It doesn't take much to realize that Mario Lemieux is one of the best to ever play the game of hockey. I think that even Peter, who so fervently disagrees with me on his exact place in the hierarchy of greatness, would probably still place him in the top 10.
Personally, I'd place Lemieux as #2 behind Gretzky on the list of the greatest hockey players of all time. I'm not the only one, either...some would even go further. While I wouldn't place Lemieux ahead of Gretzky, I do think that if it weren't for his injuries that would be a different story, and I do agree with the linked article that while Lemieux wasn't a better player than Gretzky, he was more productive. But, what happened happened, and at the end of the day it's Gretzky that holds the records, even if it's only because of injuries to #66.
Now, as far as laying out my argument for why Lemieux is the second best to ever play the game.
We'll start at the easiest place. Here is a list of NHL records held or shared by Mario Lemieux, according to Wikipedia:
We'll start at the easiest place. Here is a list of NHL records held or shared by Mario Lemieux, according to Wikipedia:
Single-season record for shorthanded goals (13 in 1988-89)
Most goals in one period (4, 26 January 1997, shares record)
Only player in history who scored over 30 Power-Play-Goals in two different seasons
Only player in history who scored over 10 Short-Handed-Goals in two different seasons
Involved in 57.3% of team's goals in 1988-1989, the highest percentage in NHL history
Only player in history to record three eight point games
Four career five goal games (shares record)
All-Star Game record for career goals (13, shares record)
All-Star Game record for goals in a single-game (4 in 1990, shares record)
All-Star Game record for points in a single-game (6 in 1988)
All-Star Game record for most MVP-Awards (3, shares record)
Playoff record for goals in a single period (4, shares record)
Playoff record for goals in a single game (5, shares record)
Playoff record for points in a single period (4, shares record)
Playoff record for points in a single game (8, shares record)
Most goals in one period (4, 26 January 1997, shares record)
Only player in history who scored over 30 Power-Play-Goals in two different seasons
Only player in history who scored over 10 Short-Handed-Goals in two different seasons
Involved in 57.3% of team's goals in 1988-1989, the highest percentage in NHL history
Only player in history to record three eight point games
Four career five goal games (shares record)
All-Star Game record for career goals (13, shares record)
All-Star Game record for goals in a single-game (4 in 1990, shares record)
All-Star Game record for points in a single-game (6 in 1988)
All-Star Game record for most MVP-Awards (3, shares record)
Playoff record for goals in a single period (4, shares record)
Playoff record for goals in a single game (5, shares record)
Playoff record for points in a single period (4, shares record)
Playoff record for points in a single game (8, shares record)
That's quite an impressive list indeed. Not to mention franchise records:
Pittsburgh Penguins team record for career games played (915)
Pittsburgh Penguins team record for career goals (690)
Pittsburgh Penguins team record for career assists (1033)
Pittsburgh Penguins team record for career points (1723)
Pittsburgh Penguins record for longest goal-scoring streak (12 games)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-season record for goals (85 in 1988-89)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-season record for assists (114 in 1988-89)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-season record for points (199 in 1988-89)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-game record for goals (5, four occasions including playoffs)
Shares Pittsburgh Penguins single-game record for assists (6, three occasions)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-game record for points (8, three occasions including playoffs)
Pittsburgh Penguins team record for career goals (690)
Pittsburgh Penguins team record for career assists (1033)
Pittsburgh Penguins team record for career points (1723)
Pittsburgh Penguins record for longest goal-scoring streak (12 games)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-season record for goals (85 in 1988-89)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-season record for assists (114 in 1988-89)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-season record for points (199 in 1988-89)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-game record for goals (5, four occasions including playoffs)
Shares Pittsburgh Penguins single-game record for assists (6, three occasions)
Pittsburgh Penguins single-game record for points (8, three occasions including playoffs)
And awards he won as a player:
Hockey Hall of Fame induction - 1997 (Before his four-year grace period. Lemieux was THAT GOOD.)
Hart Memorial Trophy - 1988, 1993, 1996
Art Ross Trophy - 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997
Conn Smythe Trophy - 1991, 1992
Lester B. Pearson Award - 1986, 1988, 1993, 1996
NHL Plus/Minus Award - 1993
Calder Memorial Trophy - 1985
Chrysler-Dodge/NHL Performer of the Year -1985, 1986, 1987
Dapper Dan Athlete of The Year - 1986, 1989
Lester Patrick Trophy - 2000
Bill Masterton Trophy - 1993
NHL All-Star Game MVP - 1985, 1988, 1990
NHL First All-Star Team - 1988, 1989, 1993, 1996, 1997
NHL Second All-Star Team - 1986, 1987, 1992, 2001
NHL All-Rookie Team - 1985
ESPN Hockey Player of The Decade - 2000
ESPY Award NHL Player of The Year - 1993, 1994, 1998
Lou Marsh Trophy - 1993
Let's not forget that he's the only player in NHL history to score a goal in all 5 possible ways in the same game (full strength, shorthanded, power play, penalty shot, empty netter).
Or that he scored a goal on his first possession of his first shift in his first game of his NHL career.
Oh, or that he was the captain of Canada's 2002 Winter Olympics gold medal team, and that he led that team in scoring despite having a bum hip that required painkilling injections to maintain. And that he did it at the ripe age of 37 years old.
Now, onto some less obvious things.
Until 1990, Mario Lemieux may as well have been surrounded with amateurs. He was the ONLY good player on the Penguins until they went out and got Mark Recchi and, eventually, Jaromir Jagr. As a result, he faced double teams every shift. Why not? There were no other threats on the team. Contrast this with Gretzky, who had the Edmonton dynasty to work with (at least until '88). Again, I don't cite Gretzky because I think that Lemieux was better, but because Lemieux competed directly with Gretzky for almost every award, title, and record in his career. Wayne Gretzky was the best player of a very great team. Lemieux WAS the team. Gretzky had Messier to work with. Lemieux had nobody. Despite this, Lemieux STILL beat out Gretzky for the Hart Memorial and Art Ross trophies in '88 and the Lester B. Pearson in '86 and '88, the Chrysler/Dodge Performer of the Year in '85, '86 and '87 and Dapper Dan Athlete of the Year in '86.
While we're on the Gretzky comparisons, keep in mind that Lemieux is the only player to even come CLOSE to Gretzky's 200-plus point seasons. 199 isn't too shabby, either.
And that Lemieux only played 64 games in 1991-92 and STILL beat out Gretzky for the Art Ross trophy (for non-hockey fans: that's the trophy you get when you score the most points in a season.)
Onto my third point: Mario Lemieux is the ultimate team player.
Consider the following points and tell me that Super Mario didn't give his all for his team:
- In 1990, Lemieux had surgery on his back for what turned out to be a herniated disc. He missed 50 regular season games, but still made it back for the playoffs, where he went on to lead the league in playoff scoring with 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists). The Penguins won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history that year, in no small part because of Lemieux.
- The very next year, Lemieux broke his wrist in the NHL divisional finals, but was only sidelined for five games. Again he came back, again he led all playoff scorers, and again the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.
- When the Penguins were on the brink of financial ruin and potential relocation in 1999, the then-retired Lemieux purchased 35% of the team's stock and got an ownership group together to buy the rest. Still facing significant financial trouble, Lemieux came out of retirement at 35 years old, playing at the league's minimum salary. The publicity generated from his return was more than enough to attract enough fans to the Igloo to save the franchise from financial ruin. Oh, and he finished third in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy that year as well.
- When the Penguins drafted Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux took Crosby under his wing, teaching him everyting he could about hockey as well as allowing Crosby to live in his house in Pittsburgh. This trend has continued to this season, which has led Mondesi's House to dub it "the world's most dominant hockey household."
- As an owner of the Penguins, Lemieux certainly had his commitment to the city of Pittsburgh tested in 2007, when the group that was set to purchase the Penguins from him as well as build a new stadium for them backed out of the deal. Again the team faced uncertainty, and again rumors of relocation surfaced. What did Lemieux do? He struck a new deal that will get the Penguins a new arena and keep them in Pittsburgh for at least 30 more years. After all sides of the agreement became legally binding, Lemieux made it public knowledge that he never intended to relocate the team and was simply using such threats to put pressure on the other parties involved to reach an agreement.
And finally, Mario Lemieux beat cancer in the prime of his playing career and then went on to be just as dominant as ever. Remind you of anyone?
I eagerly await Peter's retort to this post. After both sides have been posted, we'll leave it up to you, the readers, to decide who is right in a good old-fashioned Sixty Feet, Six Inches poll.
I eagerly await Peter's retort to this post. After both sides have been posted, we'll leave it up to you, the readers, to decide who is right in a good old-fashioned Sixty Feet, Six Inches poll.
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