Mario may save Princess Toadstool in his self-titled video game, but in the real world, Mario Lemiuex was a hero by saving a struggling Pittsburgh Penguins team from certain extinction.  “Super” Mario has often been included in the discussion of “greatest player ever” with Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, and my personal favorite Bobby Orr.  

Does a Penguin really belong in the same category as the Great One?

My immediate reaction was to say no.  It would have to be a cold day in hell before I would ever give Lemieux this honor.  Pittsburgh fans, keep your jerseys and gloves on and let me explain, please.

My father bred me to be the loyal Boston Bruins fan I am today.  My older brother foolishly chose the Pittsburgh Penguins as his favorite team, despite my father’s wishes.

Being daddy’s girl, I grew up despising the Penguins.  I especially disliked their leader, Super Mario. To me, Lemieux was the emperor of the evil empire that my rebel team, the Bruins, strived to topple in each face-off.  My hatred for the man only increased when he led the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992.

When Lemieux took a leave in the 92-93 season, I was glad he was gone.  I was only eight at the time and didn’t understand that he was fighting Hodgkin’s disease.  All I knew was that the emperor was gone and my Boston Bruins had a chance to win that elusive silver cup. 

My joy didn’t last for long.

As fate would have it, on March 9, 1993, my father, brother and I sat in Pittsburgh Civic Arena (now known as Mellon Arena), home of the Penguins, with a frown on my face.  “Super” Mario had returned just in time to face the Bruins in his first home game since beating cancer.  “Welcome back Lemieux” signs flew high all over the arena and all I could do was sink low in my seat and glare at my smiling brother.  His hero had returned.

Lemieux, who wore No. 66 his entire career, led the Penguins to win that night by one goal in a final score of 3-2.  I was furious. Super Mario had an assist in that game and turned in his usual dominating performance.  With their leader back, they were unstoppable.  They went on to win another 16 straight games after that evening to set a new NHL record for consecutive victories.  Little did I realize at the time that I got to witness, in person, one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of skates.

As for my Bruins, they would be screwed again in their quest for the Holy Grail of hockey.

Although the Penguins did not win a championship that year, Mario was still their leader.  Over the next few years he took time off to recuperate from a back injury.  His first retirement came in 1997 when he was unanimously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.  He was even able to skate past the normal three year waiting period for induction after retirement.

Then, in 1999, Super Mario made one of the most heroic moves I have ever seen a professional sports star make.  The Penguins filed for team bankruptcy.  As the heart and soul of the Penguins, Lemieux himself assembled a group that bought the team in federal bankruptcy court.  As a new owner of the team, he kept the Penguins in Pittsburgh where they belong.

Mario returned to the ice one final time in the 2000-01 season.  He has played on and off since then, until Jan. 24, 2006, when he announced his final retirement from the game.

I must admit, this time I’m sad to see him go.  I don’t know if any player has ever loved hockey as much as he did.  I swear, the man must dream of ice rinks, zamboni machines, and hockey pucks. 

My hatred for Lemieux eventually turned into respect.  Maybe I’ve just gotten older, or maybe I just realized what most sports stars are about.  In a world where many professional players only care about money, Lemieux stood out as the exception.  He stood by the Penguins his entire career.    

So, here’s to you number 66. 

You saved Pittsburgh from the Bowser of the real world… money.