Jagr on why Mario came out of retirement

[CarltonTheBear]

Thought this was a pretty great story, hadn't heard it before either. A user on Reddit translated a post Jaromir Jagr made on his Facebook:

"The story begins 5 years earlier. It's 24th March 1996. A son was born on this day but not everything was the way every parent wishes. Austin was born a couple of months early. Noone knew what would happen so Mario spent 3 days in the hospital with his wife and son. After three days of stress and without sleep, Mr. 66 got the great news - THE SON WILL LIVE AND BE HEALTHY. Mario got so excited that he decided to play a game the same day. We played against St. Louis and won. I don't remember the exact score but I know that Mario scored 5 goals and assisted on two more. No, that's not a typo, he scored 5 goals + 2 assists Trust me, I was there. If you don't, just check youtube.

Life went on and Mario retired a year later. It was March 1997, Mario scored a goal against Philadelphia with two minutes left and most fans considered this the last goal of his career.

Then, for three years, he devoted his time to his family and golf, but also his club the Penguins where he was the owner. He didn't miss a single game, sometimes he visited practices too and with him his (at the time 4 year old) son Austin. He loved hockey too and didn't do anything without a hockey stick in his hands. One day he wandedred into the staff room and started talking to the person sharpening our skates. Austin: 'Hi Steve, what's going on?' Steve: 'Hi, I'm sharpening the skates for our players, we have a game today.' Austin: 'I know, I will be there. And who's the player on the poster (pointing at Mario Lemieux poster)?'. 'That's your father!' said Steve. 'My father played hockey??'. Steve looked at Austin in disbelief and said 'Your father was the best player in the world for a long time!'. 'Oh, I didn't know,' said Austin and left to continue playing with his ball...

I know for a fact that Mario found out about this conversation between Steve and Austin. A MONTH LATER HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS COMING BACK... The first two games were against Toronto and Ottawa. We won both of them and do you know what Mario's total was? Two games - two goals and five assists. After 3 and a half years of leisure. UNBELIEVABLE. This story about little Austin is in my opinion the main reason why Mario returned to the ice. Austin finally saw his father play and Lemieux proved once again that he is the best player of all times."

http://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/39376b/jagr_shares_a_story_about_why_mario_lemieux/

 

[Kin]

It's a great story and I'm a little with Jagr. The more and more I try to sort of wrestle with the idea of who the best player of all-time is the more and more I come back to Mario.

I mean 282 points in 70 games in junior in his draft year. 100 point rookie year. 141 point sophomore year. Wins the scoring title in '93 playing only 60 games and fighting Cancer. As the story suggests, takes three years off and comes back to score 76 points in 43 games. Captains Canada to Olympic Gold the next year. Ends up owning a team.

I mean, we think of Steve Yzerman as easily being one of the top 10 players of all time. One of the best goal scorers to play the game. Lemieux scored 2 fewer goals than Yzerman in 600 fewer games.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

It sure it tough to argue with Gretzky's career totals, but yeah I've always been a Lemieux guy myself. That '93 season was insane. 160 points in 60 games. He would have been top-10 in scoring on assists alone had he played a full season.

 

[L K]

I always found Lemieux to be the more complete player to Gretzky.

I think what always sealed it for me was Lemieux's cancer year. 1992-1993.  At the time that he announced his diagnosis he had 104 points (39G 65A) in 40 games.  That's a 213 point pace...with cancer.  He misses two months for radiation therapy and comes back and puts up 56 points in 20 games.  Then you account for what he was doing with a completely useless hip at the end of his career.  The guy was incredible.

Also, why do the Leafs not one of these guys in their team history.

 

[Chev-boyar-sky]

I always found Lemieux to be the more complete player to Gretzky.

I think what always sealed it for me was Lemieux's cancer year. 1992-1993.  At the time that he announced his diagnosis he had 104 points (39G 65A) in 40 games.  That's a 213 point pace...with cancer.  He misses two months for radiation therapy and comes back and puts up 56 points in 20 games.  Then you account for what he was doing with a completely useless hip at the end of his career.  The guy was incredible.

Also, why do the Leafs not one of these guys in their team history.

Is is kind of amazing that they don't. Who's the best player the Leafs have ever drafted? Clark?

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I always found Lemieux to be the more complete player to Gretzky.

I think what always sealed it for me was Lemieux's cancer year. 1992-1993.  At the time that he announced his diagnosis he had 104 points (39G 65A) in 40 games.  That's a 213 point pace...with cancer.  He misses two months for radiation therapy and comes back and puts up 56 points in 20 games.  Then you account for what he was doing with a completely useless hip at the end of his career.  The guy was incredible.

Also, why do the Leafs not one of these guys in their team history.

Is is kind of amazing that they don't. Who's the best player the Leafs have ever drafted? Clark?

Tuukka Rask #JFJ

 

[Bill_Berg]

I'm still annoyed that he played the Leafs in his first game back. I knew then that it would be an automatic loss.  ;D

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I always found Lemieux to be the more complete player to Gretzky.

I think what always sealed it for me was Lemieux's cancer year. 1992-1993.  At the time that he announced his diagnosis he had 104 points (39G 65A) in 40 games.  That's a 213 point pace...with cancer.  He misses two months for radiation therapy and comes back and puts up 56 points in 20 games.  Then you account for what he was doing with a completely useless hip at the end of his career.  The guy was incredible.

Also, why do the Leafs not one of these guys in their team history.

Is is kind of amazing that they don't. Who's the best player the Leafs have ever drafted? Clark?

Tuukka Rask #JFJ

Rask, Steen, and what the heck Seguin.

 

[Kin]

It sure it tough to argue with Gretzky's career totals, but yeah I've always been a Lemieux guy myself. That '93 season was insane. 160 points in 60 games. He would have been top-10 in scoring on assists alone had he played a full season.

The way I've always seen the argument is this. Give me one player in history at 18 years old to build a franchise around? I go Gretzky. One player in one game, at their prime, with my life on the line? I go Lemieux.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

It sure it tough to argue with Gretzky's career totals, but yeah I've always been a Lemieux guy myself. That '93 season was insane. 160 points in 60 games. He would have been top-10 in scoring on assists alone had he played a full season.

The way I've always seen the argument is this. Give me one player in history at 18 years old to build a franchise around? I go Gretzky. One player in one game, at their prime, with my life on the line? I go Lemieux.

Right. Basically:

Greatest NHL career = 99
Greatest NHL player = 66

 

[ZBBM]

It sure it tough to argue with Gretzky's career totals, but yeah I've always been a Lemieux guy myself. That '93 season was insane. 160 points in 60 games. He would have been top-10 in scoring on assists alone had he played a full season.

The way I've always seen the argument is this. Give me one player in history at 18 years old to build a franchise around? I go Gretzky. One player in one game, at their prime, with my life on the line? I go Lemieux.

Right. Basically:

Greatest NHL career = 99
Greatest NHL player = 66

4 >> (99 x 66)2

I got that math from an old guy in a floral suit.

 

[MetalRaven]

I'm still annoyed that he played the Leafs in his first game back. I knew then that it would be an automatic loss.  ;D

Im still annoyed that his first goal back counted. I remember that game and the goal shouldn't have counted but then some announcer brushed it off as "Good for the game"

I really need to learn to let things go...

Edit: Just re-watched it and everything looked fine...It was his first assist on the Jagr goal. The Jagr goal shouldn't have happened. Net was dislodged

 

[dappleganger]

4 >> (99 x 66)2

I got that math from an old guy in a floral suit.

I think Orr deserves some consideration. He's right up there.

Only player to win four major awards in one season: Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe in 1970. Was a record +124 in 1970-1971.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I think Orr deserves some consideration. He's right up there.

Only player to win four major awards in one season: Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe in 1970. Was a record +124 in 1970-1971.

He'd be the undisputed #3 for me, with Howe and Richard following. Although admittedly it's pretty tough for me to judge those 3 since they played in an era well before my time. I at least got to see the latter portions of 99/66's careers with my own eyes.

 

[Kin]

Only player to win four major awards in one season: Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe in 1970.

I really think Lemieux winning the Art Ross, Hart, Pearson and Masterton in '93 is just as impressive.

The thing with Orr, to me, is that it's hard to separate his individual greatness from how revolutionary his game was. I don't think it entirely negates what he did but it's a great what if to wonder how he would have done in a league where a rushing defenseman isn't a novelty. You see some of those old clips and it looks like the other team really just doesn't know what to do.

 

[KW Sluggo]

I always found Lemieux to be the more complete player to Gretzky.

I think what always sealed it for me was Lemieux's cancer year. 1992-1993.  At the time that he announced his diagnosis he had 104 points (39G 65A) in 40 games.  That's a 213 point pace...with cancer.  He misses two months for radiation therapy and comes back and puts up 56 points in 20 games.  Then you account for what he was doing with a completely useless hip at the end of his career.  The guy was incredible.

Also, why do the Leafs not one of these guys in their team history.

Is is kind of amazing that they don't. Who's the best player the Leafs have ever drafted? Clark?

I am a big Clark fan (got the jersey and it is autographed) but don't sell Sittler and "Machine Gun" Lanny (got their jerseys too) short (that was his nickname when he was drafted)

As for Mario and Gretz et al, I have seen most of them, not all as I missed out on the Rocket (Leafs made him an offer when Montreal forced him to retire but his Hab pride & a retirement job promise prevented it), and although I despise everything Boston since Sanderson or Mackenzie skated over Bower's hand, I must confess that Orr was indeed the best.

I don't buy the flying goal against St Louis - hey, Boston was up 3 games to none anyway so how dramatic was it plus the shot was made before Orr jumped like Nijinsky - and Boston should have won four Cups with that roster (what say you Mr, Cherry?).

Best skater, best playmaker, controlled the game, and without him, Boston wins nothing, Don Cherry is nothing (and I have my issues with Mr. C but he is right on this point), despite having (I hate to admit this) a great team. I will burn in hell for posting the foregoing but that is the way it is.

The only problem I ever had with Orr is that after him, every defenceman became an offensive defence man falsely thinking he could become or could emulate Orr.

Uh - uh, NFW.... Orr was a difference of kind, not degree.

Orr was the Lennon & McCartney of hockey.

Should have been a Leaf but that got screwed uo too.

 

[rdowdall]

Does Jagr get thrown in to the mix for this conversation?  Or is he in the second tier with guys like Yzerman, Messier, Howe and Francis?

I don't really know who I consider to be the greatest all time.  I hate to say it but one of the greatest single games by a player that I have seen was Gretzky in game 7 against the Leafs in 93.  That was pretty amazing.

Lemiux though was awesome in the 90-91 playoffs.  The goal he scored against Boston, deking Bourgue out of his pants in the process was jaw dropping.  Then the goal he scored against Minnesotta where he went through the whole team was also amazing.

The next year against Chicago in the finals, Jagr put on a clinic. 

Ah those were the days.