Mario Lemieux – Bio, Net Worth, Foundation, Wife, Children and Family Life

Quick Facts

Former Canadian ice hockey star Mario Lemieux popularly known as Super Mario has garnered wide recognition as one of the best hockey players of all time. During his career, the superstar made giant strides with his wonderful playmaking abilities and unparalleled achievements. Interestingly, Mario completed seventeen professional seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.

As a player, Mario was able to set so many records in the NHL and also recorded several awards in his name. For his brilliant contributions, Mario was inducted to the Hockey Walk of Fame in 1997. In addition, he is currently the owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the team has been among the top competitors in the NHL.

Mario Lemieux Bio

Mario Lemieux was born on the 5th day of October 1965 in Montreal City of Quebec in Canada. He is the son of Pierrette Lemieux and her husband Jean-Guy. His father worked as an engineer and he grew up along with his two older brothers Richard and Alain. Mario developed a keen interest in playing hockey right from an early stage. He kicked off his youth career at the age of fifteen while playing for the Laval Viosins of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. During his youth career, he held a regular season record with 282 points in a single season.

Turning pro, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins as the first player overall in NHL draft of 1984. He completed seventeen seasons with the Penguins and held several league records. Mario’s professional career wasn’t all rosy as the star was diagnosed with cancer in 1993. The life-threatening sickness forced him to retire from his burgeoning hockey career in 1997. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November of the same year.

After a successful therapy, Mario returned to the game three years later in the year 2000. He resigned from the Penguins and played for more six seasons before his final retirement in 2006. Asides from the Penguins, Mario Lemieux also played for the Canadian National Ice Hockey team which he led to clinch gold at the Olympic Games held at the Salt Lake City in 2002. He also helped the team to win the 2004 World Cup, among others.

Soon after his retirement, the Penguins faced bankruptcy and was at the verge of losing the team. Mario being their highest creditor utilized the opportunity to procure the team through Lemieux’s ownership group. Since 2007, Marios has done a great job in putting the Penguins back to their position as one of the top contenders in the league.

Mario Lemieux’s Foundation

The ice hockey legend started a foundation called Mario Lemieux Foundation back in 1993. The foundation is dedicated to cancer research and was founded the same year he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Through the foundation, Mario has been able to render great support to several charitable causes and organizations. His noteworthy donations have gone to the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Centre, as well as the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, and the leukemia society, among others.

Net Worth: How Much is Mario Lemieux Worth?

The former hockey player and current hockey team owner has made huge wealth for himself; all thanks to his successful sports career. Mario Lemieux has an accumulated net worth of $150 million. He made his wealth from his sports career as well as his team and other endorsements. Amazingly, his team, Pittsburgh Penguins clinched their third Stanley Cup in June 2017.

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Family Life: Wife and Children

Mario Lemieux isn’t only a successful sportsman; the hockey legend also has an amazing family. He is happily married to his college sweetheart and love of his life Nathalie Asselin. The pair met each other during their college days and were together for a long time before tying the knot. Natalie currently serves as vice president of The Mario Lemieux Foundation. The amazing couple walked down the aisle in 1993 and their wedding took place at Notre Dame Basilica.

Prior to their marriage, Mario and Nathalie welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Lauren. She was born just two months before their wedding. After that, the couple has three more children – Stephanie, Austin, and Alexa. Stephanie was born in 1995 and the following year, their son Austin was born. He was born prematurely and as a result of his condition, Mario and his wife started a project called Austin’s Playroom. The project involves building playrooms for sick children in different hospitals across the United States. The couple also welcomed their third daughter and fourth born Alexa in 1997. The happy couple has been living together for over two decades and there is no sign of marital issues between them.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.