This week the sporting world said good-bye, once again, to one of the most special players in team sports’ history. Mario Lemieux retired from the NHL this week for the second time, probably for good.

I imagine there are many casual sports fans who know little to nothing about the career or exploits of Lemieux, which is really a shame considering how powerful his story is.

Had he been a football, baseball or basketball player, he would no doubt be nothing short of popular legend.

When Lemieux joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1984, the team had a long history of losing, and was considered by many destined to relocate or die. He had an instant impact in a way few others have, scoring on his first shot during his first NHL shift.

Wayne Gretzky is the only one who has been a more prolific scorer over the course of a career. Although Lemieux lost this mark toward the end of his career, for many years he was the only player in NHL history to average more than two points per game. He won the Art Ross scoring title three times in his career, as well as three MVPs, two playoff MVPs and Rookie of the Year in 1984. Most importantly, he helped win the Stanley Cup for Pittsburgh two years in a row.

All of his talent and accolades could not prepare the hockey world for January 1993, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. Amazingly, he played for another four years while going through cancer treatments and rehabilitation.

The story could have ended there for Lemieux, but it did not. The Penguins franchise began to fade and was facing bankruptcy when Lemieux purchased the team, saving hockey in Pittsburgh. Seeing the dire situation of the team he cared so dearly for, he came back from retirement in early 2001.

Instead of making a par or subpar return, his return was downright Jordan-esque. He instantly dominated the game after being away for so long and approached the scoring title a couple times, although he was in his mid-30s. Because of the team’s financial struggles, it has not been a contender this decade, but it not for a lack of effort on Lemieux’s part.

Severely hampered by injury and most recently by an irregular heartbeat, Lemieux has hung up his skates for what is likely to be the last time, but he will not be quickly forgotten. It is one thing to talk about his statistics, but it was really amazing to see him play.

Few athletes will ever be seen again with such fantastic talent – there is an argument that a healthy Lemieux could have been better than Gretzky – he will to overcome any odds and an incredible passion and loyalty to a team and its city than Mario Lemieux. He is on a short list of my most admired athletes of all time – I wore his jersey to my 8th grade graduation – and is worthy of praise not only from the hockey world, but the sports world as well.

– Nathan Chiaravalloti is a junior in pre-journalism and mass communication from Davenport.