Pittsburgh Penguins x Mario Lemieux [1988-1992]

Welcome back to Jersey Sunday. This week, I’m showing the uniform of The Magnificent One; Pittsburgh Penguins Mario Lemieux.


I considered having the cresting done from this style, but I was talked into having it look exactly what he wore in his primal years.


I almost gave up on finding the cap to go with this jersey. Most caps I see are with the current or “Robo-Penguin” logo. Surprisingly, I came across this Mitchell and Ness fitted at a very fair price.



Born on 5 October 1965 in Montreal, QC, Mario Lemieux played junior hockey for the presitigious Laval Voisines of the QMJHL. In the 1983-84 season, he broke the league record for most points in a 70 game season with 282 [133 goals, 149 assists]. That fall, he would enter the 1984 NHL Entry Draft.


In 1984, it was definite the Pittsburgh Penguins were selecting the 1st overall pick and Mario Lemieux was the frontrunner. So during the contract negotiations, the young centreman and his agent were not satisfied with the offer. After his official selection, the Montreal native refused to shake hands with then-GM Eddie Jonhston and wear the jersey on stage. However, shortly after the draft, the organization and Lemieux came to a contract they would both agree on.


In his rookie season, he scored his first goal in his first game on his first shot at the Mellon Arena. He played in his first All-Star Game and won the MVP Award. He finished off the year with 100 points and recieved the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie.
In 1988, he won his first Art Ross Trophy scoring 168 points and another Hart Trophy . The season after, he won his second Art Ross Trophy when he scored 199 points.


In 1991, Mario Lemieux's ice time was limited due to a back injury. Taking part in only 26 games, he returned just in time for the post-season. Helping the Pittsburgh Penquins win their first Stanley Cup Championship. He recieved the Conn Smythe Trophy scoring 44 points [one point shy of his regular season total] in 23 games.


The 1992 season was another stellar year for the centreman. Playing in only 64 games due to injuries, his 131 points helped him scoop the Art Ross Trophy. The Penguins made another appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks and Mario Lemieux won his second Art Ross Trophy scoring 34 points in 15 games.


In the 1992-93 season, Mario Lemieux shocked the press when he announced he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells, midway through the season and missed two months of play. Upon his return, he was on a scoring rampage and helped the Penguins to a first place finish. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the second round by the New York Islanders. In a total of only 60 games played, he scored 160 points winning his fourth Art Ross Trophy. He was also awarded his second Hart Memorial Trophy.


Mario Lemieux would dominate the league for the next few years, but also see very little of it. Winning another Hart Trophy in 1996 and two more Art Ross Awards [1996, 1997]. But ongoing back problems forced him to leave the game. He retired in 1997 becoming the only player in history to average more than 2 PPG. That fall, he was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and his #66 was retired by the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.


After his retirement, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in financial turmoil. There were two options for the team; move or fold. Their troubles were turned around when Mario Lemieux stepped in and purchased the team becoming majority owner and chairman. He vowed to keep them in Pittsburgh and not have the city without a hockey club.


In December 2000, Mario Lemieux came out of retirement and back onto the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins becoming the first owner-player in the NHL. He scored one goal and 2 assists against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Mellon Arena. He also played in his 9th NHL All-Star Game that year and helped lead the Penquins to the Eastern Conference Finals where they were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils. He scored 76 points in 43 regular season games and 17 points in 18 playoff games.


He continued to play for four more seasons but as before, was plagued by injuries. He was able to last as long until the 2005-06 season and play alongside another first overall pick, Sidney Crosby. He officially retired early into the 2006 season due to a heart ailment. In 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup and Mario Lemieux won his third championship as owner.


Mario Lemieux's skills were not only limited to the NHL, but in international competition as well. Playing with Team Canada for twenty-one years, he was able to medal in all the games competed. Most notably, he won Gold in the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.


Career Highlights and Achievements:
Calder Award [1985], 3x Stanley Cup Champion ['91, '92, '09], 2x Conn Smythe Award ['91, '92], 3x Hart Trophy ['88, '93, '96], 6x Art Ross Trophy ['88, '89, '92, '93, '96, '97], 10x All-Star ['85, '86, '88-'90, '92, '96, '97, '01, '02], 3x All-Star Game MVP ['85, '88, '90], and Hockey Hall Of Fame inductee [1997].
Additionally, his #66 is retired by the Pittsburgh Penquins and Team Canada. In 1998, he was placed #4 on The Hockey News 100 Greatest Players of All Time.
In 1993, after being cured from Hodgkin's disease, he created The Mario Lemieux Foundation. A charity organization "dedicated to raising funds for cancer research as well as Austin's Playroom Project, an initiative that creates sibling playrooms in medical facilities."


Legends of Hockey: Mario Lemieux

"All I can say to the young players is, enjoy every moment of it. Just enjoy every moment of it. Your career goes by very quickly." - Mario Lemieux