The NHL announced the Pittsburgh Penguins Quarter-Century team on Jan. 9, featuring several memorable names in franchise history.
Today, we want to examine Mario Lemieux‘s tenure with the club and his credentials for being honored on the Penguins’ second team.
Lemieux doesn’t need an introduction to Pittsburgh fans and those who follow hockey. As arguably one of the greatest skaters in NHL history, Lemieux came out of retirement in December 2000 to resume his Hall of Fame career.
When he first retired, his stats included 613 goals, 881 assists, and 1,494 points in just 745 games from 1984 to 1997.
On top of a trophy room worth of NHL hardware, Lemieux remained the only captain in Penguins history to lead the team to a Stanley Cup victory.
Related: Does Mario Lemieux Still Own the Penguins?
After buying the team in late 1999, Lemieux announced his comeback in 2000.
On Dec. 27, 2000, he returned and picked up three points in a 5-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, setting up Jaromir Jagr for a goal just 33 seconds into his first shift.
Unsurprisingly, Lemieux scored 35 goals and 76 points in 43 games to finish second in Hart Trophy voting.
However, his successes were short-lived the following season, as he played only 24 games and registered six goals and 31 points.
At 37, Lemieux played his final “full” season for the Penguins, dressing for 67 games and finishing the year with 28 goals and 91 points.
As the Penguins tumbled to the bottom of the NHL standings in 2003-04, Lemieux played only ten games and had nine points, the first time in his legendary career that he didn’t produce at a point-per-game pace.
After Pittsburgh won the 2005 NHL Draft Lottery and selected Sidney Crosby, Lemieux took the kid under his wing, letting him move into his house while playing on his line.
In Lemieux’s final season in 2005-06, he played in 26 games, scoring seven goals and 22 points. He skated in his final game on Dec. 16, 2005, picking up an assist in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
When Lemieux retired, he owned all the team records for games played, goals, assists, points, and other offensive achievements.
However, these were his totals and ranks among players over the past 25 years:
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Games Played: 170 (55th)
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Goals: 77 (14th)
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Assists: 152 (9th)
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Points: 229 (13th)
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Plus/Minus: Minus-28 (339th)
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Penalty Minutes: 97 (61st)
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Points-Per-Game: 1.35 (2nd)
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Power-play Goals: 35 (10th)
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Power-play Points: 110 (7th)
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Overtime Goals: 2 (14th)
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Game-Winning Goals: 9 (23rd)
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Hat tricks: One
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Awards: NHL’s 100 Greatest Players (2018)
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All-Star Games: 2001, 2002
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Honors: NHL All-Star Team – 2nd (2001)
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Stanley Cup Wins: 2009, 2016, 2017 as Owner
As owner of the Penguins, he helped the franchise get a new arena deal with PPG Paints Arena opening in 2010. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2008 but lost to the Detroit Red Wings.
The two teams met again in 2009, with Crosby leading the Penguins to the championship and Lemieux receiving his first ring as owner.
The duo celebrated Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, Lemieux sold the Penguins to the Fenway Sports Group but kept a stake in the team.
