Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux is a former Canadian player of Hockey. Called “ Splendid the ” because of its talent, rewarded by many titles, it is regarded as one of the largest players of the history of hockey with Wayne Gretzky. Its statistics speak about themselves: it belongs to the circle of the players with more than 500 goals, as well as that of those with more {{formatnum: 1000}} points and it appears all in top of the classifications of the leaders of the National league of hockey (LNH).
Mario Lemieux was born the October 5th 1965 with City-Émard, a district of Montreal. He played all his professional path in the National league of hockey (LNH) with the Penguins de Pittsburgh between 1984 and 2006. Among many trophies, it gains two Coupes Stanley in 1991 and 1992. Its career was strewn with many difficulties of health pushing it to stop then beginning again but always while being faithful to Pittsburgh. In 1999, it saves the team of the bankruptcy and becomes majority owner of this one.
During its career, it takes part in five international competitions with the Canada. It is assembled each time on the podium, gaining a bronze medal with the championship of the world junior of 1983, one of money to the championship of the world of 1985 and finally the gold medal at the time of the Coupe Canada 1987, the Winter Olympics 2002 and of the World cup of hockey 2004. At the time of its last two international tournaments, he is captain of the team. In 2004, he becomes member of the Allée from the Canadian celebrities.
Sporting biography
Career in club
Beginnings in the leagues junior
He starts to play hockey very early and joined Hurricanes of Montreal in league junior. 15 years old, he is the first player chosen with the fishing out of the league in '' midget '' to play with the Voisins to Laval of the Ligue of hockey major junior of Quebec ( LHJMQ ). Sure of its talent, he announces whereas he intends to break the record of the greatest number of points of the season, record of 251 points held by Pierre Larouche since 1974.For its first season under the colors of Titan, it reaches 96 points and continues its rise to power the following season while passing at 184 points. It is during its last season with the Neighbors that it will succeed in achieving its goal. It already exceeded the record of the 251 points of Larouche and one should only 3 to him goals moreover to reach the record of 130 goals of Guy Lafleur. Finally, during this last match, Lemieux registers 6 goals to pass its total to 133 goals. Its team gains the Coupe of the President final of the eliminatory series of the LHJMQ but it loses at the time of the final tournament of the Coupe Memorial of the Canadian Ligue of hockey ( LCH ). In fact the 67 ' S of Ottawa of the Ontario Hockey League gain the Cut. Nevertheless, Lemieux also gains the trophy of the player of the season of the LCH. With 282 points during this last season, it is the best pointer of the history of the LHJMQ, record always in progress at the beginning of the season 2007-08.
At the time to begin its professional path, Lemieux raised the question to know which number it was going to carry. Its agents of the time were also the agents of Wayne Gretzky, celebrates player with number 99. They then suggested to him giving up 27 qu ' it carried, in the honor of his/her big brother Alain, to take 66 at the same time similar one to the 99 of Gretzky while being different. He plays his last season in the LHJMQ with the 66.
The fishing out of the LNH
At the beginning of the Years 1980, the Penguins de Pittsburgh of the National league of hockey know weak seasons and, at the time of the season 1983-84, Eddie Johnston, trainer of the time, does not make not made large thing to avoid the last place. Indeed, Johnston had supervised the Lemieux young person personally during his matches with the Neighbors and he wants to have the first choice of the at all costs future fishing out. Thus, he does not hesitate to send to play the guard, Roberto Romano, with the minor team whereas this one is in great form. In the place, Vincent Tremblay is established and it boxes 24 goals in four matches. In the same way, in March, Randy Carlyle is exchanged with the Whalers de Hartford against a future player, player who will arrive only after the season. The players spend their time making return tickets between the frankness from LNH and the minor leagues and, with final, Penguins finish with 38 points and the Devils of the New Jersey with 41.In spite of the efforts of certain presidents of others franknesses to obtain Lemieux, it is chosen by Penguins as a very first player of the fishing out. Despite everything, it once again makes speak about him while refusing to tighten the hand of the president of Penguins and while refusing to carry the shirt of the team for traditional photography. This refusal is then justified by problems of contracts of Penguins looked at the retransmission on line in the Civic Arena. The reaction of that which was to be their saver struck the fans: to hope to have the first choice of the fishing out, the managing director and the whole of the framing of the team had been until scuttling the season of the team and Lemieux thanked them while refusing to greet them and carry the shirt of the team. Very quickly, the skating rink was filled with hootings and, thereafter, the lines of the standard of the subscriptions were taken by storm by the fans declaring that they would take the subscription only when Lemieux would have signed its contract. Finally, it signs its first contract for more: 70000 dollars and for one two years duration.
The first season
It unloads with Pittsburgh, with his father and its agent, little time after the signature of the contract but almost does not speak a word about English. At the conclusion of this first season, Lemieux registered 100 points, although having missed 7 matches, and also the title of recruit of the year gains: the Trophy Calder.
Seasons without series
The following season, it adds up 142 points, finishes in the second place of the pointers behind Wayne Gretzky (215 points) and it is indicated as a better player of the season after vote of the other players. It gains its first Trophée then To ballast B. Pearson. At the time of the season 1986-87, it misses 17 matches of its team, thus making fall her average of points; Penguins miss once again the series.In 1987-88, Lemieux benefits from the experiment to have played and have gained the Coupe Canada 1987 at the sides of Gretzky, Mark Messier and Paul Coffey to draw his pin from the play. Thus, it registers 168 points and finishes 19 points in front of Gretzky for the title of better pointer of the season. Penguins, pulled by Pierre Creamer, are all close to the qualification with their best average of victories in nine seasons. However, Creamer makes fear with its players on several occasions: preferring to speak in French that in English, it is able to him not to follow well the evolution of the points of his team to general classification. Thus, two matches before the end of the season, Penguins must absolutely gain the match to continue to accept a qualification for the series but it is then persuaded that a tie is enough. It then spends a certain time to realize of its error at a few seconds of the end of the match against the Capitals of Washington whereas the score is of 6 everywhere. It then decides to take an idle period and speaks directly in Mario Lemieux in French, involuntarily leaving the other players on side. Finally, Lemieux will register the goal of the victory but that will not be sufficient to obtain the invaluable qualification.
It gains all the same the Trophée Art Ross of the best pointer, the Trophée Binder of the best player according to the press as well as the Pearson trophy. It also gains during this season the Trophée Lionel Conacher as a Canadian athlete of the year.
First participations in the series
In 1988-89, Lemieux knows what will become its more beautiful personal season: he becomes the fourth player of the history, after Maurice Richard, Mike Bossy and inevitable Gretzky, to register 50 goals in 50 matches. He carries out this exploit during the 46e match of his team, his 44e of the season, exploit which it had missed of little achieving the former season with his 50e goal for his 51e match. December 31st, it carries out a single exploit in the world of the LNH: it registers eight points on the whole but especially becomes the first player to register a goal in the five possible configurations during the same match - with equality of force, in numerical superiority, numerical inferiority, on a Tir of shooting and finally with an empty aim of the Devils of the New Jersey.
At the end of the regular season, Penguins are in the second place of the classification of their division (behind the Capitals of Washington) and with the fourth of their conference. They are qualified for the first time for the series since 1982. After having passed to the first turn the Rangers of New York in four matches Nets, Penguins will face the Flyers of Philadelphia. Whereas it should not have played the fifth match of the series, having undergone a wound with the neck at the time of a collision with its fellow-member Randy Cunneyworth during the preceding match, Lemieux once again will mark the history of the LNH. In this evening of April 25th, it registers four goals at the time of the first period, three assistances in the second for a total of eight poins for a victory 10 to 7. It thus takes down the record for the number of goals in one period during a match of the series, comes to equalize that of the number of master keys during one period, always for a match of the series, like those of the greatest number of goals and points on a match. Despite everything, Penguins will lose the series in seven matches. At the conclusion of the season, Lemieux gains once again the trophy Art Ross but the Hart trophy returns in Gretzky.
The season of Penguins begins worse manner nevertheless than it is because they are private of their captain. The team must then rest on Jágr, Tom Barrasso, Paul Coffey, John Cullen and Randy Hillier but also on the new players Larry Murphy, Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson. Patrick also makes sign “Badger Bob” Johnson to direct the team and Scotty Bowman as an assistant.
Finally, Lemieux goes up on the ice for the first time in January 1991 and at the end of March 1991, at the conclusion of the last match of the season, the team points in the first place of her division, the first time during her history, and Lemieux counts all the same 45 points in 26 matches. Penguins will manage to rise with the finale of the Coupe Stanley by losing each time the first match of the series disputed against the Devils of the New Jersey, the Capitals of Washington and finally the Bruins of Boston. They finally find the North Stars of Minnesota, lose the first match but finally gain their first Cut over the score of 4 matches to 2. Lemieux finishes better frontier runner of the team with 28 assistances, second better striker with 16 goals - one of less than Kevin Stevens and thus the best pointer of the team with 44 points of 23 matches out of 24 disputed. Despite everything, its back makes him still badly and it misses the third match of the final series against Minnesota, incompetent to lean to do itself the laces of its shoes. Tracy Luppe, person in charge of the intendance of Penguins, is then obliged to lace to him and délacer the shoes between the periods then at the beginning of each following match. Penguins will gain their second Stanley Cut by drawing aside the Blackhawks of Chicago in four matches Nets and Lemieux finishes better striker of the team (16 goals) and better pointer (34 points). It receives for the second consecutive year the title of better player of the series. On its return to the play after two months of stop, it is only 12 points behind Pat LaFontaine for the title of better pointer.
The treatments of Radiothérapie exhaust it but, following its last meeting, the March 2nd 1993, it takes the plane to join Philadelphia and its fellow-members. He then does not hesitate and plays the meeting with a goal with the key in spite of defeat 5-4 of his team vis-a-vis the Flyers, eternal rivals of Penguins. At the time of his arrival on the ice, the public of the Wachovia Spectrum offers a long ovation to him to greet his return.
July 28th, it undergoes its second operation of the back in order to look after a Hernie on a muscle and, following this one, it misses once again the beginning of the season. It misses the first ten matches thus then 48 other matches during the year. Tired by its problems of back, he announces on August 29th, 1994 that because of his operations he prefers to put his career between brackets and lack thus the entirety of the season 1994-95. Logically, Lemieux gains its fifth trophy Art Ross and its third Hart trophy whereas Pittsburgh finally loses conference against the Panthers of Florida in seven matches.
Lemieux registers its 600e goal at the time of sound 719e match on February 4th of the following season against the Canucks of Vancouver. During Lemieux, March and its Nathalie wife await a new child and the probabilities are increasingly large so that it is premature. Finally, on March 26th, Austin, the first boy of Lemieux, is born three months and half before term. Lemieux can then concentrate on its next match: the Blues of Saint-Louis with which Gretzky has played for one month. During this evening, it registers five goals and adds up 8 points at the end of the match, a victory over the score of 8-4.
Owner of Penguins
Since the beginning of the years 1990, finances of Penguins are not as well as possible and, when Lemieux takes its retirement, the team still owes him several years of not paid wages. In the same way, the leaders of the frankness did not hesitate in the past to ask for some their large wages of lower their requirements in order to maintain the team about with flood. Mario Lemieux then becomes the first former player owner of a team of the LNH and it occupies the position of president of the frankness, chair steering committee - in chairman - and in '' [[chief executive officer]] ''. Thereafter, it gives up the station of CEO and that of president (in 2007, they are Ken Sawyer and David Morehouse which occupies these stations).
Second return to the play
With end of month of November 2000, whereas that makes one month that Lemieux was not seen any more in the entourage of Penguins, it joins together in the same room the president and the CEO of the team, Tom Rooney and Tom McMillan. It starts by their announcing that, finally, it had reflected during all this time and that it was going there to have change. Whereas the two men fear the worst, he has announced on the contrary that absent for one month to go back in physical condition, he intends to make his return at the end of December on the skating rinks, at the 35 years age. The primary reason of its return being that it wishes before very that his son, Austin, sees it playing on a skating rink of the LNH.It makes its return to the play the December 27th 2000 in a match with Pittsburgh against the Maple Leafs of Toronto. More than 300 journalists are present to cover his return to the play, the match being diffused on line in several countries. The match begin with the descent from the shirt struck from the 66 from Lemieux, then hung in the Chevron S of the skating rink, then 33 seconds after the first engagement, it marks the first of its points of the season. It carries out one of its movements preferred while going towards the unfavourable goals, making a turn on itself to give to Jaromír Jágr, launched full axis, which misleads the guard of Maple Leafs. Finally, this evening there, Lemieux will collect three points of which a goal.
A complicated return
In spite of its return to the play, he always suffers from health issues and he has a time of limited play: in 2001-02, it cheek 24 matches then 67 the following year and only 10 in 2003-04. During these three seasons, Penguins finish in the depths of the classification but have like consolation to be able to recruit young talents: Ryan Whitney, Marc-Andre Fleury and Ievgueni Malkine is thus chosen at the time of the various first turns of the fishings out. In 2004, it is allowed in the Allée from the Canadian celebrities, equivalent Canadian of the in [[Walk off Famed (Hollywood) Walk off Famed]] of Hollywood.
In July 2005, whereas the former season was cancelled by a in [[lockout]] , a drawing lot is organized by the LNH to know which team will choose in first at the time of the fishing out. They are finally Penguins of Mario Lemieux who have the honor to be able to choose the young person and promising Sidney Crosby. Finally the two players only will be little used together: Lemieux takes its retirement after 26 matches of the season 2005-06 and they will not have played that little on the same line with only one master key Lemieux for a goal of Crosby. Despite everything, Lemieux wants to be to be a guide for Crosby and thus, for its first season in the LNH, Crosby is placed in the house of Lemieux while waiting for that it finds a place where it will be able to live in the city. With 170 matches played in more in its career and 229 points, Lemieux made fall its average at 1,88 points per match and offered a new record to Wayne Gretzky.
International career
Lemieux was selected with many recoveries to represent the team of Canada. It is thus called for the first time at the time of the championship of the world junior of 1983. It gains then its first international medal, the bronze medal. At the time of the following edition, it decides to refuse the convocation of the trainer Dave King because of a mutual incompatibility and because it prefers to concentrate on the matches of the LHJMQ and its objective, to beat the record of points league.
In 1987, it plays the Coupe Canada and it faces at the sides of Soviet Wayne Gretzky the at the time of the finale. The Canadians lose 6 to 5 at the time of the Prolongation after having gone up a deficit of 4 goals to 1. For the second match, the Canadians take the broad one with an advance 3 to 1 but, before the end of the third second, the score is of 3 everywhere. During the third third-time, Lemieux registers two goals twice, assisted by Gretzky, but the Soviets return to the score each time. After a first period of prolongation without evolution of the score Gretkzy carries out its fifth decisive master key of the match for the third victorious goal of Lemieux. For the third match of the series, the Soviets strike the Canadians by registering three goals in eight minutes but the Canadian team returns to the score for finally carrying out 5-4 at the conclusion of the second third. During the third third, the Soviets equalize and all seems to make believe that the match will go once again towards the prolongations when, at one minute thirty of the end, Gretzky a new master key for Lemieux realizes which registers the goal of the victory and the gold medal.
In 1988, the Winter Olympics take place during the season and the players of the LNH do not take part in it (that will be also the case in 1992 and 1994) then in 1989 for the championship of the world it is wounded. Thereafter, the tests of the championship of the world taking place during the series of the LNH and being qualified Penguins each year for those, it will not be selected any more within the national team before the Winter Olympics of 2002 of Salt Lake City with the the United States.
For this edition, Gretzky is not any more on the ice but, as a managing director of the team, it decides to entrust the role of captain to Lemieux. Upset to have finished fourth four years earlier, the Canadians approach the tournament as favorites of the competition. Associated with Paul Kariya, Lemieux and its team indeed finally will gain the gold medal by beating the the United States over the score from 5 to 2.
August 20th, 2004, in [[Canada Hockey]] announces the list of the captain and his assistants for the world cup which will take place at the beginning of September. Once again, Lemieux is indicated captain of the team and it is assisted of Adam Foote, Jarome Iginla, Scott Niedermayer and Joe Sakic. At the conclusion of the first phase, Canada is at the head of the competition and the team of Lemieux goes until the final to gain the gold medal there by beating the Finland. It gains a new medal but following the tournament, it seems anxious on its future in the world of hockey: the world cup 2004 takes place at the beginning of season and of the signs already let think that the season of the LNH will be cancelled by the strike of the proprétaires.
Its style of play and its impact on the world of hockey
Mario Lemieux played as a center and was as much able to make mark goals than to mark itself of it. Thus, Luc Robitaille will say in this connection which even an extinguisher playing on the same line that Lemieux could register 40 goals per annum. Thus, for example, Warren Young registered 40 goals while playing with him for its first season, Terry Ruskowski which is 31 years old reached its personal record with 26 goals or Markus Näslund which registered 15 points at the time from its first 85 matches in the LNH then passed at 52 points in 66 matches when it was put on the same line as Lemieux. With the beginning of its career with Penguins, Lemieux was associated with Rob Brown and Bob Errey, then with Kevin Stevens and Rick Tocchet for both Coupes Stanley and finally with Jaromír Jágr and Ron Francis before its first departure with the retirement.
Personal life
Its family
It is the third and the last wire of Jean-Guy and Pierrette Lemieux. Of his two brothers, Alain and Richard, only Alain will also know a career of professional hockey player. Thus, it begins its career in the Ligue from hockey major junior of Quebec and gains the Trophée Guy Lafleur in 1981. Selected by the Blues of Saint-Louis in 1980, it will play 18 seasons as a professional with 119 matches in the LNH of which under the colors of the Penguins de Pittsburgh. This evening there, Mario does not play the match and Alain carries number 11 after the preparer of shirt proposed to him to carry the 33 since being “to good half like his brother”.He marries Nathalie Asselin on June 26th, 1993 that he met ten years earlier in 1982. They have four children together: Lauren, born in 1993, Stephanie, born in 1995, Austin, born in 1996, and Alexa, born in 1997.
It does not have any bond, other that the same patronym, with another player of his generation: Claude Lemieux.
The Foundation Mario Lemieux
During the year 1993, Mario creates the Fondation Mario Lemieux which aims at collecting gifts for various medical organizations. It finances in particular research in Néonatologie, a expensive subject with Mario Lemieux: his/her Austin son was born three months and half before term, weighing only 1,05 kg. The foundation is mainly financed by an annual tournament of Golf, distributed over four days and gathering a great number of high-speed motorboats. Between 2001 and 2005, the tournament takes place on the ground in '' The Club At Nevillewood '', a city with fifteen kilometers of Pittsburgh and since 2006 the tournament takes place on the ground in '' Laurel Valley Golf Club '' of the town of Ligonier. In the same way, it is possible to buy products of all kinds to the colors of the foundation.
Statistics in career
Statistics in club
International statistics
Personal trophies and honors
Throughout its career, Lemieux gained many trophies. According to some, it could have gained some more if it had not had as many health issues and if another large hockey player had not played in the LNH at the same time: Wayne Gretzky. The list below presents the trophies as it gained as well in the league junior LHJMQ as in the LNH or within Penguins de Pittsburgh.
Trophies of the LNH and the world of the sport
; League hockey major junior of Quebec- 1983-84
- Trophée Michel Brière of the most useful player of the season
- Trophée Jean Béliveau as a better pointer
- Trophée Guy Lafleur the player most useful of the eliminatory Séries
- Trophée Michael Bossy of the most promising player
- It also gains the title of player of the season of the Canadian Ligue of hockey
With Penguins
He is the captain of the team to many resumptions- Meilleur player of the team in (according to the leaders): from 1984-85 to 1989-90. During the season 1990-91, Mark Recchi receives this honor. Then in 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 2000-01 and 2002-03.
- Player bringing more to the team according to her fellow-members: 1987-88 and 1992-93.
- out of Booster rocket club award , reward the player who gained stars following the matches the most: from 1984-85 to 1989-90, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97 and 2002-03.
- the most persevering Player according to the local press ( Masterton nominated ): 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1992-93.
- Better pointer of the team: from 1984-85 to 1989-90, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97 and 2002-03.
Lastly, its number, the 66, was withdrawn from the November 19th 1997 with the December 27th 2000, date of the return to the play of Lemieux, then again withdrawn the January 24th 2006 and fixed on the honnor roll during the Saison LNH 2006-07.
Predecessors and successors
References