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Hes son never saw him play so he came back from retirement after 3 years. He was still dominant before retirement too. By the way if interested check out Tim Stutzle 2023 highlights, hes 21 from 🇩🇪, very special up incoming player
Mario really is a great human being. I live in Missouri. I've been a Pittsburgh fan since the early 80s. Finally had the time in 2017 to travel to see them in Pittsburgh. Plane layed over in Dallas and who was there, Mario. My wife went over to say hi. He called me over and we sat and talked with him and his wife until time to board. I'm a disabled vet and he seemed interested in my story. He and his wife sat in the back of the plane, not 1st class. Impressed. After we landed in Pittsburgh, we were waiting on luggage and his wife came over and gave my wife a note. We got to the arena that night and spoke to the gentleman that was named on the note. We ended up watching the game in Mario's box with him, his wife, Dupuis, LaRouche and a few others. After the game we got a small tour then went to the locker room and met the team. My son met his favorite: Malkin. And walked away with an autographed jersey. One of the best moments of my life. Thanks to Mario.
When Mario returned from cancer the game was at their most hated rival's rink. They gave him a standing ovation and were known for booing santa claus. 🍻
What is he known for? The most skilled player ever in terms of puck handling, passing, etc. and incredible hockey IQ, along with his size and reach (6'5" tall). As I said before, nothing like him before or since. One of a kind, literally.
Also he didn't get the Gretzky treatment due to his physique, opponents didn't shy away from hooking and holding back in that era, he is the only legend from another era that I can say with certainty that he would still dominate today and, yes, would be better than then. Crosby, Ovi and McDavid would be behind him by 40 to 50 points a year. You are right, one of a kind.
good comment, but i am not so sure about that, the d-men back then were nice, but u thin, that he can pull these moves against a makar ? not sure. and there doesn't always need to be a "the best" Lemieux is a legend and quite deservedly - let's just leave it at that.@@joellafleche1071
Lemieux retired in 1997 because he had back problems. In 1999 he bought the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2000 he came out of retirement because his son that was born around the time of his first retirement never saw him play. So he was a player/owner. He stayed a player until he retired again in 2006. He has two Stanley Cup rings as a player '91 and '92. He also has three rings as an owner '09, '16 and '17.
@@DNReacts Whats crazy is after he came back, despite still dealing with huge nagging injuries, was still a top 3 player in league. One of the years he had best points per game and goals per game in league and was like 38 with huge back problems causing to miss half the games.
Should add that when he bought the team he ended up preventing the team from moving to Kansas City. I am from Pittsburgh and Mario is basically the patron saint of the city.
This man saves the Pittsburgh Penguins twice, they were about to relocate when he got drafted and because of his play people got back into hockey in the city and then he saved them again when he bought the team in the early 2000's
He didn't buy the team in the common way. The team owned him so much deferred money that they couldn't pay. The basically gave him the team for the debt. The team didn't have to file bankruptcy and stayed in Pittsburgh. They have done well with him as owner, I think at least two Stanley cups or maybe three.
First, there was Gordie Howe. He played a physical, powerful game. He was Gretzky before Gretzky was Gretzky. His nickname is "Mr. Hockey", and a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" is a goal, an assist, and a fight in one game. Lots of people played that kind of game up through most of the 80s. Gretzky was like some sort of omniscient angel who was could see 10 seconds into the future. He was amazing because he had great vision for where the play was going to be. Sure he scored a million goals, but he was known for being a passer. When Lemieux came around, he was the first really successful "deker". You see his moves, and they scored lots of goals, but that's not how guys played back then. It was more slapshot and rebound kind of playing. Lemieux was big and powerful, but had a deft touch. Then, he got cancer. It was devastating because at the time, he was second only to Gretzky in how much people admired him. He won back to back cups with Jaromir Jagr in the early 90s, and then his cancer was discovered. What he's known for now, besides all of these things, is that he basically took the Penguins franchise over. The team was in dire straits, and he took over some of the front office work. The reason the Penguins are still around and you have players like Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh is because of the work of Mario Lemieux. I write this as a huge Caps fan, the rival team of the Penguins. Mario is a great player and a good man.
Mario is definitely one of the all time greatest players. 1723 points in just 915 games is absolutely absurd. He was just slightly under Wayne for PPG but to me was a more complete player overall
That goal where he puts the puck in the skates of the defender was agains Ray Bourque of Boston who at the time was considered the best defenseman in the league--made him look like a 12-year-old.
And the guy he stole the puck from that also chased along was Adam Oates, one of the greatest passers in history. He dominated two of the greatest players ever on that one play. And the goalie was probably Andy Moog, a 3-time Cup Winner himself.
Recommended Mario in a previous reaction of yours ( I think Troy Polamalu). A top 10 of Mario Lemieux highlights does not do him justice because he made so many "one of a kind" plays in his career. There had never been a player like him before, there hasn't been a player like him since, and there will never be another player like him ever!
Mario was fantastic! He’s tall for a center forward 6’4” and soon got Hodgkin’s disease which is cancer. He survived and came back and then had back issues. They say towards the end of his career he had to have guys tie his skates. He became the owner of the Penguins and just recently sold them. He also played briefly with Sidney Crosby our current great player. Lots of videos of Sid. Sid is also remarkably talented. Lemieux’s 5 goals 5 ways will probably never be broken. He scored at even strength, Power Play goal, a short handed goal, a penalty shot and empty netter goal. Amazing!!!! Mario has also done so much for young cancer patients in the Pittsburgh area. Great guy! 😍 I would recommend watching some of Sid’s videos like edgework or puck protection.
That final goal was an assist by Jaromir Jagr, a legend himself. When they played together fans made an anagram of his name turning ‘Jaromir’ into ‘Mario jr’. He was that good and still playing today at the age of 51
The story of Mario Lemieux is of now great he was and how great he could have been if not for constant back injuries and cancer. He retired for 3 years (1997-2000)
Incredible what Lemieux could do in tight spaces. In the NHL of the 1990's there was a lot of holding, hooking and grabbing slowing the pace of the game. You can see it in the video. A good part of the reason for Mario's bad back and other ailments that forced him into a 3 1/2 year retirement.
According to Jagr the reason Lemieux came back after 3 seasons is because Lemieux’s son Austin was at a game in Pittsburgh and was in the locker room area and there was a picture of his Dad in his equipment and Austin asked the trainer Steve Lawton who is that? Stunned Lawton responded “that’s your Dad” and Austin who was really young during Mario’s career and had no recollection replied with “my Dad played? And Lawton responded “he was the best in the world”. This conversation got back to Mario and he suited up again so his son would have some recollection of his career and know how great of a player he was.
Not only was he a great player and captain but also a great leader and example; he had Sidney Crosby live with him and his family when he first came into the league (Sid the Kid was just 18) as the #1 first round draft pick in 2005; 21 years after Mario was the #1 first round draft pick. He was mentoring him to become the new captain (I think youngest ever at the time). Who better to learn from than one of the best?! Loving your NHL reactions! Can’t wait for more!
Mario Lemieux is what you get when you max all the stats on your custom character. He's big, he's fast, he's smooth, he's skilled, he's got quick hands, he's smart and strong as a bull. You look today at McDavid, zigging and zagging, ducking and weaving and think wow he's so fast and smooth, he's unstoppable. But then you look at Lemieux take three loping strides through the neutral zone with 2 players hanging off him with sticks in his arms and in his legs, punching and cross checking him and he still picks the top corner and you know what unstoppable really looks like. He's like watching the Ents storm through Isengard and stomping out the orcs. It's not even fair.
His absence for 3 seasons was also due to his battle with cancer. The guys a walking miracle and anyone who was blessed enough to eatch him play witnessed a once in a lifetime player.
Super Mario was the ultimate combo of speed, size, and skill. He had some unfortunate medical issues during his career, and a lot of hockey fans (especially Penguins fans) argue that it cut him short from beating Gretzky’s scoring records. A player recently broke out in the NHL named Tage Thompson. While we’ll probably never see another Super Mario again, Tage has shown some flashes that are very Lemieux-esque. He’s like 6’7”, but has the speed and skill to make him a danger from anywhere around the net.
To be as big as he was, with such silky hands is ridiculous. He's a multi-generational player and I haven't seen anyone comparable since. It's a shame that his career was cut short. But seeing him back playing with Jagr was amazing. Glad that was #1.
He was legendary and a Hall of Famer, no doubt. The fact he came back to play after suffering non-hodgkins lymphoma just adds to his legacy. Hope you check out Bobby Orr soon!
Thank you for correcting my mistake.I had a family member who had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I should have been thorough in my response and checked to see which one Mario Lemieux had. I do know that a certain type of cell in the body makes the distinction between Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It's called Reed-Sternberg cells. Thanks again for making me aware of my mistake. It wasn't my intent to deceive anyone, just a regrettable lapse of fact checking on my part.@@kristiankamph4334
This one warmed my cockles, boys! Mario is such a great story. I can't tell you a more influential figure in Pittsburgh hockey, and he is probably in contention for the top spot in all of Pittsburgh sports (and PGH is a HUGH sports town). As others have mentioned he pretty much saved the team twice and ensured that the Pens would be in PGH for a long time when he co-purchased the team and helped secure the new arena we have now. Thanks for the video!
Lemieux was plagued by back injuries and hodgkins disease. Since he was a large player himself he never had protection like Gretzky had. Players took liberties on him and he had major back problems from it. I remember him at times only being able to play half a game, he had to have somebody tie his skates every game as he was unable to, yet he still put up almost 2 points a game. When he came back from hodgkins he put up 56 points in 20 games, unheard of. He retired young because of the back, but then his son started to ask questions and Mario came back just to show his son how good he was, so that was when they mentioned the absence of 3 years and subsequent return.
@@marthamoore798Lemieux the most talented ever but the greatest is Wayne. Lemieux second followed by Orr and then Howe. But those guys would put Gordie #1.
Lemieux was bigger than he looks, he was faster than he looks, and he had a very deceptive shot. Look up the interview with Dominic Roussel about being in goal for his first night back from Cancer. More of the story about the 1992-93 season, Lemieux was on pace to beat Gretzky's single season scoring mark, then he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and missed 20 games. He comes back, he's 12 points behind Pat LaFontaine in the scoring race. LaFontaine had an incredible season, that would've been good enough for a scoring title any other year. Lemieux comes back, scores 48 points over his last 17 games, and wins the scoring title by 12. As others have mentioned, he saved hockey in Pittsburgh twice. He is the only person to score a goal all 5 ways in a single game (Even strength, Power Play, Short-Handed, Penalty Shot, and Empty Net).
He retired in 97' from back problems. when he came back in 2000 he wanted to show his son that he was a pro hockey player and that he was pretty good. not joking look it up Jagr confirms the story. As you heard in the story his kid was excited he was going to play with Jagr. His son was young when he retired so he didnt really see his dad as everyone else did.
Simply the best. the name of the longtime Penguins announcer is Mike Lange. He spent 46 years and their announcer until he retired 2 years ago. He has a lot of catchphrases that he used. Below is a link to a video featuring just 10 of them. ruclips.net/video/R60p5EgLP30/видео.html You could probably do multiple reaction videos on Mr. Lange he had so many catchphrases.
In his time, he was one of the 2 best players in the world for basically his entire career. The game has changed so much that it's difficult to compare his career with modern players. Without the use of time travel, we'll never really know how they all stack up against each other. Unfortunately, looking at point totals and awards is flawed. But we can definitely say he was one of the best players in the world for his time.
Mario would put to shame current era players, no doubt in my mind! If he has the same tools, same training and diet of today, pffft he'd be all alone in his category. Man was being slashed, hooked, held and didn't have an enforcer to back him up, he had great teammate but before Jagr all average. Oh and the stick?!?! Playing with a flat surface wooden blade and no flex in the shaft?! Call me delusionnal but ahead by 40 to 50 over the entire league.
@@joellafleche1071 If you have no doubt at all, then you're way on the left side of the Dunning-Kruger chart for sure. All we can say is that he was much better than his competition - that's all the actual evidence we have. It is very possible 10 or 20 or even 50 or 100 players have surpassed him in terms of skill since then but the modern competition is tighter, not to mention many rules have changed. Training is better. Diets are better. Without time-travelling MacKinnon/McDavid to the past and vice/versa, there is no way to compare. None. Just watching Matthews and McDavid play though, I would suspect they would have 200+ points in the 80's as well. Probably much higher than that. I wouldn't shock me if they had 300 or 400 points. I can't prove it - but unlike you, I do have doubts and I can see it happening.
The Goal in 1991 has been most played was in 1991 Stanley Cup final against the Minnesota North Stars he fool Defensemans and the Goalie showing the Great talent he was!
There are videos out there of Lemieux highlights that show much, much more than this. Basically every game he played he did something spectacular. He first retired because he did not like how the game was being dictated, lot of clutching and grabbing to slow the skilled players down. He was also drained from the chemo treatments and his back was still bothering him.
Lemieux had so many things going for him. He had skill with the puck, extremely accurate shot, great vision (they should have shown some of his brilliant assists, but for some reason most highlight videos just show goals) and could skate well for a big man. Size and speed and agility are usually a compromise in hockey forwards. Hockey players are closer to average height and moderate weight than some other NA sports, though size is still quite desirable for defensemen and goaltenders. They are a bit bigger than soccer/football players, probably because of the body contact element in ice hockey. But Lemieux knew how to use his size and also where to be on the ice to be one step ahead of the opposition while being fairly fast. He was very deceptive and crafty which gave him the elusiveness of a smaller player, but also could take advantage of a longer reach than most.
Nice comment about his vision/assists. I too wish there were more clips of him doing crazy passes. The 2006 Olympics Kariya assist (which doesn't even count as one) is the only highlighted one
you guys gotta react to Sidney Crosby and / or Evgeni Malkin as well. great video! Mario won 2 cups in 91 and 92 and won 3 more as the owner of the Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin were on those teams and still are playing with the Penguins
The first game I ever saw live was in the old Chicago Stadium, the loudest arena ever made and it was the 1992 nhl finals vs Pittsburgh and got to see super Mario and Jagr absolutely destroy my Hawks lol
@DNReacts you guys should rank your favorite of all the hockey jerseys ("sweaters" as hockey fans call them) blackhawks home red always wins this poll but I'm curious which is your favorite ones
Greatest talent ever to skate. Too bad he had so many injuries, back surgery, and the cancer, but still, the best ever. And remember you are watching someone who is 6'5" tall and about 220lbs. Much of his career was played in significant back pain and he still did all of this. One of the most amazing things besides the cancer year where he still led the league in scoring is that he retired at age 32 because he was tired of the pain AND the constant grabbing then permitted in the game, but 3.5 years later came back in mid-season playing in only 43 remaining games and scoring 35 goals and 41 assists at age 35--this after taking 44 months off from hockey (when a 50 goal and 100 point season is considered a great individual year and he only played half the season). Also, he had a 199 point season in his career even though he missed 6 games. Fact is, he never was healthy enough in any one year to play a full season. Nothing like him before or since.
I'll always remember those 43 games he played, every morning I was rushing to get the newspaper head to the spot section and NHL leaders, every single time I couldn't believe the pace and rythm he was accumulating points like he was shooting an empty net during pre0game practice
On top of what a lot of people have said here him just being an absolute stud on the ice... He also saved the team. The Penguins were going to move to Kansas City but he helped stop that. Then we drafted Sidney Crosby and the rest is history. He is BEYOND loved in Pittsburgh. Does tons of work for Hodgkin's disease research and hes just awesome. The reason he retired for that 3 year period was he had major back issues. Near the end of his first run before he retired he couldn't even tie his own skates. He decided to come back because the team was in such financial trouble that he came back to get people back in the building. Those teams were tons of fun but in the end they had to sell of a lot of guys and rebuild. Also you guys reacting to Mike Langes commentary is really great. He has TONS more of that stuff. You should look that up. Really great stuff.
Lemieux had to retire in '97 because of a bad back . Came out of retirement after buying the Penguins and becoming a player/ owner. He is known as Le Magnifique and he and Gretzky are interchangeable as far as the two best players in history. There will NEVER be another Mario Lemieux.
Mario is the greatest hockey player who ever lived. Period. Gretzky often gets that title because of all the points he scored, but Gretzky played most of his career before the clutching and grabbing era and before goalie pad sizes go bigger. Even tho Mario played in that low scoring era, he would have most likely passed Gretzky in points if he didn't have cancer, didn't have debilitating back issues where he couldn't even tie his own skates before games and didn't have to retire for 3 1/2 seasons. An example of how great Mario was is the season he missed 26 games due to chemo treatments for cancer, he came back and ended up winning the scoring title that year. He had his last chemo treatment, got on a plane and flew into Philly to play that night. But for all his great accolades on the ice, the greatest thing he did was save the Penguins by buying them when they went through bankruptcy, just to keep them in Pittsburgh. He has Kinglike status in Pittsburgh and will forever be a Pittsburgh hero.
There’s certainly a case for saying that Mario is the GOAT, but you’re way off saying that Gretzky didn’t play during the clutching a grabbing era. I remember that era well-clutching and grabbing happened all the time.
Another crazy thing; most of these guys he's posterizing are legends, all-stars, and some top-10 all timers. Insane stuff. It seemed like he had a bubble around him, and if the puck went into that bubble, whether he touches it or not, it ends up in the other net.
I grew up watching Mario, and as soon as I saw this title, I said "Well #1 has GOT TO be 5 Goals/5 Ways" and I still maintain that it was -- not just the best of his career, but in hockey history. TO THIS DAY, no one has repeated that feat. Not Bobby Orr, not Bobby Hull, not Gordie Howe, not even Wayne Gretzky. I once watched a documentary where they interviewed a bunch of hockey players and sports writers about who was better, Mario or Gretzky? and they all said Wayne because he played with more passion, but Mario was like a well-oiled machine who just couldn't do wrong, and that's why I disagreed with the conclusion. If the Japanese ever made a hockey robot (and you know it would be the Japanese who would) they would program it to mimic Mario's moves. There's a conspiracy theory (even their coaches from the time accused them) that the team intentionally threw a bunch of games in '83 so that they'd get the first draft pick when Mario came available.
Gretzky is the greatest. Mario could’ve been but he battled back issues and cancer throughout his career. I remember his return in 2000. Very emotional.
You guys should go back and watch the goal at 4:20, he literally puts the stick between his leg and scores. I’m not sure how that isn’t on the top of the list, that was one of the most amazing goals I’ve ever ever seen.
Lemieux was one of the most dominant players in NHL history, if not the most dominant. Incredible hands, incredible size, incredible skating and incredible vision. The only thing that kept him from beating Gretzky’s records (or coming damn close) was health issues - besides the cancer diagnosis in 93, he missed all of the 1995 season with back issues before taking a three-year retirement following the 1997 season. Of course, he was such a god-tier player, that when he came back in 2000, even after three years away from the game, he still put up 35 goals and 41 assists in just 43 games (over a full 82-game season, that would be a 145 point pace). Oh, and he was also the owner of the team at that point, too. Just a legend.
My personal top 3 after 50 years of being a dedicated fan of hockey 1 - Bobby Orr 2 - Mario Lemieux 3 - Wayne Gretzky After them is an enormous glut of fantastic players - Jaromir Jagr, Peter Forsberg, Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard, Cam Neely, Alex Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Sidney Crosby, Pavel Bure, Mark Messier, Gordie (Mr Hockey) Howe, the three members of famed Kraut Line, Ted Lindsay, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Patrice Bergeron, Paul Coffey, Raymond Bourque, Guy Lafleur (Mario said he wanted to be like Guy), Larry Robinson - off the top of my head... I am sure I am missing a few - point is that my top 3 are generally considered the best of all time (if not necessarily in the order I've placed them)
Let me explain, if we consider that hockey is a war, then Bergeron is my first choice. Every championship team should have such hard workers! But what is more important than the show or the result? How to get the perfect balance. 😉
Great content guys, Rick Jeanneret passed away Thursday. He was the voice of the Buffalo Sabres for the first 51 yrs of their existence. He was known by the entire league and fans for having the most inventive spur of the moment play by play commentary. I think you would get a real kick out of hearing some of his more memorable calls. I'm a Leafs fan, but I truly enjoyed listening to RJ, RIP!
One could argue that with Mario, Jagr, Crosby that the Penguins franchise have had all, in their primes, arguably the 2nd,3rd and 4th best players in NHL history play for them. With Wayne of course being Number 1 all time.
He also has probably the greatest ever regular season in any of the CHL leagues in his last season of junior with: 70 Games played; 133 goals; 149 assists; for 282 points.
No 8, I was there, in the seats right above the Leaf net. I got to see Gretzky, Lemieux and Yzermen destroy the sad sack 80s Leafs in the handful of games I saw at the Garden.
To put his career in perspective for you. Gretzky has enough assists to be the NHL's all time points leader without ever scoring. Gretzky's career points per game was 1.92. Lemieux's career points per game was 1.88. Just 0.04 less. Mario had 1700 points in the NHL and barely played 900 games. The guy missed several years worth of games due to cancer and severe back injuries. There was a season he won the scoring title but had to get the staff to tie/untie his skates for most of the year because his back was so wrecked. I think he's the best player ever and never got to show it.
It’s true that hockey is a fast sport and for newcomers to the game, aside from learning all the new rules and gameplay tactics/transitions, one is thankful for the video replay. But for those of us who grew up watching hockey I guess the best way to explain it is that you just know where the puck is at all times. But sometimes I try to think as a newcomer to the game and imagine them watching both on television and live in game, and it does certainly occur to me that the puck is a hard thing to find on such a large surface.
So, the crazy thing is that Lemieux had back problems so bad he had to stand during flights and couldn't even tie his own skate laces. Despite that, he was consistently over a point per game average every season even well into his 30s. Here's a ridiculous stat; Mario only played 915 games in his career. He was never able to play a full season in the NHL due to injury and other reasons, but was still able to rack up 1,723 points, good for 8th all time. Excluding the 3 years he missed due to his first retirement, he missed about 500 games, a little more than half of the games he has on record. Extrapolating that with his point total of 1,723, that comes out to around an extra 900 points he missed out on, to reach a total of about 2,600 points. And that's quite a conservative estimate too, if you consider some of the rates that he was scoring at during the late 80s and early 90s. If we wanted to get ridiculous and add the 3 years he missed, that would come out to about another 240-250 games which, since it was the "dead-puck era" at the time during the late 90s (a time where a play called the neutral zone trap made popular by the New Jersey Devils choked out any form of offense in the league), we'll go ahead and pull back the estimate to probably 300 or 350 additional points. That puts Mario up to about 2,900-2,950 total career points. For reference, Wayne Gretzky has 2,857. Mario could be the present day all-time points leader if it wasn't for all the injuries. Heck, if he really wanted to, he might have been the only player with 3,000 points. Gretzky is the all-time points leader by a wide margin because he had a great hockey IQ that generated all that offense. (not to mention a group of bodyguards to protect him at all times but we won't get into that) But Mario Lemieux had the talent. He could turn a 1 on 2 into a breakaway, he could beat you forehand, backhand, and he was too damn big and strong to just simply knock off the puck. Even if he got tripped or hooked, his determination to stick with the play until the very end was unmatched.
Gretzky has said Lemieux was probably a better scorer than he was. There's an arguable case that Lemieux may have put up better numbers than Gretzky if his career hadn't been plagued with injuries. Not taking anything at all away from Gretzky, just pointing out how great Lemieux was. Lemieux had strengths over Gretzky and Gretzky had strengths over Lemieux. Both are just absolutely incredible players. 2 of the greatest players to ever play the game of Hockey.
Really, really miss Lemieux and Jagr carrying Pittsburgh in the early 90s when the Steelers were horrid and the Pirates were done being successful for about 30 years. The city genuinely needed them.
Steelers in the 90's were pretty good though. Just constantly choking in AFC championship home games. And to this day I'm convinced that Neil O'Donnell was paid to throw the super bowl
In Feb of 2023 The Athletic concluded their NHL99 list 'The Top 99 players of the modern era' Gretky was 1, Lemieux 2 Here's what legendary coach Scotty Bowman had to say about that... “He's No. 2, huh?” said Scotty Bowman, the NHL's winningest coach, of Mario Lemieux, the second-ranked player on The Athletic's list of the greatest players of the modern era of the NHL. “You might have him too low. Mario's the best player that ever lived.”
Without Mario, there is no hockey in Pittsburgh. It's simple as that. Team was almost bankrupt, and there were noises about them moving to Kansas City. Mario buys the team and comes out of retirement as an owner/player. He played until midway through the 05-06 season. We hold him in very high esteem here, only behind Franco Harris (Steelers) in the world of sports figures.
One of his best highlights is without even touching the puck. During the Salt Lake City Olympics I think which lead to Paul Kariya goal against the US.
@@DNReacts eventually I'm going to get a couple Olympic requests/recommends for you guys in the Discord and yes the dummy from 2002 Gold Medal Game is incredible.
just a fun tad of info for ya from canada. I primarily watch Sportsnet up here as it has the most hockey coverage and they of course to "top ten" lists of all types. They did a top 100 hockey players of all time some years back (decade or so). In that list they would bring up players who would comment on their picks. Wayne the Great One was third and when it came to number one it was Mario. Wayne vouched for him in the fact that Mario was in fact the best skilled player in his opinion of all time. says alot. Keep the vids coming boys. Love seeing your reaction to our game up here.
Things Mario is known for.... Having Cancer, Missing half the season and still winning the scoring championship. Retiring becoming the owner of the team he played for because they couldn't pay him and then unretiring 4 years later and winning the scoring tittle. Showing off incredible goals every night almost. Undressing the defence or the entire team. And yeah being just an all around player as well he played in all phases of the game.
I believe he wore 66 because it was distinctive. Also, I think he was 6-foot 6" tall. One of the three best players to ever strap the skates on. As a Devils fan, I hated him -- had the Penguins won one more game the year before, Lemieux would have been a New Jersey Devil. But you couldn't deny the talent, the power, the smooth skating. Total package. p.s. If your eyes hurt trying to follow the game, try this: don't watch the puck. If you're concentrating on the puck, you miss the game. Either watch the player with the puck or look for the patch of white on the screen, because that's where both the player and the puck are headed.
Even with "era adjusted stats", the arguments over who was better than who or the best of all time will never be settled. Although, they are interesting. My own test is imagining I was the G.M. picking a Canadian team to play the Russians, and I had access to all the players at their peak. I guess from a working class perspective, I'm interested in "who can get the fricken job done?" Even if I'm a big fan of advanced stats. Hockey has too many intangibles to go strictly by numbers. That's why Boomers will still argue that Bobby Orr is the GOAT. Numbers don't indicate so, but his impact on the game was revolutionary, and something not seen since. To me, it's a toss up between Lemieux and Gretzky.
The #2 goal (the consensus best goal of his career) is absolutely an amazing goal, but #6 is on a level of its own. Ray Bourque is one of the best all-around defenders in league history, and Mario makes him look like a beer-league newbie. Mario, like a lot of other large finesse players in the 80s and 90s, suffered a lot physically and statistically because of the nature of the game. Mario retired in 1997 because of excruciating back injuries, caused by hooking with the stick, grabbing with the hands, and general contact behind the play that were all allowed to an egregious degree. In today's NHL where things are much more closely officiated, someone like Lemieux would destroy the league. What he did in the career he did have was still amazing. Only Gretzky has more points per game than him while playing at least 500 games, and that's only because Mario's final couple of years after returning from retirement, though still amazing even in the context of other players in the league at the time, weren't as productive as his peak.
Gretzky is the only option for the GOAT of hockey so there is never a discussion. The discussion is for 2nd if its Lemieux or Orr Also #6 vs Bourque is the greatest Lemieux highlight skill wise, Canada cup famous wise.
That's when hockey was hockey. Not this game they play now. When they won his first cup. Equipment changes from thin. To flippeb Kevlar it felt. When ya hit someone. Watch some of the canada cup from that ti.e 87'. Also have to remember. That was like only time professional players. Seen or had time to play together on international level. Gretzky. Mario. Borque. Even Sakic Steve y. Before. Pros allowed in Olympics . Medical retire 3 years . 87 Canada cup.
Imagine Barcelona FC is going to bankrupt, n Messi came to buy the team out from bankruptcy n play again. This was what Mario did for Pittsburgh penguins. Gretzky is like Xavi or Zidane, Assist goals. Mario is like Ronaldo 9. Only illness n injuries could hold him back.
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Hes son never saw him play so he came back from retirement after 3 years. He was still dominant before retirement too.
By the way if interested check out Tim Stutzle 2023 highlights, hes 21 from 🇩🇪, very special up incoming player
ya, mike lange, announcer for the penguins, check out his calls... "heeeeeee beat him like a rented mule!" just one of many wtf gems.
He doesn't know whether to cry or wind his watch.
Mario really is a great human being. I live in Missouri. I've been a Pittsburgh fan since the early 80s. Finally had the time in 2017 to travel to see them in Pittsburgh. Plane layed over in Dallas and who was there, Mario. My wife went over to say hi. He called me over and we sat and talked with him and his wife until time to board. I'm a disabled vet and he seemed interested in my story.
He and his wife sat in the back of the plane, not 1st class. Impressed.
After we landed in Pittsburgh, we were waiting on luggage and his wife came over and gave my wife a note. We got to the arena that night and spoke to the gentleman that was named on the note.
We ended up watching the game in Mario's box with him, his wife, Dupuis, LaRouche and a few others. After the game we got a small tour then went to the locker room and met the team. My son met his favorite: Malkin. And walked away with an autographed jersey.
One of the best moments of my life. Thanks to Mario.
When Mario returned from cancer the game was at their most hated rival's rink. They gave him a standing ovation and were known for booing santa claus. 🍻
If his body wasn’t trying to kill him his entire career , he would’ve crushed every record !
He’s the true GOAT
Such a great player, and seemed like a really nice guy on top of that. An extra added bonus
The best!
What is he known for? The most skilled player ever in terms of puck handling, passing, etc. and incredible hockey IQ, along with his size and reach (6'5" tall). As I said before, nothing like him before or since. One of a kind, literally.
Also he didn't get the Gretzky treatment due to his physique, opponents didn't shy away from hooking and holding back in that era, he is the only legend from another era that I can say with certainty that he would still dominate today and, yes, would be better than then. Crosby, Ovi and McDavid would be behind him by 40 to 50 points a year.
You are right, one of a kind.
Except for his teammate Jaromír Jágr (6'3"), which is a remarkable coincidence.
I might be biased given where I'm from, but I'd give the stick handling award to Pavel Datsyuk.
@atheos19 I still don't think I'm wrong. Have you seen the way Pavel handles the puck? There's a reason the called him "the magic man"
good comment, but i am not so sure about that, the d-men back then were nice, but u thin, that he can pull these moves against a makar ? not sure.
and there doesn't always need to be a "the best"
Lemieux is a legend and quite deservedly - let's just leave it at that.@@joellafleche1071
Lemieux retired in 1997 because he had back problems.
In 1999 he bought the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2000 he came out of retirement because his son that was born around the time of his first retirement never saw him play. So he was a player/owner. He stayed a player until he retired again in 2006.
He has two Stanley Cup rings as a player '91 and '92. He also has three rings as an owner '09, '16 and '17.
Appreciate the comment, thank you 🙏
@@DNReacts Whats crazy is after he came back, despite still dealing with huge nagging injuries, was still a top 3 player in league. One of the years he had best points per game and goals per game in league and was like 38 with huge back problems causing to miss half the games.
he only played 43 games in 00 01 when he came back and he had 76 points @@alessandroscuderi7300
Should add that when he bought the team he ended up preventing the team from moving to Kansas City. I am from Pittsburgh and Mario is basically the patron saint of the city.
His comeback also made it possible for him to pass the torch to Crosby in a way. Mario was incredible.
The Canada Cup goal assisted by Wayne Gretzky to beat the Russians is probably his most famous goal.
Nah, it's his goal vs Minny. Canada cup goal is only big in Canada.
@@jjrod2988
No, its big all over the world. Canada is the #1 hockey nation in the world. Go Canada go!
@@berndgreis816 that game had the attention of two countries. The Stanley cup final has a far more broad audience.
This man saves the Pittsburgh Penguins twice, they were about to relocate when he got drafted and because of his play people got back into hockey in the city and then he saved them again when he bought the team in the early 2000's
Wow, didn’t know this! That’s incredible. Thanks for the comment
He didn't buy the team in the common way. The team owned him so much deferred money that they couldn't pay. The basically gave him the team for the debt. The team didn't have to file bankruptcy and stayed in Pittsburgh. They have done well with him as owner, I think at least two Stanley cups or maybe three.
@@garysimmons417I think three. He broke my red wings heart in 09’ rip
@@DNReactshe also played for free for a long time. The team was bankrupt and he told them not to pay him.
@@morrissette1that is how they owed him so much
First, there was Gordie Howe. He played a physical, powerful game. He was Gretzky before Gretzky was Gretzky. His nickname is "Mr. Hockey", and a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" is a goal, an assist, and a fight in one game. Lots of people played that kind of game up through most of the 80s. Gretzky was like some sort of omniscient angel who was could see 10 seconds into the future. He was amazing because he had great vision for where the play was going to be. Sure he scored a million goals, but he was known for being a passer. When Lemieux came around, he was the first really successful "deker". You see his moves, and they scored lots of goals, but that's not how guys played back then. It was more slapshot and rebound kind of playing. Lemieux was big and powerful, but had a deft touch.
Then, he got cancer. It was devastating because at the time, he was second only to Gretzky in how much people admired him. He won back to back cups with Jaromir Jagr in the early 90s, and then his cancer was discovered.
What he's known for now, besides all of these things, is that he basically took the Penguins franchise over. The team was in dire straits, and he took over some of the front office work. The reason the Penguins are still around and you have players like Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh is because of the work of Mario Lemieux. I write this as a huge Caps fan, the rival team of the Penguins. Mario is a great player and a good man.
Mario is definitely one of the all time greatest players. 1723 points in just 915 games is absolutely absurd. He was just slightly under Wayne for PPG but to me was a more complete player overall
Gordie actually only had a few "Gordie Howe Hat Tricks" in his entire career because most players were afraid to fight him. Look it up.
That goal where he puts the puck in the skates of the defender was agains Ray Bourque of Boston who at the time was considered the best defenseman in the league--made him look like a 12-year-old.
Wow! Was an incredible play!
Bourque is probably one of the greatest defencemen to ever play the game... Bobby Orr maybe... Erik Karlsson to me has a special place to.
And the guy he stole the puck from that also chased along was Adam Oates, one of the greatest passers in history. He dominated two of the greatest players ever on that one play. And the goalie was probably Andy Moog, a 3-time Cup Winner himself.
Recommended Mario in a previous reaction of yours ( I think Troy Polamalu). A top 10 of Mario Lemieux highlights does not do him justice because he made so many "one of a kind" plays in his career. There had never been a player like him before, there hasn't been a player like him since, and there will never be another player like him ever!
ya I don't know anyone whose goat list doesn't start with gretz/mario, longer vid!
Agreed, this should be "Mario's top 500"
As a Caps fan I despise the Penguins, but I've got nothing but the umost respect and admiration for #66
Mario was fantastic! He’s tall for a center forward 6’4” and soon got Hodgkin’s disease which is cancer. He survived and came back and then had back issues. They say towards the end of his career he had to have guys tie his skates. He became the owner of the Penguins and just recently sold them. He also played briefly with Sidney Crosby our current great player. Lots of videos of Sid. Sid is also remarkably talented. Lemieux’s 5 goals 5 ways will probably never be broken. He scored at even strength, Power Play goal, a short handed goal, a penalty shot and empty netter goal. Amazing!!!! Mario has also done so much for young cancer patients in the Pittsburgh area. Great guy! 😍 I would recommend watching some of Sid’s videos like edgework or puck protection.
That final goal was an assist by Jaromir Jagr, a legend himself. When they played together fans made an anagram of his name turning ‘Jaromir’ into ‘Mario jr’. He was that good and still playing today at the age of 51
The story of Mario Lemieux is of now great he was and how great he could have been if not for constant back injuries and cancer.
He retired for 3 years (1997-2000)
Ah it was retirement, thank you for the info and comment 🙏
Incredible what Lemieux could do in tight spaces. In the NHL of the 1990's there was a lot of holding, hooking and grabbing slowing the pace of the game. You can see it in the video. A good part of the reason for Mario's bad back and other ailments that forced him into a 3 1/2 year retirement.
According to Jagr the reason Lemieux came back after 3 seasons is because Lemieux’s son Austin was at a game in Pittsburgh and was in the locker room area and there was a picture of his Dad in his equipment and Austin asked the trainer Steve Lawton who is that? Stunned Lawton responded “that’s your Dad” and Austin who was really young during Mario’s career and had no recollection replied with “my Dad played? And Lawton responded “he was the best in the world”. This conversation got back to Mario and he suited up again so his son would have some recollection of his career and know how great of a player he was.
Not only was he a great player and captain but also a great leader and example; he had Sidney Crosby live with him and his family when he first came into the league (Sid the Kid was just 18) as the #1 first round draft pick in 2005; 21 years after Mario was the #1 first round draft pick. He was mentoring him to become the new captain (I think youngest ever at the time). Who better to learn from than one of the best?!
Loving your NHL reactions! Can’t wait for more!
Thank you, appreciate the info and the support 🙏
Mario Lemieux is what you get when you max all the stats on your custom character. He's big, he's fast, he's smooth, he's skilled, he's got quick hands, he's smart and strong as a bull. You look today at McDavid, zigging and zagging, ducking and weaving and think wow he's so fast and smooth, he's unstoppable. But then you look at Lemieux take three loping strides through the neutral zone with 2 players hanging off him with sticks in his arms and in his legs, punching and cross checking him and he still picks the top corner and you know what unstoppable really looks like. He's like watching the Ents storm through Isengard and stomping out the orcs. It's not even fair.
His absence for 3 seasons was also due to his battle with cancer. The guys a walking miracle and anyone who was blessed enough to eatch him play witnessed a once in a lifetime player.
You guys should watch the Canada Cup (1987), where he and Wayne Gretsky played together.....amazing stuff.
That no look pass by Gretsky with the goal by Lemieux... Pretty great.
2002 Olympic Gold Medal Game. First goal by Canada. Lemieux smartest play ever and doesn’t even touch the puck.
Mario Lemieux was the greatest along Side Wayne Gretzky he won 2 Stanley Cups, 6 Art Ross, 3 Hart, and 2 Conn Smythe trophys!
That is definitely a great collection 🏆
Super Mario was the ultimate combo of speed, size, and skill. He had some unfortunate medical issues during his career, and a lot of hockey fans (especially Penguins fans) argue that it cut him short from beating Gretzky’s scoring records.
A player recently broke out in the NHL named Tage Thompson. While we’ll probably never see another Super Mario again, Tage has shown some flashes that are very Lemieux-esque. He’s like 6’7”, but has the speed and skill to make him a danger from anywhere around the net.
To be as big as he was, with such silky hands is ridiculous. He's a multi-generational player and I haven't seen anyone comparable since. It's a shame that his career was cut short. But seeing him back playing with Jagr was amazing. Glad that was #1.
He was legendary and a Hall of Famer, no doubt. The fact he came back to play after suffering non-hodgkins lymphoma just adds to his legacy. Hope you check out Bobby Orr soon!
hodgkins lymphoma, not non-hodgkins lymphoma
Thank you for correcting my mistake.I had a family member who had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I should have been thorough in my response and checked to see which one Mario Lemieux had. I do know that a certain type of cell in the body makes the distinction between Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It's called Reed-Sternberg cells. Thanks again for making me aware of my mistake. It wasn't my intent to deceive anyone, just a regrettable lapse of fact checking on my part.@@kristiankamph4334
This one warmed my cockles, boys! Mario is such a great story. I can't tell you a more influential figure in Pittsburgh hockey, and he is probably in contention for the top spot in all of Pittsburgh sports (and PGH is a HUGH sports town). As others have mentioned he pretty much saved the team twice and ensured that the Pens would be in PGH for a long time when he co-purchased the team and helped secure the new arena we have now.
Thanks for the video!
Lemieux was plagued by back injuries and hodgkins disease. Since he was a large player himself he never had protection like Gretzky had. Players took liberties on him and he had major back problems from it. I remember him at times only being able to play half a game, he had to have somebody tie his skates every game as he was unable to, yet he still put up almost 2 points a game. When he came back from hodgkins he put up 56 points in 20 games, unheard of. He retired young because of the back, but then his son started to ask questions and Mario came back just to show his son how good he was, so that was when they mentioned the absence of 3 years and subsequent return.
Definitely Top 3 in GOAT conversation. Hard to choose between him, Gretzky, and Orr.
Need to look at Wayne Gretsky (The Great One), Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe for sure
@@marthamoore798Lemieux the most talented ever but the greatest is Wayne. Lemieux second followed by Orr and then Howe. But those guys would put Gordie #1.
One of the greatest players to hit the ice. Just a tremendous hockey player.
Love this! He was such an awesome watch, such a great guy too
Lemieux was bigger than he looks, he was faster than he looks, and he had a very deceptive shot. Look up the interview with Dominic Roussel about being in goal for his first night back from Cancer. More of the story about the 1992-93 season, Lemieux was on pace to beat Gretzky's single season scoring mark, then he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and missed 20 games. He comes back, he's 12 points behind Pat LaFontaine in the scoring race. LaFontaine had an incredible season, that would've been good enough for a scoring title any other year. Lemieux comes back, scores 48 points over his last 17 games, and wins the scoring title by 12. As others have mentioned, he saved hockey in Pittsburgh twice. He is the only person to score a goal all 5 ways in a single game (Even strength, Power Play, Short-Handed, Penalty Shot, and Empty Net).
He retired in 97' from back problems. when he came back in 2000 he wanted to show his son that he was a pro hockey player and that he was pretty good. not joking look it up Jagr confirms the story. As you heard in the story his kid was excited he was going to play with Jagr. His son was young when he retired so he didnt really see his dad as everyone else did.
Simply the best. the name of the longtime Penguins announcer is Mike Lange. He spent 46 years and their announcer until he retired 2 years ago. He has a lot of catchphrases that he used. Below is a link to a video featuring just 10 of them.
ruclips.net/video/R60p5EgLP30/видео.html
You could probably do multiple reaction videos on Mr. Lange he had so many catchphrases.
In his time, he was one of the 2 best players in the world for basically his entire career. The game has changed so much that it's difficult to compare his career with modern players. Without the use of time travel, we'll never really know how they all stack up against each other. Unfortunately, looking at point totals and awards is flawed. But we can definitely say he was one of the best players in the world for his time.
Makes sense, appreciate the info and comment 🙏
Mario would put to shame current era players, no doubt in my mind! If he has the same tools, same training and diet of today, pffft he'd be all alone in his category.
Man was being slashed, hooked, held and didn't have an enforcer to back him up, he had great teammate but before Jagr all average. Oh and the stick?!?! Playing with a flat surface wooden blade and no flex in the shaft?! Call me delusionnal but ahead by 40 to 50 over the entire league.
@@joellafleche1071 If you have no doubt at all, then you're way on the left side of the Dunning-Kruger chart for sure. All we can say is that he was much better than his competition - that's all the actual evidence we have. It is very possible 10 or 20 or even 50 or 100 players have surpassed him in terms of skill since then but the modern competition is tighter, not to mention many rules have changed. Training is better. Diets are better. Without time-travelling MacKinnon/McDavid to the past and vice/versa, there is no way to compare. None. Just watching Matthews and McDavid play though, I would suspect they would have 200+ points in the 80's as well. Probably much higher than that. I wouldn't shock me if they had 300 or 400 points. I can't prove it - but unlike you, I do have doubts and I can see it happening.
The Goal in 1991 has been most played was in 1991 Stanley Cup final against the Minnesota North Stars he fool Defensemans and the Goalie showing the Great talent he was!
There are videos out there of Lemieux highlights that show much, much more than this. Basically every game he played he did something spectacular. He first retired because he did not like how the game was being dictated, lot of clutching and grabbing to slow the skilled players down. He was also drained from the chemo treatments and his back was still bothering him.
Lemieux had so many things going for him. He had skill with the puck, extremely accurate shot, great vision (they should have shown some of his brilliant assists, but for some reason most highlight videos just show goals) and could skate well for a big man.
Size and speed and agility are usually a compromise in hockey forwards. Hockey players are closer to average height and moderate weight than some other NA sports, though size is still quite desirable for defensemen and goaltenders. They are a bit bigger than soccer/football players, probably because of the body contact element in ice hockey. But Lemieux knew how to use his size and also where to be on the ice to be one step ahead of the opposition while being fairly fast. He was very deceptive and crafty which gave him the elusiveness of a smaller player, but also could take advantage of a longer reach than most.
Nice comment about his vision/assists. I too wish there were more clips of him doing crazy passes. The 2006 Olympics Kariya assist (which doesn't even count as one) is the only highlighted one
you guys gotta react to Sidney Crosby and / or Evgeni Malkin as well. great video! Mario won 2 cups in 91 and 92 and won 3 more as the owner of the Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin were on those teams and still are playing with the Penguins
The first game I ever saw live was in the old Chicago Stadium, the loudest arena ever made and it was the 1992 nhl finals vs Pittsburgh and got to see super Mario and Jagr absolutely destroy my Hawks lol
Love this! Not that your Hawks got smashed 😅 but can imagine it was still incredible with that atmosphere
@DNReacts you guys should rank your favorite of all the hockey jerseys ("sweaters" as hockey fans call them) blackhawks home red always wins this poll but I'm curious which is your favorite ones
Greatest talent ever to skate. Too bad he had so many injuries, back surgery, and the cancer, but still, the best ever. And remember you are watching someone who is 6'5" tall and about 220lbs. Much of his career was played in significant back pain and he still did all of this. One of the most amazing things besides the cancer year where he still led the league in scoring is that he retired at age 32 because he was tired of the pain AND the constant grabbing then permitted in the game, but 3.5 years later came back in mid-season playing in only 43 remaining games and scoring 35 goals and 41 assists at age 35--this after taking 44 months off from hockey (when a 50 goal and 100 point season is considered a great individual year and he only played half the season). Also, he had a 199 point season in his career even though he missed 6 games. Fact is, he never was healthy enough in any one year to play a full season. Nothing like him before or since.
This is an awesome comment, thank you for all this info/context! What a guy, and what a career!
I'll always remember those 43 games he played, every morning I was rushing to get the newspaper head to the spot section and NHL leaders, every single time I couldn't believe the pace and rythm he was accumulating points like he was shooting an empty net during pre0game practice
On top of what a lot of people have said here him just being an absolute stud on the ice... He also saved the team. The Penguins were going to move to Kansas City but he helped stop that. Then we drafted Sidney Crosby and the rest is history. He is BEYOND loved in Pittsburgh. Does tons of work for Hodgkin's disease research and hes just awesome.
The reason he retired for that 3 year period was he had major back issues. Near the end of his first run before he retired he couldn't even tie his own skates. He decided to come back because the team was in such financial trouble that he came back to get people back in the building. Those teams were tons of fun but in the end they had to sell of a lot of guys and rebuild.
Also you guys reacting to Mike Langes commentary is really great. He has TONS more of that stuff. You should look that up. Really great stuff.
Lemieux had to retire in '97 because of a bad back . Came out of retirement after buying the Penguins and becoming a player/ owner. He is known as Le Magnifique and he and Gretzky are interchangeable as far as the two best players in history. There will NEVER be another Mario Lemieux.
Mario is the greatest hockey player who ever lived. Period. Gretzky often gets that title because of all the points he scored, but Gretzky played most of his career before the clutching and grabbing era and before goalie pad sizes go bigger. Even tho Mario played in that low scoring era, he would have most likely passed Gretzky in points if he didn't have cancer, didn't have debilitating back issues where he couldn't even tie his own skates before games and didn't have to retire for 3 1/2 seasons. An example of how great Mario was is the season he missed 26 games due to chemo treatments for cancer, he came back and ended up winning the scoring title that year. He had his last chemo treatment, got on a plane and flew into Philly to play that night. But for all his great accolades on the ice, the greatest thing he did was save the Penguins by buying them when they went through bankruptcy, just to keep them in Pittsburgh. He has Kinglike status in Pittsburgh and will forever be a Pittsburgh hero.
There’s certainly a case for saying that Mario is the GOAT, but you’re way off saying that Gretzky didn’t play during the clutching a grabbing era. I remember that era well-clutching and grabbing happened all the time.
Canadians STILL dominant in Hockey. It's Our league....our trophy....every personal trophy as well. 🇨🇦.
Another crazy thing; most of these guys he's posterizing are legends, all-stars, and some top-10 all timers. Insane stuff. It seemed like he had a bubble around him, and if the puck went into that bubble, whether he touches it or not, it ends up in the other net.
Really appreciate the comment and context, thank you 🙏
These werent the top 10 skilled moments. This was just a sample of every day Mario.
The Three year absence was the First Retirement in 1997 he want on to play couple more seasons until Mario Lemieux 2nd Retirement in 2006!
Ah okay, thank you for this info, really appreciate it!
You Welcome!👍🏻
He retired because late 90s hockey was atrocious clutch and grab game where he was getting abused non stop and was not enjoying it.
That Ray Bourque guy that Mario dangled? Hall of fame & team captain.
I grew up watching Mario, and as soon as I saw this title, I said "Well #1 has GOT TO be 5 Goals/5 Ways" and I still maintain that it was -- not just the best of his career, but in hockey history. TO THIS DAY, no one has repeated that feat. Not Bobby Orr, not Bobby Hull, not Gordie Howe, not even Wayne Gretzky.
I once watched a documentary where they interviewed a bunch of hockey players and sports writers about who was better, Mario or Gretzky? and they all said Wayne because he played with more passion, but Mario was like a well-oiled machine who just couldn't do wrong, and that's why I disagreed with the conclusion. If the Japanese ever made a hockey robot (and you know it would be the Japanese who would) they would program it to mimic Mario's moves.
There's a conspiracy theory (even their coaches from the time accused them) that the team intentionally threw a bunch of games in '83 so that they'd get the first draft pick when Mario came available.
Such speed and size 6' - 7 on skates. Dam i was born in 1966 great year. He was so graceful for a very large man
Gretzky is the greatest. Mario could’ve been but he battled back issues and cancer throughout his career. I remember his return in 2000. Very emotional.
#6 is outstanding, doing this against Ray Bourque arguably one of the top 5 greatest defencemen to play the game.
You guys should go back and watch the goal at 4:20, he literally puts the stick between his leg and scores. I’m not sure how that isn’t on the top of the list, that was one of the most amazing goals I’ve ever ever seen.
Lemieux was one of the most dominant players in NHL history, if not the most dominant. Incredible hands, incredible size, incredible skating and incredible vision. The only thing that kept him from beating Gretzky’s records (or coming damn close) was health issues - besides the cancer diagnosis in 93, he missed all of the 1995 season with back issues before taking a three-year retirement following the 1997 season.
Of course, he was such a god-tier player, that when he came back in 2000, even after three years away from the game, he still put up 35 goals and 41 assists in just 43 games (over a full 82-game season, that would be a 145 point pace). Oh, and he was also the owner of the team at that point, too. Just a legend.
Oh, and in the 93 season - the one where he missed 23 games for Hodgkin’s treatments - he still won the scoring title by 12 points.
He's known as a slow skater, quick hands, big body, hard to knock off the puck.
At 6ft5 240 lbs Lemieux was the most lethal player to ever lace up a pair of skates.
One of my favorite players of all time. Right up there with Chris Chelios.
My personal top 3 after 50 years of being a dedicated fan of hockey
1 - Bobby Orr
2 - Mario Lemieux
3 - Wayne Gretzky
After them is an enormous glut of fantastic players - Jaromir Jagr, Peter Forsberg, Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard, Cam Neely, Alex Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Sidney Crosby, Pavel Bure, Mark Messier, Gordie (Mr Hockey) Howe, the three members of famed Kraut Line, Ted Lindsay, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Patrice Bergeron, Paul Coffey, Raymond Bourque, Guy Lafleur (Mario said he wanted to be like Guy), Larry Robinson - off the top of my head... I am sure I am missing a few - point is that my top 3 are generally considered the best of all time (if not necessarily in the order I've placed them)
Excellent list! I might Orr or Gretzky number 1 but there’s also a great argument that Mario is the GOAT.
Bergeron over Esposito? ;))
Let me explain, if we consider that hockey is a war, then Bergeron is my first choice. Every championship team should have such hard workers! But what is more important than the show or the result? How to get the perfect balance. 😉
@@АлексейСоколов-з9б you are so right. Can't believe I left Espo off the list.
Great content guys, Rick Jeanneret passed away Thursday. He was the voice of the Buffalo Sabres for the first 51 yrs of their existence. He was known by the entire league and fans for having the most inventive spur of the moment play by play commentary. I think you would get a real kick out of hearing some of his more memorable calls. I'm a Leafs fan, but I truly enjoyed listening to RJ, RIP!
One could argue that with Mario, Jagr, Crosby that the Penguins franchise have had all, in their primes, arguably the 2nd,3rd and 4th best players in NHL history play for them. With Wayne of course being Number 1 all time.
He also has probably the greatest ever regular season in any of the CHL leagues in his last season of junior with: 70 Games played; 133 goals; 149 assists; for 282 points.
Incredible stats! Thanks for posting these 🙏
No 8, I was there, in the seats right above the Leaf net. I got to see Gretzky, Lemieux and Yzermen destroy the sad sack 80s Leafs in the handful of games I saw at the Garden.
He did that against Ray Borque the best defensive defenseman ever
To put his career in perspective for you. Gretzky has enough assists to be the NHL's all time points leader without ever scoring. Gretzky's career points per game was 1.92. Lemieux's career points per game was 1.88. Just 0.04 less. Mario had 1700 points in the NHL and barely played 900 games. The guy missed several years worth of games due to cancer and severe back injuries. There was a season he won the scoring title but had to get the staff to tie/untie his skates for most of the year because his back was so wrecked.
I think he's the best player ever and never got to show it.
It’s true that hockey is a fast sport and for newcomers to the game, aside from learning all the new rules and gameplay tactics/transitions, one is thankful for the video replay. But for those of us who grew up watching hockey I guess the best way to explain it is that you just know where the puck is at all times. But sometimes I try to think as a newcomer to the game and imagine them watching both on television and live in game, and it does certainly occur to me that the puck is a hard thing to find on such a large surface.
A hockey Genius. Mario le Magnifique !
So, the crazy thing is that Lemieux had back problems so bad he had to stand during flights and couldn't even tie his own skate laces. Despite that, he was consistently over a point per game average every season even well into his 30s.
Here's a ridiculous stat; Mario only played 915 games in his career. He was never able to play a full season in the NHL due to injury and other reasons, but was still able to rack up 1,723 points, good for 8th all time. Excluding the 3 years he missed due to his first retirement, he missed about 500 games, a little more than half of the games he has on record. Extrapolating that with his point total of 1,723, that comes out to around an extra 900 points he missed out on, to reach a total of about 2,600 points. And that's quite a conservative estimate too, if you consider some of the rates that he was scoring at during the late 80s and early 90s.
If we wanted to get ridiculous and add the 3 years he missed, that would come out to about another 240-250 games which, since it was the "dead-puck era" at the time during the late 90s (a time where a play called the neutral zone trap made popular by the New Jersey Devils choked out any form of offense in the league), we'll go ahead and pull back the estimate to probably 300 or 350 additional points. That puts Mario up to about 2,900-2,950 total career points. For reference, Wayne Gretzky has 2,857. Mario could be the present day all-time points leader if it wasn't for all the injuries. Heck, if he really wanted to, he might have been the only player with 3,000 points.
Gretzky is the all-time points leader by a wide margin because he had a great hockey IQ that generated all that offense. (not to mention a group of bodyguards to protect him at all times but we won't get into that) But Mario Lemieux had the talent. He could turn a 1 on 2 into a breakaway, he could beat you forehand, backhand, and he was too damn big and strong to just simply knock off the puck. Even if he got tripped or hooked, his determination to stick with the play until the very end was unmatched.
I like how they picked up on the Mike Lange commentary. He was known for his silly sayings
Gretzky has said Lemieux was probably a better scorer than he was. There's an arguable case that Lemieux may have put up better numbers than Gretzky if his career hadn't been plagued with injuries. Not taking anything at all away from Gretzky, just pointing out how great Lemieux was. Lemieux had strengths over Gretzky and Gretzky had strengths over Lemieux. Both are just absolutely incredible players. 2 of the greatest players to ever play the game of Hockey.
Great summary of them both, thank you for this, really appreciate it 🙏
Really, really miss Lemieux and Jagr carrying Pittsburgh in the early 90s when the Steelers were horrid and the Pirates were done being successful for about 30 years. The city genuinely needed them.
Steelers in the 90's were pretty good though. Just constantly choking in AFC championship home games. And to this day I'm convinced that Neil O'Donnell was paid to throw the super bowl
In Feb of 2023 The Athletic concluded their NHL99 list 'The Top 99 players of the modern era'
Gretky was 1, Lemieux 2
Here's what legendary coach Scotty Bowman had to say about that...
“He's No. 2, huh?” said Scotty Bowman, the NHL's winningest coach, of Mario Lemieux, the second-ranked player on The Athletic's list of the greatest players of the modern era of the NHL. “You might have him too low. Mario's the best player that ever lived.”
Not one of the more spectacular players to watch, but a top 3 of all time to be sure.
Without Mario, there is no hockey in Pittsburgh. It's simple as that. Team was almost bankrupt, and there were noises about them moving to Kansas City. Mario buys the team and comes out of retirement as an owner/player. He played until midway through the 05-06 season. We hold him in very high esteem here, only behind Franco Harris (Steelers) in the world of sports figures.
From what I remember or understand is that he became owner of the team after retirement and it had to do with equity of the team....I may be wrong.
"Mario le-moo." lol, at least he said it correct afterward
Yeah it’s obviously a lot easier once you’ve heard it being said
Not born in '66... The #66 came from a manager that thought the upside down 99 would be good for ratings/hockey
One of his best highlights is without even touching the puck. During the Salt Lake City Olympics I think which lead to Paul Kariya goal against the US.
Thank you for this 🙏
@@DNReacts eventually I'm going to get a couple Olympic requests/recommends for you guys in the Discord and yes the dummy from 2002 Gold Medal Game is incredible.
Lemieux and Patrick Roy were born on the same day in the same city, Montreal.
That’s pretty crazy, love little stats like this
just a fun tad of info for ya from canada. I primarily watch Sportsnet up here as it has the most hockey coverage and they of course to "top ten" lists of all types. They did a top 100 hockey players of all time some years back (decade or so). In that list they would bring up players who would comment on their picks. Wayne the Great One was third and when it came to number one it was Mario. Wayne vouched for him in the fact that Mario was in fact the best skilled player in his opinion of all time. says alot. Keep the vids coming boys. Love seeing your reaction to our game up here.
Thank you so much for the info and suggestion, appreciate that! 🙏
Gretzky and him. Greatest ever.
Love this!
Mario Lemieux is considered to be the second best player in NHL history (behind Gretzky). Too bad his career was short due to heavy health issues.
Things Mario is known for.... Having Cancer, Missing half the season and still winning the scoring championship. Retiring becoming the owner of the team he played for because they couldn't pay him and then unretiring 4 years later and winning the scoring tittle. Showing off incredible goals every night almost. Undressing the defence or the entire team. And yeah being just an all around player as well he played in all phases of the game.
I believe he wore 66 because it was distinctive.
Also, I think he was 6-foot 6" tall.
One of the three best players to ever strap the skates on. As a Devils fan, I hated him -- had the Penguins won one more game the year before, Lemieux would have been a New Jersey Devil. But you couldn't deny the talent, the power, the smooth skating. Total package.
p.s. If your eyes hurt trying to follow the game, try this: don't watch the puck. If you're concentrating on the puck, you miss the game. Either watch the player with the puck or look for the patch of white on the screen, because that's where both the player and the puck are headed.
He was 6ft 4in fast and super smart
Even with "era adjusted stats", the arguments over who was better than who or the best of all time will never be settled. Although, they are interesting. My own test is imagining I was the G.M. picking a Canadian team to play the Russians, and I had access to all the players at their peak. I guess from a working class perspective, I'm interested in "who can get the fricken job done?" Even if I'm a big fan of advanced stats. Hockey has too many intangibles to go strictly by numbers. That's why Boomers will still argue that Bobby Orr is the GOAT. Numbers don't indicate so, but his impact on the game was revolutionary, and something not seen since. To me, it's a toss up between Lemieux and Gretzky.
Appreciate you boys putting up the CDN flag
Insult to injury (or the other way around?) on #2: kicks the goalie in the dick right before he scores
The #2 goal (the consensus best goal of his career) is absolutely an amazing goal, but #6 is on a level of its own. Ray Bourque is one of the best all-around defenders in league history, and Mario makes him look like a beer-league newbie.
Mario, like a lot of other large finesse players in the 80s and 90s, suffered a lot physically and statistically because of the nature of the game. Mario retired in 1997 because of excruciating back injuries, caused by hooking with the stick, grabbing with the hands, and general contact behind the play that were all allowed to an egregious degree. In today's NHL where things are much more closely officiated, someone like Lemieux would destroy the league. What he did in the career he did have was still amazing. Only Gretzky has more points per game than him while playing at least 500 games, and that's only because Mario's final couple of years after returning from retirement, though still amazing even in the context of other players in the league at the time, weren't as productive as his peak.
You have to watch Crosby and Malkin highlights aswell. Plus Jagar
272pts in junior.. 70 games played.
#6 clip Ray Borque 77 is top 5 defensemen goat, that wasn't some average dude
Wow, okay that’s insane and appreciate that context 🙏
"Oh baby" that was Bob Cole, he's the play by play guy I grew up with! He was great, but RJ was better.
The best ever. Gretzky’s “greater” but Mario’s “better”
Gretzky is the only option for the GOAT of hockey so there is never a discussion. The discussion is for 2nd if its Lemieux or Orr
Also #6 vs Bourque is the greatest Lemieux highlight skill wise, Canada cup famous wise.
Super Mario, I think he the greatest of all time but Im biased getting to watch him growing up.
Size vs Finesse like no other player. I met him and I his a giant in a Bull frame.
Nice touch with Canadian flag in the backgroud guys!
He had cancer and back issues.
If not for that, he almost certainly would have beat Gretzky’s records.
Hit pause and do a little research. I promise it won't kill ya boys!
He was actually born in 1965
That's when hockey was hockey. Not this game they play now. When they won his first cup. Equipment changes from thin. To flippeb Kevlar it felt. When ya hit someone. Watch some of the canada cup from that ti.e 87'. Also have to remember. That was like only time professional players. Seen or had time to play together on international level. Gretzky. Mario. Borque. Even Sakic Steve y. Before. Pros allowed in Olympics .
Medical retire 3 years . 87 Canada cup.
Jaromir Jagr should be next.
Imagine Barcelona FC is going to bankrupt, n Messi came to buy the team out from bankruptcy n play again. This was what Mario did for Pittsburgh penguins. Gretzky is like Xavi or Zidane, Assist goals. Mario is like Ronaldo 9. Only illness n injuries could hold him back.