeback, Lemieux gave up all
voting rights with the NHL board of governors, although he was allowed to
keep his ownership title. Lemieux said he was coming back because he missed
hockey, and because he wanted his son, Austin, to see him in action, but it
was clear that he knew the best way to help his team was to play. As a result, Lemieux
became only the third player in NHL history (after Gordie Howe and Guy
Lafleur) to play in an NHL game after having already been inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame. On Dec. 19, 2000, Lemieux practiced with the Penguins
for the first time, and eight days later, he made his return to the lineup
for Pittsburgh's Dec. 27, 2000, game vs. Toronto. Prior to the game,
4-year-old Austin Lemieux helped his father bring down the No. 66 from the
Pittsburgh Civic Arena rafters, signaling the second Mario Lemieux era. In
the game itself, Lemieux scored a goal and assisted on two others to lead
the Penguins to a 5-0 victory over the Maple Leafs. His first assist came on
a goal by Jaromir Jagr just 33 seconds into the game. Three nights later, in
his second game back, Lemieux scored a goal and added three assists in a 5-3
home victory over Ottawa. He finished his comeback season with 76 points in
only 43 games. |
| NHL SALARY HISTORY |
Contract signed with Pittsburgh on June 19, 1984
(Three years, $575,000, including $150,000 signing bonus, club option for
third year, and automatic renegotiation if he scored at least 115 points in
his rookie season -- a mark he did not attain) |
1984-85: $250,000
(inc. signing bonus) |
1985-86: $150,000
(renegotiated, partial pay) |
1986-87: $175,000
(renegotiated, never paid) |
|
Contract extension with Pittsburgh signed in January 1986
(Four years, $3.5 million, including $250,000 signing bonus and club option
year. Contract to officially begin with the 1986-87 season) |
1985-86: $400,000
(inc. signing bonus) |
1986-87: $650,000
(official start of contract) |
1987-88: $650,000 |
1988-89: $650,000
(renegotiated, never paid) |
1989-90: $650,000
(option year, deal voided) | |
|
Contract renegotiated with Pittsburgh in November 1988
(One year, $1.6 million) | |
1988-89: $1,600,000 | |
|
Contract signed with Pittsburgh in August 1989
(Five years, $10 million, plus $100,000 signing bonus and up to $3 million
in incentive clauses ) |
1989-90: $2,100,000
(inc. signing bonus) |
1990-91: $2,000,000 |
1991-92: $2,338,000
(inc. incentive payouts) |
1992-93: $2,000,000
(renegotiated, never paid) |
1993-94: $2,000,000
(renegotiated, never paid) |
|
|
Contract extension with Pittsburgh signed Oct. 5, 1992
(Seven years, $42 million, with majority of money deferred but full value
guaranteed for all seasons played, including player's right to skip any one
season from 1995-96 to 1998-99 to re-energize himself and a guaranteed
payout of $2 million in the skipped season) |
1992-93: $2,408,000
(plus deferred money) |
1993-94: $5,000,000
(plus $2,138,419 defer) |
1994-95: $3,500,000
(never paid, deferred) | |
1994-95 payout restructured to $700,000 per year from 1995 to
2000 |
1995-96: $4,571,400
(inc. $1,071,400 of defer) |
1996-97: $11,321,429
(inc. $4,821,429 of defer) |
| |
Lemieux retires on April 26, 1997, with two years remaining on
contract |
1997-98: $2,000,000
(of original $6,500,000) |
1998-99: $6,500,000
(retired, never paid) |
|
|
Contract signed with Pittsburgh on Dec. 11, 2000
(One year, $1.4 million, plus agreement with NHL that he would not vote as a
member of the board of governors as long as he played) | |
2000-01: $1,400,000 |
Drew up own contract for NHL average salary |
|
Contract signed with Pittsburgh in August 2001
(One year, $5.25 million, plus team-related incentive clauses) | |
2001-02: $5,250,000 |
|
|
Contract signed with Pittsburgh on Aug. 1, 2002
(One year, $5.25 million) | |
2002-03: $5,250,000 |
|
|
Contract signed with Pittsburgh on July 31, 2003
(One year, $5.25 million) | |
2003-04: $5,250,000 |
Deal had called for $5 million raise, later voided |
|
Contract signed with Pittsburgh on Sept. 9, 2005
(One year, $3 million) | |
2005-06: $3,000,000 |
|
|
Total NHL Earnings: $55,438,829
(Reflects only base salary payout through 2005-06. Does not include
$32.5 million waived in deal to become Pittsburgh owner.) |
|
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
None
Olympics: 2002 (gold medal)
NHL-USSR Rendez-vous Series: 1987
World Cup of Hockey:
2004 (first place)
Canada Cup: 1987 (first place)
World Championships: 1985
(silver medal)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Canada Cup All-Star First Team: 1987
World Championships All-Star First Team: 1985
Canada Olympic Captain: 2002
Canada World Cup of Hockey Captain:
2004
Canada Cup Records: Most goals
in one tournament (11 in 1987)
Canada Cup
Goals Leader: 1987 (11)
Miscellaneous: Scored both goals
for Team Canada in upset victory over Soviet Union during 1985 World
Championships. ... Turned down invitation to play for Canada in 1990 World
Championships because he was recovering from a back injury. ... Was active in charitable causes during his playing days,
including work with The Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, the Children's Home of
Pittsburgh, and the Mario Lemieux Foundation, which he formed in August
1993. The foundation was set up to assist cancer charities and research
hospitals. ... Has his own official website at
www.MarioLemieux.com.
Canada Cup Glory: One of the great moments in Lemieux's career
took place in the final game of the 1987 Canada Cup tournament. Lemieux's
final Canada Cup goal, a tournament-leading and Canada Cup record 11th,
broke a 5-5 tie with 1:26 remaining to give Canada a dramatic 6-5 win over
the Soviet Union on Sept. 15, 1987, in Hamilton, Ontario. The goal was
assisted by linemate Wayen Gretzky, whom Lemieux credited for his Canada Cup
success and later thanked for teaching him "how to win" during the 1987
series vs. the Soviets. After the game, Lemieux told reporters: "This is my
greatest thrill ever." He had also scored the winner for Canada in the
previous game, but his final goal was considered the biggest in Canadian
hockey since Paul Henderson had scored to beat the Soviets in the 1972
Summit Series.
Lemieux's Love of Golf: Lemieux was one of the NHL's most talented golfers during his
playing career and in the years during his first retirement. He first showed
his commitment to the game by founding an annual charity golf
tournament in Montreal after his rookie season in the NHL. Throughout his
playing career, he appeared in charity golf tournaments, and played on the Celebrity Golf Association Tour while sitting out the 1995 lockout season with injuries. After his first retirement, he brought a
Celebrity Players Tour event to Pittsburgh in June 1998. He continued to
sponsor the tournament, which became an annual fixture on the Celebrity
Players Tour calendar.
Personal: Nicknamed "Super Mario"and
"Le Magnifique" or "The Magnificent." ... Younger brother of former NHL player
Alain Lemieux. |
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SNAPSHOT '84 | | Total Selected: |
250 | | Forwards: |
142 | | Defense: |
88 | | Goaltenders: |
20 | | Major Junior: |
110 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
16/9 | | College Players: |
23 | | High School: |
47 | | Midget: |
4 | | U.S. Junior B: |
1 |
| Canadian: |
145 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
2 | | USA Citizens: |
62 | | U.S.-Born: |
63 |
| European: |
41 |
| Reached NHL: |
102 |
| Stanley Cup: |
20 | | Hall of Fame: |
1 |
| All-Star Game: |
18 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
31 |
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