Mario Lemieux.

Mario Lemieux. Mario Lemieux, born in 1965, Canadian professional ice hockey player, who had a brilliant Hall of Fame career in the National Hockey League (NHL) despite dealing with numerous injuries and health problems. A dominating center-forward who played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Lemieux won the league's most valuable player (MVP) award three times and led his team to a pair of Stanley Cup titles. Born in Montréal, Québec, Lemieux dropped out of school at the age of 16, a year after joining Montréal's Laval Voisin junior hockey team. In 1984 the Pittsburgh Penguins, then in last place, made Lemieux the first selection in the NHL draft. In the 1984-85 season Lemieux won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. He also was named MVP that year in the NHL All-Star Game. He played an important part in the Penguins' gradual improvement in league standings over the next few years, and his performances drew increased attendance at games. In the 1987-88 season Lemieux won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's high scorer, totaling 168 points (70 goals and 98 assists). Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky had led the league in scoring the previous seven seasons. Lemieux also won the Hart Trophy as the MVP of the NHL for the season. The next season he repeated as NHL scoring champion. In 1991 and again in 1992, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, and Lemieux was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy both years as the MVP in the playoffs. In the 199192 season he also led the league in scoring, with 44 goals and 87 assists. In February 1993 Lemieux left the team to undergo treatment for Hodgkin's disease, a form of cancer. He rejoined the Penguins in March and, despite missing 24 of the season's 84 games, was the NHL's leading scorer for the season, with 69 goals and 91 assists. He was also named MVP again. Lemieux's illness caused him to miss the entire 1994-95 season, but he returned to the Penguins the following year and won his third MVP trophy and fifth scoring title, compiling 69 goals and 92 assists. After leading the team to the playoffs in 1996-97, Lemieux retired as one of the top ten career scorers in NHL history. The Hockey Hall of Fame waived its usual waiting period and inducted Lemieux into its ranks in 1997. In 1999 a group headed by Lemieux purchased the Penguins franchise. In late 2000, after more than three years off, he came out of retirement to play for the Penguins. That year (2000-01) Lemieux helped the team reach the conference finals. Injuries continued to hamper his play during subsequent seasons, although Lemieux did captain Canada's gold medal-winning hockey team in the 2002 Olympic Games. After being diagnosed with a heart ailment in late 2005, Lemieux retired again in January 2006. He ended his career with 1,723 points, which included 690 goals and 1,033 assists. Lemieux's six scoring titles tied him with Gordie Howe for the second most in NHL history, after Gretzky's ten titles. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.