Athlete Number 66 - Mario Lemieux

The Great One. Oh wait, that's the other hockey player with the famous number. Although Mario doesn't own the moniker given to Mr. Gretzky (they called Mario "Super Mario,") Lemieux can be considered one of the best, if not THE best, hockey players ever to pull on an NHL jersey. His jersey number 66 is synonymous with greatness for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not only was Mario a great player in the NHL, he is also a great executive and owner. As stated in the summary of the sports book, "Mario Lemieux: Over Time", written by Chrys Goyens and Frank Orr, which features Mario's famous jersey number 66 on the cover, "By age thirty-four, he was president of the Pittsburgh Penguins, once again resurrecting a foundering franchise, this time in a suit." We could write an entire sports book about Mario's accomplishments here. But we won't. Here are some of Mario's career hockey highlights:

• Drafted 1st overall by Pittsburgh in 1984
• Six Art Ross Trophies, (1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997)
• Ranked number 4 on The Hockey News' 1998 list of 100 greatest players
• Three Hart Memorial Trophy Awards (1988, 1993, 1996)
• 1997 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee (yes he came back to play while he was a Hall of Famer!)
• 199 Points in 1988-1989 season
• 12 game goal scoring streak (NHL record)

Did you know.......Mario Lemieux currently owns the Pittsburgh Penguins?

(photo courtesy of usatoday.com)