Mario Lemieux, whose biography is presented in this article, is one of the most famous Canadian hockey players. He became famous for his performances as part of the Pittsburgh Penguins team, which he bought in 1999, as well as his national team. Throughout his career, this man has managed to win a huge number of individual and team trophies. He is one of the few athletes whose name entered the Hockey Hall of Fame immediately after the player’s career ended. For his professionalism and skill he received several nicknames from fans - Supermario and Magnificent.
Childhood
The future star of world hockey was born in one of the suburbs of Montreal on October 5, 1965. His father worked as a builder, and his mother was a housewife. Together with his two older brothers, the guy spent his childhood in the working area of the metropolis. Already at the age of three, Mario began playing hockey with them in the basement of his house. The role of the puck for the guys was played by the bottle cap, and the collar was played by the mother's piano. The father strongly supported such a passion for his sons, so he later built an improvised ice rink for them in the yard. On winter evenings, they constantly trained after school on a nearby playground, playing with peers.
Debut steps in professional sports
As already noted above, Mario Lemieux's serious hockey abilities appeared from an early age. In 1972, he became Montreal champion at the Hurricanes de Ville-Émard. Speaking for different children's teams, the guy scored 5-6 goals for the duel, so many experts and coaches spoke about his great future in sports. It is believed that Mario’s professional career began with Laval Voisins, a team that played in the Major Quebec Junior League. For all three seasons spent here, the guy has always been distinguished by simply phenomenal performance.
Draft
In 1984, it was time for the young hockey player to go for a draft. Serious successes in the youth leagues led to the fact that his first number at that time was precisely Mario Lemieux. NHL really beckoned the guy. Moreover, a whole line of clubs lined up behind him. He himself dreamed of wearing a sweater of the legendary Montreal Canadiens. However, fate then decreed otherwise. In the previous season, the Pittsburgh Penguins team became the main outsider for the first time in its history, so it was she who had the right to the first draft number. There was no doubt who the club would choose as its new face and leader. Representatives of other clubs offered a lot of money and even all the numbers of their draft to “penguins” for a young player, but they were refused. This fact was very disappointing for the hockey player himself, because he did not want to play for an outsider who, among other things, was based in the United States. Anyway, the general manager still managed to persuade the young man, who eventually signed a two-year contract with the team, according to which he received 600 thousand dollars in wages and 150 thousand dollars in bonuses.
Starting seasons in the NHL
In his opening duel in the NHL against the Boston Bruins, Mario scored the first goal with his first throw. Then many residents of Pittsburgh came to see the game of young talent, and a full house was recorded on the arena itself. Throughout the year, the situation has not changed, and the Canadian himself thanked the fans with his speeches. During the season, he scored 43 goals and gave 57 assists, thus gaining exactly one hundred points. According to its results, the guy was invited to the All-Star Game, in which he was chosen as the best player in the match. At the moment, he remains the only newcomer who succeeded. In the same year, hockey player Mario Lemieux made his debut in the national team of Canada.
With his game, in fact, the player saved his team from bankruptcy. The next season, he scored 141 points, eventually losing only to Wayne Gretzky in this indicator . Then his team finished in the table much higher, but could not get into the playoff stage. Be that as it may, Mario extended the contract with his club. In 1988, a hockey player with 168 points became the top scorer, dropping from the podium the aforementioned Gretzky, who had been given this title for the last seven years in a row. Numerous assists and goals by Mario Lemieux (114 and 85 respectively) the following year allowed him to easily conquer him again.
Problems
In 1989, the athlete began serious back pain. He often rested for a long time at the side, and in the locker room he could not independently remove the equipment. Nevertheless, this did not prevent him from demonstrating high skill. In 1990, doctors diagnosed spinal disc displacement in Mario Lemieux. He underwent surgery, but it took almost 6 months to recover. When he returned to the ice in 1991, the team was already much stronger thanks to successful management and a number of talented players. Despite this, it was Mario who was always the best on the court, and the “penguins” won the Stanley Cup. This success, “Pittsburgh” repeated the next season.
In 1993, the hockey player had another operation on his back, but the pain in her did not go away. In the season, the player took part in only 22 fights and scored 37 points in them. After graduation, he decided to take a break for a year for normal rehabilitation.
Return
Mario Lemieux announced his return to big hockey in the summer of 1995. After spending 70 games this season, the player scored 161 points and for the fifth time in his career won the Art Ross Trophy, as well as the title of the league’s most valuable hockey player. October 29, 1995 was marked for him by a five hundred abandoned puck in his professional career. The team reached the Stanley Cup finals, but failed to win the trophy that year.
Retirement
The athlete twice ended his professional career. This first happened after the end of the 1997 season. The main cause was persistent health problems. In 2000, Pittsburgh was in a disastrous financial situation. To save the club from bankruptcy, Mario Lemieux bought it, thereby pulling it out of the crisis. He himself sometimes also went out on the ice. This rarely happened, but the player was always distinguished by excellent performance. In 2002, he and his team became a triumph of the Olympic Games. Whatever it was, the years took their toll. Due to heart trouble in 2006, Mario decided to finally end his player’s career.
Game number
Imitating his older brother Allan, in the youth leagues the hockey player played under 12 or 27 number. Later, he was often compared with the legendary Wayne Gretzky, on the sweater of which the number “99” flaunted. To emphasize once again the sports competition with him, the mentor Mario suggested he take her upside down version - “66”. With this number on the back, the player became famous.