Over the course of his storied professional hockey career, from 1984 to 2006 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, ‘Super Mario’ Lemieux played 915 games, scored 690 goals, had 1,033 assists for 1,723 points and 10, 100-point seasons..He played on two Stanley Cup-winning Penguins teams, won the Conn Smythe Trophy twice as playoff MVP, the Art Ross Trophy six times as the NHL’s top scorer and the Hart Trophy three times as league MVP..He’s also credited with keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh. .Super Mario was the first pick in the 1984 draft, going to a team that won only 16 games the year before, with an average attendance of less than 7,000 fans per game. The Pens were drowning in red ink amid talk of relocating to another city.. b-2Mario’s trophy room .Lemieux changed it all, immediately..Taking charge of the team on his first NHL shift on October 11, 1984, he scored his first goal on his first shot on net, finishing the season with 100 points and earning the Calder Cup as Rookie of the Year..He saved the Pens that year, and in later years, would rescue it again by becoming an owner of the team..Born and raised in Montreal, Lemieux eventually moved to the Mont Tremblant area, northwest of the city, buying three plots of land, on which he had a 17,000-sq.-ft. estate home built.. c-1The Magnificent One’s home .The home, dubbed Chateau Fleur de Lys, took seven years to complete and is now for sale for $22 million..The Chateau, overlooking Lake Tremblant, features eight bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 17 fireplaces, a spa, home theatre and a guest house on the five-acre lot. . d-1Mario’s backyard .Wooden beams on the ceilings are imported from a castle in India, with railings, stairs, light fixtures and chandeliers supplied by designers Arte de Mexico in California..The popularity of the Mont Tremblant area means there isn’t enough land available to reproduce a home of this size, says listing agent Michel Naud, who has been working in the area for more than 20 years.. eWeenie roast, anyone? .Naud calls the chateau a resort within a resort, with dramatic outdoor detailing, including a pool, outdoor shower and a number of lounging/entertainment areas. In the winter, the Mont Tremblant Ski Resort, one of the most popular resorts in North America, is just minutes away..For more information, contact Naud at michel.naud@evcanada.com. Telephone 819-429-0674; toll free 800-465-3700..Photos courtesy Evan Joseph and Nat LaPointe.Myke Thomas is a Western Standard contributor.
