Patrick Ritchie

Mario Lemieux 🐐 159 pointless regular season games 18 pointless playoffs games 177 pointless / 1,022 total games Point in 82.68% ✅ Estimated 25–50% health, according to Penguins team physician Dr. Charles Burke 🩻 Wayne Gretzky 👻 266 pointless regular season 35 pointless playoffs 301 pointless / 1,695 total games Point in 82.24% Estimated 80-90% health per physician

Mario Lemieux had only 3-4 relatively healthy seasons out of his 17 season NHL career 😔 🩻 Most of them were around 50% and miraculously, some of his most successful years actually at around 20% health per team doctors 🤯 🔋 Scotty Bowman nailed it when asked about The Athletic's NHL99 poll back in 2023, where Lemieux was ranked behind only Wayne Gretzky. 📃 "He's No. 2, huh? You might have him too low. Mario's the best player that ever lived."

Mario Lemieux had been trying to score directly off offensive-zone faceoffs for years. @MarkMaddenX started mocking him on his radio show, claiming he'd finally found something even the greatest player couldn't do 🎙️ Eventually, Mario confronted him. “You don't think I can do it, huh?” Madden: “I'll bet you 66 bucks.” “That's kind of cheap. How about $6,600?” Madden agreed, with the money going to the Mario Lemieux Foundation 👏 Two days before the Buffalo game, Mario tried it, hit the crossbar, and sent the puck into the stands. As he circled back, he glared up toward Madden in the press box 👀 December 23, 2002. Against Buffalo, Lemieux finally pulled it off. He raised his arms, grinning directly toward Madden in the press box 😁 🚨 After the game, Mario called across the lockerroom: “Did you almost have a heart attack? Where's my money?” 💸

Age 9 Mario Lemieux was benched for taking "bad" penalties. Coach put him back out in the 3rd, down 6-1. He scored 6 straight to win the game, 7-6 #GOATtales 🐐 🪄