Super Mario — overcame cancer and chronic back pain to win two Stanley Cups and challenge Gretzky's supremacy.
Mario Lemieux was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1965. Pittsburgh Penguins selected him first overall in the 1984 NHL Draft. His career — remarkable both for its brilliance and its fragility — produced 690 goals, 1,033 assists and 1,723 career points. He won two Stanley Cup championships with Pittsburgh (1991, 1992), three Hart Trophies as MVP (1988, 1993, 1996), six Art Ross Trophies as scoring champion (1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997) and two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP (1991, 1992). He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in January 1993 — undergoing radiation treatment and returning to play and win the scoring title in the same season. A chronic back condition that required multiple surgeries caused him to retire twice. Had he played at full health across his entire eligibility, projections suggest he would have challenged Gretzky's career records. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997 — with the waiting period waived — while still potentially eligible to return, which he did in 2000. He bought the Pittsburgh Penguins from bankruptcy in 1999, saving the franchise. He is the only person in NHL history to have his name on the Stanley Cup as both player and owner.
Stanley Cup 2x (1991,1992)
He received radiation treatment in the morning and played a game the same night during his cancer recovery.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- Stanley Cup 2x (1991,1992)
- Hart Trophy 3x
- Art Ross Trophy 6x
- Conn Smythe 2x
- Hall of Fame (1997)
- NHL 100 Greatest Players