He was such a superstar that he was given not one nickname, but two.
When the conversation arises of who the GOATs of ice hockey are, Wayne Gretzky, Alex Ovechkin, and Gordie Howe all have a case for being the name that should sit at the very top of the list.
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Lemieux is one of the undisputed GOATs of the sportCredit: Getty
But there is also Mario Lemieux, who enjoyed a storied NHL career spanning 17 years.
Considered one of the most talented offensive players of his era, the Canadian virtually single-handedly changed the entire trajectory of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
As a result, earning money came so easily to him that it was just an afterthought.
Over the course of his lengthy career, Lemieux amassed a reported $58.5 million in earnings, but he is now estimated to have a net worth of around $300 million.
This sees his name atop the list of the richest ice hockey players, with Gretzky coming in at second with a reported $250 million net worth. The two are clear of Ovechkin in third, who has an estimated net worth of $80 million.
Drafted to the Penguins as the 1st overall pick in the 1984 NHL Draft, Lemieux would need just his rookie season to record his first 100 point season.
He would go on to repeat that feat in each of his first six seasons, leading to five All-Star selections along the way.
Having scored 70 goals and 98 assists in the 1987-88 season, Lemieux would win his first Hart Memorial Trophy – hockey’s equivalent to the Most Valuable Player award – as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
“Super Mario” went on to win one of hockey’s most prestigious individual award a further two times, in the 1992-93, and 1995-96 seasons, respectively.
Lemieux would also be the recipient of the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the top point scorer of the season, six times.
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Lemieux led Pittsburgh to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992Credit: Getty
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‘Super Mario’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all timeCredit: Getty
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The Penguins icon amassed a net worth of around $300mCredit: Getty
Despite being founded during the NHL expansion in 1967, the Penguins had never experienced any success in the years prior to Lemieux’s draft selection.
But the franchise would only have to wait until their superstar’s seventh season for him to deliver a Stanley Cup.
Despite missing 50 games of the 1990-91 regular season due to having back surgery, the Penguins would still reach the playoffs, and Lemieux posted a career-high 16 goals and 28 assists to help Pittsburgh claim their first ever Stanley Cup.
“Le Magnifique” would deliver again the following season as the Penguins repeated as Stanley Cup champions, with Lemieux winning the Conn Smythe (Playoffs MVP award) Trophy on back-to-back occasions.
However, life would throw some curveballs Lemieux’s way throughout his playing career.
The Canadian was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 1993, which ultimately forced him to miss five seasons between 1994 and 2005.
But just as he was a warrior on the ice, he was just as much one off of it, if not more so, and battled to get back to playing each and every time.
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Under his ownership, the Penguins won additional titles in 2009, 2016, and 2017Credit: Getty
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He had several lengthy absences from the game due to various health issuesCredit: Getty
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Lemieux sold his stake in the Penguins in 2021 for a reported sum of around $900 millionCredit: Getty
Shortly after his cancer diagnosis, Lemieux used his health battle to fuel his success, and ultimately use his name, stature, and financial resources for good.
He did this by founding The Mario Lemieux Foundation, which aims to assist others who are fighting the illness, just like he did. To date, the foundation has committed millions to funding cancer research.
Although he initially retired in 1997, before assuming majority ownership of the team in 1999 in order to help the Penguins climb out of bankruptcy, Lemieux would return again at the turn of the millennium.
Father Time would eventually catch up to him, though, and Lemieux hung up his skates for the final time in 2006, having used his final season to serve as a mentor to then-rising star, and Penguins rookie, Sidney Crosby.
He finished his career, having amassed 690 goals and 1,723 points in 915 games – both Penguins all-time records.
Discover the NHL star that earned $55million but then went bankrupt after parents racked up huge debts in his name
Following his retirement, the Montreal-born Canadian remained with the Penguins organisation, and under his majority ownership, they would win the Stanley Cup again in the 2008-09 season, subsequently turning them into one of the NHL’s marquee franchises.
Furthermore, this also made Lemieux the first ever person to win the Stanley Cup both as a player and owner.
Having won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, Lemieux sold his stake in the Penguins in 2021 for a reported sum of around $900 million, though he did remain a minority owner.
Since then, the Penguins have been stuck in a three-year playoff drought, their longest in two decades.
However, in 2025, reports have surfaced suggesting that the 1997 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee is weighing up his options to repurchase his old stake in the team.
As such, it would not come as a surprise if a very familiar face makes a return to the PPG Paints Arena with the aim of helping Penguins to find success on the ice once again.
After all, it’s not as though he is short of the cash to do so.