Mario Lemieux’s nickname (“The Magnificent One”) was not just a riff on that of his great peer and rival, Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky. “Magnificent” also summed up Lemieux’s remarkable achievements as a dominant force in the NHL for the better part of 18 seasons: from the ease with which this 6’4″ forward moved past defenders, to his otherworldly skill set, to the inspirational way he came back after battling Hodgkins lymphoma to win the NHL scoring title.
Lemieux played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, twice leading them to the Stanley Cup. Many, like Bobby Orr, believe that Lemieux was the most talented player ever, and that had he not been so prone to health issues, he would have been even greater.
- Born: Montreal, Quebec, 1965
- Height/weight: 193 cm (6’4″) / 107 kg (235 lbs)
- Position: centre
- NHL teams: Pittsburgh Penguins (1984-1997 and again 2000-2006)
- NHL totals: 690 goals, 1,033 assists, 1,723 points in 915 games
- Awards (selected): Calder Trophy (rookie of the year); Hart Trophy (most valuable player) 3 times; Art Ross Trophy (scoring leader) 6 times; Conn Smythe Trophy (most valuable player in playoffs) two times; Lou Marsh Trophy (Canadian athlete of the year) 1993
- ESPN Hockey Player of the Decade – 2000