Lemieux, << luh MYOO, >> Mario (1965-…), ranks among the greatest players in the National Hockey League (NHL). Lemieux played center for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He led the Penguins to the NHL Stanley Cup championship in the 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 seasons. Lemieux led the NHL in scoring six times and twice received the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Lemieux was born on Oct. 5, 1965, in Montreal. He quit school at the age of 16 to play junior league hockey in Canada. The Penguins made him the first selection in the 1984 player draft. In 1985, he received the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. Lemieux was a dominant player despite numerous injuries and a successful battle against Hodgkin’s disease, a cancer that mainly affects the lymph nodes. He retired in 1997 but returned as a player with Pittsburgh in December 2000. In 1999, Lemieux became the owner of the Penguins. Lemieux retired again in January 2006. He retired with 1,723 points, placing him as the seventh highest career scorer in NHL history.
