Mario Lemieux Returns to NHL

Greatness returns. After a three and a half year absence, Super Mario rejoins the Penguins with a 3 point night vs. Toronto.
via penguins.nhl.com

[@Stokie09123]

I'm British, I've only discovered Ice Hockey after watching my university team play, and I've just thrown myself into it, reading about the history, watching games....Lemieux looks like a truly amazing and inspirational figure, to do this after what he went through is nothing short of amazing!

[@him8012]

You got that right, he's hands down the most talented player to ever play. A fully healthy Lemieux would've shattered many of Gretzky's records without a doubt (and he didn't have the protection or the All-Star supporting cast like Gretzky did).

[@jmaster1245]

if he didnt come back to the nhl, pretty sure he had gretzky beat on ppg avg

[@shawnevans666]

Stokie09123 That's really cool that you're taking an interest in it. Such an amazing sport, so fun to watch.

[@johnscott2868]

Stokie09123 #respect

[@hugh2hoob668]

I'm from Pittsburgh and I saw this live as it happened on TV it was fucking awesome #13 in blue is a NHL great but he wasn't even a factor this game

[@hugolessard4462]

Damn, hockey was good to watch at that time. Feel so nostalgic.

[@media4401]

I know right and this was in 2000-2001

[@reptilfanatikern5234]

Indeed

[@mikaeljohansson2723]

Agree. The goalies look so tiny and old school. Even if you at the time thought they where huge and referred old school to the 90's

[@MMGJ10]

Hell yeah. There was nothing like watching Lemieux on his game

[@MarkLyell]

I was 16 when this game happened, I'm a NY Rangers fan but Mario is my favourite player of all time and I shed a few tears when he scored that comeback goal, still to this day the most inspirational sporting story to me is how Mario came back after 3.5 years and scored like a demon whenever he was healthy. That final assist to Hrdina, looks like a routine play on the surface but very few would have the presence of mind to so quickly ping that loose puck into the slot for an open teammate. Mario was nothing short of a genius on the rink.

[@Muffinarm_]

I was at the airport in Los Angeles waiting to get on a plane for my honeymoon to Hawaii and watched the beginning of this game.

[@johnrencheck2283]

From pittsburgh we saw him never skip a beat after injuries his back or cancer IT WAS AS IF HE NEVER MISSED A SHIFT,SIMPLY THE BEST EVER

[@TheSunTheSea]

Gary Thorne needs to be calling hockey games again. What a voice

[@scootscootriot1020]

TheSunTheSea He needs to get away from the Orioles and get on NBCSN or cover ESPN’s coverage of NCAA hockey.

[@EAchank]

I remember this was crazy he made it look effortless imo the greatest of all time. That was a good Leafs team

[@h4a2u0s]

Remember watching this game live as a youngster. I'm a die hard Leaf fan but seeing Mario get a goal in his first game back made me so happy. One of my all time favourite players.

[@AbitibiMac]

Leaf fan here, I remember watching this game and being in awe of Mario Lemieux. One of the greatest!

[@The_Bad_Guy.]

I'll never forget this game. I was 15 at the time and a die hard penguins fan my whole life up to this point. Still am all these years later.

[@ovechkin100]

I didnt really have a favorite team at the time, but i remember watching this game as well. I was only 12, i was watching it alone while all the adults were in the kitchen after dinner. I ran in and told them that Lemieux had scored, and nobody believed me.

[@KeithFroehlich07]

Single greatest sporting event I ever attended. And I've been to a lot of landmark games. Saw Raymond Bourque win his cup Saw Shaq and Kobe win their first ring But this game still tops them all, this night was electric the whole city was a buzz for a week. Not too many times you get an SRO crowd for the warm-up.

[@Vvranaa]

Mario is a legend. Respect to Mario, it doesn't matter if he was a penguin or any team, but what i really like is how Jagr is still hear, like he such a legend as well.

[@archhy2473]

Lemieux Jagr wow

[@marmeladi2000]

ONE OF MY IDOLS AND HEROES

[@mpuchar5003]

66 and 68. Best duo in nhl history

[@andrewcarroll7641]

99 + 17 in Blue & Orange would like to toss their belts in the ring for that title.

[@samsquanch5916]

​@andrewcarroll7641 fair enough. But only one of these two duos could still dominate at the same level in the modern day game.... And its the two guys that were built like a couple of prized stallions ...

[@hugh2hoob668]

​@@andrewcarroll7641they weren't nearly as big you goof

[@anotherbutt4chair454]

This never gets old

[@ZepG]

What a freak of nature, I was watching these game live on Fox Sports and it's even more impressive now!

[@styxzero1675]

Mario Lemieux and Jaromír Jágr name a more legendary duo. These two guys were in a class of their own.

[@connorraab]

Gretzky and kurri

[@jeremyrowe8224]

@@connorraab Kurri is nowhere near the other 3. Great player, never the best player in the nhl. Other 3 were the best player for minimum 5 years

[@teddycaster248]

Super Mario! 😊 Super Return! 👍 Wow! If I did’t know about this real historical Mario’s moment - I never not believe what it can be in real life, because it so amazing like in movies 🎥 where legend hero make his great deeds. I from Eastern Europe, but I love NHL, Canadian hockey and Mario Lemieux so much! ❤My heart worry when I saw historic moments like it. P.S. Sorry for my poor English. Glory to Ukraine!

[@andrewelliott1592]

NHL moments I wish I could go back in time and watch either cause I was too young to remember or want to see it again: 1: Last regular season game at Mellon Arena (was there for that) 2: 2006 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7. I want to watch my Canes hoist that Cup as I was only 6 when it happened 3: Mario's last goal before 1st retirement 4: Mario's comeback. It may be 4th on this list, but it's first in my mind

[@HockeyCoachRosie]

"Yeah Baby" I miss Bill Clement doing national broadcasts.

[@ninersdd21]

I miss NHL on ESPN

[@kristophercantu297]

(ninersdd21) ESPN Fucking sucks!! Never once has it had respect for the NHL! Clip here or there, Fuck ESPN!

[@Jimmyfly215]

@@kristophercantu297 wrong. ESPN had nights dedicated to nationally televised games for years. Had plenty of SC Final series on the network between them and ABC. Bettman and the lockouts broke the relationship.

[@slapshot68]

It’s back!

[@quentincampbell612]

@@slapshot68 hopefully Gary Thorne and Bill Clement will be too!

[@jaygorny]

Well miss no more!

[@TippiGordon]

This was the game that convinced me that Mario is the greatest hockey player of all time. I remain convinced.

[@jimb.7523]

*Anyone else here just really like the Penguins logo at that time? Or just me? I wish they brought it back for, like, a third jersey or something.*

[@DavisGB84]

My favorite Pens logo

[@88cutty]

Shittiest logo in pittsburgh sports history.

[@egzo8669]

and jersey

[@mpuchar5003]

That logo was cursed.

[@JakeSmith-nj1cg]

It was their best logo. The cartoony Penguins logo today sucks.

[@lolopololoca]

I remember watching this with my nom and dad who never watched hockey, I was 12. They knew what it meant to me. Unbelievable night

[@JBM425]

He always had a flair for the dramatic... :)

[@RandomPlaceHolderName]

Scored on his first shift when he entered the league. Score on his last shift when he retired in 97 and then this.

[@Revenga3114]

still get goosebumps

[@davidrobins4025]

What a way to return to playing the game he loves. You are absolutely right - nobody would believe this if you wrote it. BUT it actually happened.

[@CanadianFactor]

Legend

[@EAchank]

Man I can't imagine how hyped and nervous and excited Penguins fans were to see this return by Mario And to get 3 points! Wow

[@Losrandir]

Remember well listening to this live on the radio when I was... 16 I guess. Unreal that he would just pick up from where he left

[@TomServo101]

I was in the 7th grade when this happened. Being a blackhawks fan, we hated Pittsburgh after the 92-93 cup final loss. My uncle came over and told us to put this game on, we all cheered for the Pens that night. It was super cool to see this

[@steviev958]

Still gives me shivers in 2021...wow

[@jonathanzol4381]

Goosebumps everytime I look at this

[@UncVEVO]

They should bring back the old logo and jerseys!

[@С.А.Л]

Vince, What the Pens wear these days IS the "old" logo and jerseys... But not the oldest; those uniforms were blue... and recently memorialized at a Winter Classic game...

[@UncVEVO]

С.А. Л. I was talking about the Robo Penguin Logo and the Gold Shoulders jerseys

[@brianbachmeier34]

B-A-M F-A-N Agreed. What a great look and clean lines. There road jerseys weren't that nice though.

[@johnrencheck2283]

Gary thorne was a hell of a hockey announcer i miss him

[@MMGJ10]

The chills when I watched this game just kinda came back.. How awesome was Lemieux?

[@FornoDan]

fucking legendary

[@zachmalone428]

More than maybe anyone in sports, Mario is the penguins. He's saved it multiple times, got it their new arena. Dude is such a hero to penguins fans

[@winst0n888]

We need you now more than ever Mario.

[@isthatyoujaunwayne4183]

Man what an inspiration. I hope my guy Toews doesn’t have to stay away from the game this long.

[@emorydaniel9084]

That Jagr, Lemieux, Hrdina line was unreal

[@theaterdreamer]

Watching Lemieux and Jagr together...just wow. There was magic in the air that night. CuJo had no chance. That goal by Mario was a thing of beauty. Jagr spun around and found Lemieux streaking to the net. Perfect pass, perfect shot. There was no way the Pens were going to lose that night. Garth Snow stoned Sundin and the Leafs all night, stopping all 40 shots on goal. That’s a lot of scoring firepower on the ice that night. Jagr is 2nd all-time with 1,921 points, Lemieux 8th with 1,723, and Mats Sundin 28th at 1,349, ending 4 points behind Guy LaFleur.

[@Keplerb-od1lr]

Imagine a prime Mario and prime Jagr in the NHL now with no two line pass rule, tight penalties and overall better talent to play with. Would be wild.

[@EAchank]

And those bendy sticks

[@ragimundvonwallat8961]

no two line pass disvantage high skill player

[@michaeltruglio5554]

That is just sick. Almost not fair, lol. Lemieux was just incredible.

[@francoisgrenier6681]

Some athletes experience rust when first returning to their sport…but Mario slipped right in

[@evild71]

Probably the best game I ever watched on tv

[@UncVEVO]

Man Mario and His Mom look the same! Mama Lemieux gave birth to a legend though!

[@timmysullivan2515]

It's almost like they're related or something

[@darualid]

Gary and bill man. I still play nhl 14 on xbox 360 because of those two.

[@jeffereyguthrie8927]

Mario comes back and is like hold my beer watch this, Instantly best player in the league from the moment he steps on the ice again

[@Feeldaburn]

Just imagine if he didn’t miss them 500 + games the record books would be a lot different and that is a fact

[@epicragegaming2016]

so you're telling me lemieux scored on his first shift, retires. and then comes back and gets an assist on his next first shift?

[@stephenchapman9909]

I was 10 when this happened. There was no social media back then. 10 year olds didn't know shit. I came home from school and my step-dad told me Lemieux was coming back to play that night. I was convinced he was lying. This game is a core memory for me.

[@lawrence142002]

I was 12 years old that night. I remember watching Mario win 2 Cups as my earliest hockey memories. I wept tears of joy when he scored that goal, I was so happy. Mario is the best player I have ever seen and as a Pens fan, I've been privileged to see many.

[@HealAles]

Mario Legend

[@andeassurauer227]

The greatest Comeback in Sports history

[@richardzink6026]

Best player I ever saw and this is from a Ranger fan

[@mudcat10]

The amount of room behind the net looks insane compared to today's game

[@JakeSmith-nj1cg]

This was that weird experimental period when they moved the nets out. They eventually went back.

[@BruceOp]

What Mario did that season after coming out of retirement will never be equaled ever again!

[@biffdanielson2820]

Love those old penguins jerseys

[@Blazers04]

To quote Connor McGregor…… “Surprise, Surprise, THE KING IS BACK.”

[@kanegorgeous3046]

#66 Mario Lemieux with his hockey🏒 stick is like Thor with his hammer ⚒️ Greatest player of all time.

[@ICLight412]

This is a great time machine.

[@franktibbett7748]

Jagr had three points that all contributed to this. My favorite.

[@ThirdEye3pic]

My dad sat me down and said 'watch and learn'

[@hanslilja3873]

GOD OF GODS KING OF KINGS SUPER MARIO LEMIEUX THE BEST ISHOCKEY PLAYER IN THE HISTORY I LOVE HIM SO UNBELIVEBEL MUCH

[@drkex]

I watched this live lmao so old

[@slapshot68]

Would luv to own that jersey he wore this gm

[@PitsPenguins87]

Clearly remember that game...I was 7

[@randopalooza5784]

Damn, beer was on $5?

[@axel_foley69]

$5 is the tip now 😄

[@rvermeulen66]

Greatest sport story that was never told

[@matthewmcdowall5444]

best ever

[@yaniktydetmer4153]

Chills

[@CodyChromeBand]

Timeless

[@bobray8637]

Gary Thorne and Bill Clement or the best announcers for hockey. Except for Mike Lange in Pittsburgh

[@sandwichchan5000]

Jan Hrdina! And mmmmmmmmmama's cheerin'!

[@christopherblessing3868]

66 THE GOAT!!!

[@hugh2hoob668]

Ive NEVER seen Mats Sundin look smaller BUT Mario towers over em

[@jcv_7690]

jagr and mario

[@Jimmyfly215]

Jagr was the best player in the world at this point. Damn was he good.

[@carlnilssonyoung8961]

Mario n Mario Jr.

[@sickofguysnamedtodd2293]

MARIO!! IS!! BACK!!!

[@kanava3837]

Mario is real, conor and grezky

[@Michael-fw5ef]

Image a line that had Lemieux and Lindros together. They were similar in that they were both huge bodies and had great skill.

[@mrktyb]

are you serious ? mario was ten times more gifted. lindros had hands but nothing to compare with the ones of lemieux.

[@michaelgriffiths8068]

A better combination would have been #66 and #99. Gretzky & Lemieux. Would have each scored 300+ points on a line together.

[@spagzs]

Way better than Gretzky

[@jogendron6320]

Nobody was/is/will ever be WAY better than 99. I can accept your opinion that he was better but WAY better? No way. Only 2 Cups and he was well surrounded. Gretz got 4 in 5 years 🤷‍♂️

[@cityofchamps66]

Name another athlete responsible directly or indirectly for all of their teams' titles..........................

[@mikewhipkey6863]

cityofchamps66 lebron James

[@cityofchamps66]

say what?????????????? He packs up and leaves town every time the team he is currently playing for sucks, also he played for Heat after they won a title without him, doesn't count, he is the ultimate cherry picker

[@PENS68]

You could also rephrase that and say what athlete saved his team more than once?. Lemieux saved the Penguins when he was drafted in 1984, he saved the Penguins from folding or relocating to Portland Oregon in 1999, due to bankruptcy, by buying the team, and again helped save them in 2007 by negotiating a deal for a new arena.

[@jogendron6320]

MJ 6 NBA Finals MVP Bulls 6 chips.

[@silurusglanis7399]

No.1👍

[@SirNapoleon]

Lemuiex Gretzky and Gordie are the three best plays ever in the nhl even people that are good currently like crosby mcdavid jagr dont come close to those three dont ask me why im canadian

[@jogendron6320]

Can’t have a top 3 without #4. Sorry.

[@michaelhamilton313]

Fans cheering when Lemiux touches the puck like "LoOk! He'S GoT It!!! DERRRRRRRR

[@crowjones78]

Michael Hamilton huh? This is one of the most retarded comments in KZbin history, and that’s saying a lot.

[@mpuchar5003]

Of course they're going to cheer you dunce. What a stupid comment, what are you 12?

[@Danfrombackhome]

Back when the pens were a likeable team

[@PENS68]

Grow up

[@Danfrombackhome]

@@PENS68 you know its true. Thats why youre mad

[@PENS68]

Yeah why hate teams that win, but coming from a Cleveland Fan, I see your frustration.

[@PENS68]

@@Danfrombackhome BTW how was that World Series win for the Indians two years ago, oh wait they cough **choked** a 3-1 series lead.

[@PENS68]

@@Danfrombackhome Im a Penguins fan BTW. Its not about a popularity contest. Everyone hates because you know how to "win", something the City of Cleveland doesn't know how to do.

[@mariomario2545]

mario mario

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

Lemieux was one of the BEST natural goal scorers - better that Grezt, even Wayne said so. Wayne also had a passion for the game, Mario liked it enough, but not to the same level - same as Larry Bird, who was naturally good, but didn't have the passion that MJ had for the game.

[@jogendron6320]

Horrible comparison 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

@@jogendron6320 maybe you can adult enough to tell me where i am wrong? Larry Bird was 'good' at basketball, but lacked the determination of MJ to become a god at the sport

[@broadstreet21]

He needs to coach Sidney Crosby.

[@SylvainMiron]

Ok...never beat Béliveau Rocket Richard 😂😂😂

[@Mach141]

Mario is God!

[@flowinginthewin3191]

Some freaks watch ASMR, I watch this.

[@kadekrauss3513]

lol wut😂

[@24theMoney]

Like #745

[@tylerjohnson8973]

Can write this novel and no one would buy it cause its not beliefable lmao...wtf? Dudes clearly never heard of sci fi and shit eh? Wonder if anyone buys fairtale books like cineralla, snow white and shit. .those must be true stories if ppl are buying thme lol

[@taekwondotime]

Want a dramatic moment and need a cooperative opponent? SPEED DIAL: Toronto Maple Leafs. Dramatic moments begin here.