28 Years ago today, Mario Lemieux returned to play from cancer treatment

[freakydallas13]

Memorable day for 66.

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[SEALBound]

What a boss.

#f***inglegend

 

[Kimota]

That's cool but you should have waited two years before posting that.

 

[NickyFotiu]

As great as Mario was I did not realize how great until I saw him go 1 on 1 with Ray Bourque one game. Ray was probably in the top 3 defensemen of all time. Maybe top 2. Ray was that good but Mario toyed with him on this play. It almost looked like a big brother toying with a little brother. Mario was really something special.

 

[jcs0218]

As great as Mario was I did not realize how great until I saw him go 1 on 1 with Ray Bourque one game. Ray was probably in the top 3 defensemen of all time. Maybe top 2. Ray was that good but Mario toyed with him on this play. It almost looked like a big brother toying with a little brother. Mario was really something special.

Raymond Bourque appears on a couple of famous Lemieux highlights.

The 1st video is Lemieux intercepting the puck from Bourque, and scoring his very 1st NHL goal on his very 1st NHL shift and 1st NHL shot.

The 2nd video is of Lemieux stickhandling in between Bourque's skating strides.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

56 points in 20 games after 2 months of radiation. Goat

 

[Kunta Kinte]

Most amazing thing for me its him in 2001 absolutely torching the league and he wasnt skating fast anymore, he was floating and was still the best player by far on the ice, after a 3 years retirement.

35 goals in 43 games in the deadpuck era at 35 years old.

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

I like how he wasn’t a whiny brat.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Feel fortunate as a kid to be able to watch him and understand how special he was. Ill never forget being a kid in the 90s and stop no matter what we were doing ( usually playing street hockey) and run inside to watch him play.

Big reason I am such a fan of the sport. I was able to meet him during an internship with the Pens and he is a very humble and all around great guy.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Most amazing thing for me its him in 2001 absolutely torching the league and he wasnt skating fast anymore, he was floating and was still the best player by far on the ice, after a 3 years retirement.

35 goals in 43 games in the deadpuck era at 35 years old.

I always was impressed with his hands. You do not usually see big guys with those kinds of hands. Of course my Rangers had the Mario stopper in Jan Erixon, lol

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

 

[Goalie_Bob]

56 points in 20 games after 2 months of radiation. Goat

He was what, like 17 points behind LaFontaine and caught him and finished like 15 points above him. Poor Patty must have nightmares til this day.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Kasper played ugly against many guys, much different game back then. Hated playing him but loved him on your team

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

Kasper played ugly against many guys, much different game back then. Hated playing him but loved him on your team

Kasper played ugly against many guys, much different game back then. Hated playing him but loved him on your team

He was probably the nicest and funniest nhler I ever met post game. Really a great guy. (Kasparaitis)

 

[3ladesof5teel]

He was probably the nicest and funniest nhler I ever met post game. Really a great guy. (Kasparaitis)

Not to derail the thread but one of my favorite Kasparaitis moments was when he scored a goal I believe it was against Brodeur and in the post game interview he was like " I own him" lol

 

[ownal]

Le Magnifique

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Most amazing thing for me its him in 2001 absolutely torching the league and he wasnt skating fast anymore, he was floating and was still the best player by far on the ice, after a 3 years retirement.

35 goals in 43 games in the deadpuck era at 35 years old.

I haven't seen a player with such visible displays of "hockey sense" than comeback Mario. Go to ~2:22:58 of this Rangers-Penguins game from 2001. The weakside backhand deflection is just ridiculous.

 

[SenzZen]

He was what, like 17 points behind LaFontaine and caught him and finished like 15 points above him. Poor Patty must have nightmares til this day.

12 points back in his return, 12 points up by the end of the season. Insane.

 

[AJRAYMOND]

Greatest individual player I ever saw. I give him a slight edge over Gretzky because I think Gretzky had a better team around him. It's close either way but those two were miles ahead of anyone else I've ever seen play. Bobby Orr was just finishing up so I just missed watching him.

 

[WatchfulElm]

It was yesterday.

I'm officially old.

 

[LaTenderness]

Goat

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Greatest player to ever lace em’ up.

 

[Big Phil]

He was what, like 17 points behind LaFontaine and caught him and finished like 15 points above him. Poor Patty must have nightmares til this day.

Here is the thing too, Lafontaine did not slow down at the end of the year either. In March he had 28 points in 15 games. In April it was 6 points in 7 games. Overall that's 34 points in 22 games. So put it this way, if you have a 12 point lead on the scoring race and put up those sorts of numbers in the last 20 or so games you are going to win the Art Ross. That is unless someone scores 56 points in 20 games. That's the thing, this is how incredible that was for Mario to do, it wasn't even as if Lafontaine blew a tire or anything.

 

[GMR]

Most amazing thing for me its him in 2001 absolutely torching the league and he wasnt skating fast anymore, he was floating and was still the best player by far on the ice, after a 3 years retirement.

35 goals in 43 games in the deadpuck era at 35 years old.

I feel the same. Guy was in his mid 30's, took 3 1/2 years off, and didn't have a training camp before the season. That's not supposed to happen in any sport. Even Jordan was younger when he first returned and had less time off.

 

[ted2019]

I like how he wasn’t a whiny brat.

He had his moments.