The Hockey News Archive
Forty years ago, NHL icon Mario Lemieux played his first hockey at the NHL level.
In this cover story from The Hockey News’ Nov. 2, 1984, edition (Volume 38, Issue 6), contributing writer Dave Molinari chronicled Lemieux’s first week of NHL action.
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One of Lemieux’s first opponents was the Montreal Canadiens – and Lemieux was unsure about the reception he’d get when playing in his home province of Quebec. But while his Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t play well against the Habs, Lemieux performed about as well as could be expected under the circumstances, even if he was critical of his performance.
“There was a lot of pressure because all of my family was there and most of the people were there to watch me,” Lemieux told Molinari. ”It was tough because the team didn’t play well, so it was tough for me to play well.”
Things got better for Lemieux in the Pens’ home-opener against the Vancouver Canucks. Lemieux put up a terrific feed on teammate Doug Shedden’s opening goal. And although Canucks coach Bill LaForge wasn’t overly complimentary toward Lemieux, he acknowledged Lemieux was a special athlete.
“He made a great pass on the opening goal, but he didn’t do much else,” LaForge said. “To tell the truth, he’s going to be a great player, but it takes time.”
MARIO LEMIEUX’S FIRST-WEEK STATISTICS SPEAK MUCH LOUDER THAN ANY WORDS
Vol. 38, No. 6, Nov. 2, 1984
By Dave Molinari
Devotees of the game speak of the harsh realities of adjusting to life in the National Hockey League, of the toll extracted by extensive travel and of the rigors of regularly competing against some of the finest players on the planet.
All of that, they insist, makes the transition from junior to professional a difficult proposition for even the most talented teenager.
And so it was for Mario Lemieux, the man charged with revitalizing the stagnant Pittsburgh Penguin franchise. Lemieux, in fact, showed absolutely no signs of seizing the NHL by the throat until well over a minute into his first professional shift.
Penguin officials valiantly struggled to hide their disappointment. After watching Lemieux’s first game, for example, general manager Eddie Johnston bravely sported a smile that would have resisted the finest efforts of any sandblaster.
Lemieux’s performance in his first week earned…