These are some comments about Mario's retirement. If you have any comments that you would like to add, email me at amp201@psu.edu Thanks.

Mario's Retirement has brought out alot of emotions in some people and in other's it doesn't faze them a bit. I want to say that, as a dedicated Pens fan, I can't see how anyone would not be affected by the retirement of the greatest hockey player in the NHL and in Pgh. He has meant alot to the team and to the fans themselves. Without this guy, I believe that Pittsburgh wouldn't even have a hockey team to call their own anymore. Just thinking that we wouldn't have a team without him is scary. It also makes me realize just how much Mario has given this town. When I heard about Mario's pending retirement, I thought that maybe he would decide to return to Montreal. When he announced that he'd be remaining in the Pittsburgh area at the Dapper Dan Dinner, I was ecstatic. I know I may be jumping into the future with this one, but I'm hoping that someday, Lemieux will get tired of swinging those golf clubs and miss hockey too much and return. It's been done before and if anyone could do it, it would be Mario. I'm hoping he'll come swinging his hockey stick again. If that doesn't happen, I'd like to see him coaching maybe. My best memory may not compare to others, but this day I'll remember always. It was Mario's last regular season home game. The reason that I'll remember this always is because my birthday was also announced at the game. It may have been an embarrasing moment for me, but I'll always remember it cause it was done on the day of Mario's last reg. season home game--Adesta(owner of this page)

As the Pens' chances this year become pretty slim, and because neither my wife nor any of my co-workers can seem to relate to what's about to happen, I needed an outlet & decided to post my feelings about Mario's retirement to this list. The most overwhelming feelings I have are disbelief, privilege, and sadness. Not disbelief that Mario is actually going to retire but disbelief that 13 years have passed since Mario first joined the Pens. It just doesn't seem that long ago! I grew up in Pittsburgh and remember my freshman year at CMU in 1984 Thrift Drug was giving away life size Mario posters as a promotion. I had it up in my dorm room and remember several people I knew, mostly from Boston, Philly, or NYC commenting that Mario would never become great as long as he was with the Penguins (Ha!). I remember how infrequently Pens games were on TV at that time, it seemed like one game in ten might be on WPGH (UHF channel 53 at the time). I caught a few live Pens games each year from 84-89 and was always dazzled by Mario but still had severe doubts that the Cup was anywhere in the near future. Then as soon as I moved to Northern CA in 90 then Pens go and win 2 cups and Mario is simply awesome and gets 2 Conn Smythes. That year when I came home for Christmas it seemed like a majority of the Pens games were on TV (KBL) and Pitsburgh was a hockey town! Along with the Ray Borque goal that people love to recall, my favorite memory is in the Cup finals against the Blackhawks when Mario took a shot from far to the side and slightly behind the net and it hit Belfour's back and went it. Belfour looked dumbfounded. I remember thinking that Mario was the only hockey player I had ever seen that I could believe that he actually intended to score like that. Living out here I catch a few live Sharks games each year. Nothing will make you realize how privileged you have been to be a Pens fan and to be witness to Mario's career like spending some games sitting next to Sharks season ticket holders. These fans are just in awe of Mario (& Jagr) and would kill just to have a player like that to watch for one season. Not only did we get to have a player of a caliber that few teams ever have, but we got to have him for 13 years, all to ourselves. More than anything else I feel loss and sadness, like an old friend is moving away. I'm not sure why I feel this so much more for Mario than for any other Pittsburgh sports superstar. I watched countless Steelers hall of famers retire in the early 80s and never felt anything like this. When they were retiring my overwhelming concern was always the impact on the team for next season. Its different with Mario. Of course I care about how the Pens do next season, but I guess the real difference is that with the Steelers I always knew that there would be more great players that could nearly replace what they lost, I don't think I'll see anyone that could replace Mario in my lifetime. As much as anyone I was hoping Mario would end his career with a roar instead of a wimper. But, having grown up as a fan of Pittsburgh sports I realize how spoiled I am. The teams that I root for have won far more than their fair share of championships. Watching the Flyers beat the Pens the last three games has really pissed me off. But to me, this year the winning or losing almost seems secondary to the passing of a legend---Greg McSheah