Mario Lemieux Quotes (103 Quotes)

I think we've done everything we can do as an ownership group, as far as setting up the franchise for the long term here in Pittsburgh. We have a plan with Isle of Capri to fully fund construction of a new arena without public money and make sure this franchise stays in Pittsburgh forever. That's always been my goal.

We don't want you at the rink, we don't want you in the stadium, we don't want you to watch hockey,

The first few games that we played against some of the teams, the young guys, you know, want a stick sign or photo sign, and I think that they respect what I have achieved throughout my career.

This summer we saw a lot of big names moving around, and I think the balance is much better in the NHL,

Of course, my family has been a big reason for me to come back, especially my son who loves the game of hockey - he was a big reason for me coming back.

That's good for his confidence, ... Not only the game, but the shootout.

One thing I hate is people screaming at me. If you want me to do something, talk to me.

The kid's going to be a great player in this league for a long time. I thought he played well and didn't look out of place at all.

I'm still optimistic this team will be here forever but, again, we need a new facility, ... I don't know how many times I need to say it, but this is the last time I'm going to.

That's part of being a professional, I guess, to deal with tough situations, ... For myself, thank God I never dwelled too much on these things. That probably helped me get through the tough times.

He's going to create a lot of excitement around the league, especially in Pittsburgh. We've seen that ticket sales are booming. People are excited. It's really going to help us bring back the fans.

I've had a chance to spend some time in L.A. with him, training and having dinners, and that's all he talks about, hockey, ... He knows the history of the game, loves to talk about the players and the teams. That's why I think he's going to be very successful, because he's dedicated his life to the game.

The rules have really helped him. Three, four years ago, if you had that speed, you always had a stick on you. The game is a lot more exciting now.

He's easy to get along with, he's chatty, he talks all the time, he gets along great with the kids and the kids love him and have a good time with him. We spend a lot of time together, drive everywhere and have dinner together every night. It's just a normal day for the both of us.

It's up to the community now to decide if they want to keep this team.

I didn't like the way the game was being played.

It was just fun to get back out there, especially for the fans, ... I thought we played well, and I think we'll play a little better with each game -- as long as we stay out of the penalty box.

Maybe he just turned 18, but look how he played in our last exhibition game. He was one of the best players on the ice, making plays, with his skating and his strength, handling the puck. Give this kid a couple of years, he's going to do some damage.

It's just a normal day for both of us get up early, skate and train and do our thing during the day until the kids come home and start bothering him,

I think that with a lot of hard work and dedication, I feel that I could be the best in the world. I'm still only 35 years old... I have a fresh start physically and mentally, and I feel that I can achieve my goal to be the best again.

Oh, I did stop smoking a long time ago.

My body's feeling it a little bit. But one good thing, my back is in good shape, and that's my main concern. I know that my legs are going to take awhile to get back to where I was a few years ago, but as long as my back is solid, I feel that I can play many years.

Even if we go to the (Stanley Cup) finals, we're not going to make money,

He made some good plays out there and got the puck to the net.

I don't try to match wine with food, I just drink what I like. And I think a lot of people are going towards that now, which never used to be in the past.

I thought the other lines were pretty good, as well. We'll see what happens.

We feel that, with Sidney, we have a great opportunity over the next few years to put a great team on the ice. We're prepared to lose some money along the way. Eventually we're going to need some help.

First of all he speaks the language which is a lot easier. I didn't speak English until I came to Pittsburgh and it took me awhile to start to feel comfortable with the language. That's a big advantage that he has,

He creates a lot of excitement. He has all the tools to be a great player. He sees the ice well, he's a great skater. He says he needs to work on his shot, but it looks pretty good to me.

I'm not surprised we're seeing a lot of empty buildings in the cities we're going into. The way the game's played now, it's a pretty boring game.

Once I'm at the arena with the guys in the dressing room, and in the bus, and on the plane, I'm a player. And I sit in the back with the players and I play cards and try to take their money.

He's adjusted very well. He plays with the kids a lot and he's very chatty. He talks all the time. The kids love him. We talk a lot, have dinner together every night.

If we get a new arena, great. It's something we've been looking forward to for many years. And whether I'm part of it or not, that's something this franchise absolutely has to have.

Actually, it's kind of nice. We're promoting our young guys in the NHL and players who are the future of the league, not the guys who are 40 or 42 years old.

He's young and he's going to have many opportunities. I know he was disappointed last night, but there are so many good young players now with a little bit more experience. It's unfortunate, but he'll be there for the next one.

Winning two Stanley Cups really allows me to leave the game in peace.

Everybody I talked to - from my friends to my family and some of the players - really gave me a lot of support from the start. And that certainly made me feel good about trying to come back and be one of the best again.

He loves to talk about the game and what he will be facing this year, ... He likes to know everything upfront. It's fun for me to be part of this because I went through this, and I know it will be difficult for him at times and I want to be here for him.

Every game he gets better. That's amazing that he just turned 18 and he's our best player night in and night out. It's incredible.

He's more mature, ... Just the way he handles himself, the way he speaks to the media, he always says the right things. He's just more mature. Maybe it's the language, where I didn't speak it and shied away from a lot of things.

I'm very excited for him for what he's going to be facing the next few years of his career and have a chance to be there and witness that. That's exciting for me as well. He's got a lot of talent, and his mind is pretty strong. He's got all the tools to be one of the greatest to play the game.

He was one of the best players out there, skating-wise and handling the puck.

I think the game has opened up, and that's why I decided to come back and try to be a part of it.

When someone screams at me to hurry up, I slow down.

I've watched him skate a little in the past week, and I know how good he is. But once you step onto the ice and start playing, it can be a little different. But I wasn't surprised with how well he played.

He meant a lot to us. When we traded for him in the early 1990s he gave us the opportunity to win the Cup right away. What a great leader for our team when he came here and a great ambassador for the game and a great two-way player.

I think we're really running out of time. We probably ran out of time already. It's been unfortunate that the city and the county haven't been willing to work with us over the last two or three years.

Obviously he was a great player, but also a great person and very intelligent and knowledgeable about the game of hockey and I could see him as a president as a general manager of president somewhere down the road.

He's been around the media for the last couple of years, and has done great,

The new owners will be bound by the same agreement we have with Isle of Capri. Certainly, our preference would be to keep the team in Pittsburgh forever.