I will post a disclaimer first and state that I am a Homer and love the Pens....
A lot of the posters in that thread named Gretzky as the greatest master of hockey and while I think that he is definitely in the debate....I think that it is just that...a debate. I would like to lay out my reasoning as to why I think that:
Lemieux > Gretzky
You can look at records all you want but you also have to consider it was and is a team game. Gretzky was on a team with; Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Glen Sather, Charlie Huddy, Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier and a couple of other future HoF players.
Lemieux's stats/teammates:
Rookie year:
Warren Young, Doug Shedden, Mike Bullard (Mario scored 100 pts as an 18/yo rookie)
2nd year:
141pts for Lemieux....teammates that year: Bullard, Moe Mantha, Terry Ruskowski
3rd year:
107 pts (63 games)...teammates; Quinn Cunneyworth, Craig Simpson
4th year:
168 pts for Mario....teammates; Dan Quinn, Randy Cunneyworth, Paul Coffey Doug Bodger, Rob Brown (greatest accomplishment...dated Alyssa Milano before the MLB players)
5th year:
199pts ....teammates; Brown, Coffey, Quinn, Bob Errey, John Cullen
6th year:
123 pts (59 games played due to herniated disk)....teammates; Coffey, Cullen, Brown, Kevin Stevens, Mark Recchi
7th year
45pts (26 games (missed 3/4 season due to surgery on herniated disk & rare bone disease from surgery related infection) Scores 44 points in the PLAYOFFS to lead Pgh to Stanley Cup
8th year:
131 pts (64 games)....Stevens, Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy, Jagr, Ron Francis
9th year:
160pts (60 games played due to chemo treatments b/c of Hodgkin's disease)....Stevens, Tocchet, Francis, Jagr, murphy, Mullen, Shawn McEachern
Even most self proclaimed hockey fans will be hard pressed to remember anything about Mario's early career teammates while Gretzky was playing with future HoF'ers. Despite this, Lemieux put up comparable statistics to Gretzky and literally was able to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh on two separate occasions.
For their careers, Gretzky averaged 1.92 ppg (pts per game) during regular season and 1.84 ppg during the playoffs (1.91 ppg total). Lemieux averaged 1.88 ppg during the regular season and 1.61 ppt during the playoffs (1.85 ppg total).
I believe that if he could have swapped teammates with Gretzky and was given the luxury of not having the injuries/illnesses.....I think that the record books would look a lot different today.
A lot of the posters in that thread named Gretzky as the greatest master of hockey and while I think that he is definitely in the debate....I think that it is just that...a debate. I would like to lay out my reasoning as to why I think that:
Lemieux > Gretzky
You can look at records all you want but you also have to consider it was and is a team game. Gretzky was on a team with; Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Glen Sather, Charlie Huddy, Kevin Lowe, Mark Messier and a couple of other future HoF players.
Lemieux's stats/teammates:
Rookie year:
Warren Young, Doug Shedden, Mike Bullard (Mario scored 100 pts as an 18/yo rookie)
2nd year:
141pts for Lemieux....teammates that year: Bullard, Moe Mantha, Terry Ruskowski
3rd year:
107 pts (63 games)...teammates; Quinn Cunneyworth, Craig Simpson
4th year:
168 pts for Mario....teammates; Dan Quinn, Randy Cunneyworth, Paul Coffey Doug Bodger, Rob Brown (greatest accomplishment...dated Alyssa Milano before the MLB players)
5th year:
199pts ....teammates; Brown, Coffey, Quinn, Bob Errey, John Cullen
6th year:
123 pts (59 games played due to herniated disk)....teammates; Coffey, Cullen, Brown, Kevin Stevens, Mark Recchi
7th year
45pts (26 games (missed 3/4 season due to surgery on herniated disk & rare bone disease from surgery related infection) Scores 44 points in the PLAYOFFS to lead Pgh to Stanley Cup
8th year:
131 pts (64 games)....Stevens, Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy, Jagr, Ron Francis
9th year:
160pts (60 games played due to chemo treatments b/c of Hodgkin's disease)....Stevens, Tocchet, Francis, Jagr, murphy, Mullen, Shawn McEachern
Even most self proclaimed hockey fans will be hard pressed to remember anything about Mario's early career teammates while Gretzky was playing with future HoF'ers. Despite this, Lemieux put up comparable statistics to Gretzky and literally was able to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh on two separate occasions.
For their careers, Gretzky averaged 1.92 ppg (pts per game) during regular season and 1.84 ppg during the playoffs (1.91 ppg total). Lemieux averaged 1.88 ppg during the regular season and 1.61 ppt during the playoffs (1.85 ppg total).
I believe that if he could have swapped teammates with Gretzky and was given the luxury of not having the injuries/illnesses.....I think that the record books would look a lot different today.
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