o o h i c  lemeux

Simply magnificent

Whether he was scoring big goals or just being a leader, Mario Lemieux was front and centre for some of the greatest moments in recent Canadian hockey history

Paul Edmonds
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June 20, 2016
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Mario Lemieux is synonymous with the Pittsburgh Penguins. As a player he won two Stanley Cups, countless individual awards and played all of his 915 games with the franchise. 

When he was finished as a Hall of Fame player, he rescued the team financially and today continues to be involved as a co-owner. It’s a legacy in the game that continues to grow.

But Lemieux also extended his talent and abilities to help Canada on five different occasions in international hockey.

Impressively, each time the Montreal product represented his home country, the final result came complete with a Top 3 finish, including championships at the 1987 Canada Cup and 2004 World Cup of Hockey and a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

In total, Lemieux played 38 games for Canada, scoring 23 goals and 49 points, and served as ‘Captain Canada’ in his final two appearances, both of which ended with his team on top.

As a result of this contribution on the international stage for Canada, the man nicknamed “The Magnificent One” or “Super Mario” can add another accolade to his treasure-trove of awards and distinctions.

The 50-year-old is a Distinguished Honouree of the Order of Hockey in Canada, joining women’s pioneer Geraldine Heaney, Canadian Hockey League president David Branch and former Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson.

“It’s an honour to receive this tremendous recognition from Hockey Canada,” said Lemieux in a statement when the Class of 2016 was announced in February. “In my case, I can tell you that my experiences representing Canada in international competition, especially the 1987 Canada Cup and the 2002 Olympics rank among the highlights of my career.”

The international arena was a special place for Lemieux. He first represented Canada at the 1983 IIHF World Junior Championship. As a 17-year-old he finished second in team scoring with five goals and 10 points, helping Canada to a bronze medal.

Two years later, he tugged on the Canadian jersey again at the 1985 IIHF World Championship in Prague.

According to a story published by The Hockey Writers, a young 13-year-old named Jaromir Jagr attended several games and was instantly drawn to the way the six-foot-four Lemieux (only 19 at the time) moved around the ice with his silky puck handling and firm ability to control the game.

Jagr admitted to having other hockey influences at the time, particularly European players at the time, but Lemieux quickly superseded all of them that spring as Jagr’s idol, as Canada settled for silver.

Who knew that only five years later the two would be teammates, eventually winning a pair of Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992 and playing seven NHL seasons together?

Now 44, Jagr still acknowledges the impact Lemieux had on him.

“Sometimes you just have so much respect for a guy and you look up to him so much that you can’t believe you’re really playing with him,” said Jagr. “Every student needs a teacher, and [Mario] was my teacher.”

Lemieux’s finest hour for Canada likely came over two other international tournaments. The first was at the 1987 Canada Cup, where the 21-year-old scored 11 goals in nine games, including the game-winner late in Game 3 of the best-of-three final against the Soviets.

It’s a goal that still resonates across this country with likes of other iconic tallies like Paul Henderson in the 1972 Summit Series and Sidney Crosby at the 2010 Olympics.

Lemieux later credited his Canada Cup experience with elevating his game at the NHL level to astounding heights, as he posted an 86-goal and 199-point season a year later with the Penguins.

After the Canada Cup, it would be 15 years between appearances as a representative of Canada for Lemieux. Lockouts and health issues limited his ability to play full-time, but by 2002 there was Lemieux ready to contribute again in Salt Lake City.

It was only during the previous Olympics in Nagano where NHLers were included to play for their respective countries. Canada entered the tournament having last won Olympic gold at the 1952 Games in Oslo, Norway.

But with a healthy Lemieux and a deep NHL roster, Canada would not be denied in Utah.

"The best memory I have of Mario was in Salt Lake City,” said Nicholson, now the CEO and vice-chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG). “We didn’t start very well and lost 6-2 and he was the captain of that team.

“As we were going into one of the final games I was sitting with Wayne [Gretzky], and Mario went down and was blocking shots. Wayne said: ‘Hey, Bob, if Mario is blocking shots, we’re winning a gold medal.’

“That’s the type of leadership he gave. Everyone remembers him and that pass through his legs to Paul Kariya and the great plays that he made. What an inspiration he was for Canada to win that first gold medal in 50 years."

Lemieux concluded his international career with another championship, wearing the ‘C’ as Canada won its first World Cup title at the 2004 tournament in Toronto.

He retired from the game for good midway through the 2005-06 season, scoring 690 goals and 1,723 points over his NHL career. And while his international career with Canada was shorter and less prolific, it was certainly just as impactful.

You could say it was synonymous with success.

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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