Imagine being a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins and coming onto the ice in front of 20,000 fans, all cheering your arrival. Now, imagine that arena being in cross-state rival, Philadelphia.
Hard to believe, right?
It happened exactly twenty years ago from this past Saturday when Mario Lemieux returned to hockey after missing two months due to Hodgkin’s disease. As the Penguins made their way onto the ice, they were met with boos from the Flyer faithful. That is, until, Mario Lemieux’s skates touched the ice. The crowd at The Spectrum quickly silenced their hatred for players in black and gold and, instead, gave a standing ovation to No. 66.
That was the kind of respect Lemieux obtained from the league. He took a group of people associated with booing Santa Claus, and had them on their feet appreciating his return even if it meant haunting their favorite team.
The Flyers would win the game 5-4, but not without a goal and assist from Lemieux; not bad for a guy who was going through chemotherapy earlier that day, his 22nd and final treatment since his diagnosis less than two months prior.
The Penguins would lose three days later to the New York Rangers before winning 17 straight and closing out the regular season. kWhen Lemieux returned to action on March 2nd, 1993, he was 12 points behind Pat Lafontaine for the league lead. By the end of the season -19 games later- Lemieux finished with 160 points, beating Lafontaine by 12 for the scoring title. Lemieux’s 2.67 points per game were the third highest in league history for a season.
This was someone who was battling cancer and had the back of an 80 year old coal miner, at the age of 28, an athlete’s prime. No matter the obstacle, Lemieux rose to the occasion and dominated the game. Everyone always looks for a hero in sports and Lemieux’s return in 1993 certainly qualifies as heroic, even if the opposing crowd always viewed him as a villain.
Fans of the Penguins always praise Mario for saving their hometown team three times, winning two Stanley Cups, and making Pittsburgh a relevant hockey market. His 1993 season, though it ended prematurely in the playoffs, is one of the most legendary moments in all of hockey and certainly of Lemieux’s career. That season serves as a viable argument when trying to determine the greatest hockey player of all time. Lemieux’s numbers may not be the highest, but he is undoubtedly the only player that could fight past so many physical ailments and come back to dominate the league.
Photo courtesy of Herald Daily
