Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux (born 1965) was known for his speed and finesse, often compared to such greats as Wayne Gretzky and Guy Lafleur. After his retirement, Lemieux became one of the first players in professional sports to own the team for which he had played and later returned to professional play for his own team.

Lemieux was born on October 5, 1965, in Montreal, Canada, the youngest of three sons of Jean-Guy and Pierrette Lemieux. Growing up in Ville Emard, just outside of Montreal, Lemieux began playing hockey at the age of three. He was encouraged in this pursuit by his father, a construction worker, who packed snow in their front hallway so his sons could practice skating inside. Lemieux played hockey every day after school, and his abilities soon became evident. Jean-Guy Lemieux told Kevin Dupont of The New York Times, "At the age of six I knew...