"I'm not coming back to embarrass myself," Lemieux said during a press conference held Monday. "That the last thing I would do. I wouldn't come back unless I thought I could play at a high level….to try to regain the title of the best player in the world." In my mind, Lemieux always was the best player in the world. Ok, maybe I am upsetting the hockey gods by going against Wayne Gretzky, but I believe Lemieux in his prime was as good as Gretzky ever was.

In Lemieux's rookie season with the then-lowly Penguins, he became only the third rookie in NHL history to score 100 points.

In 1988, Lemieux scored 199 points, only second to Gretzky's 212 for a single season.

In 1991, after missing the first 50 games of the season with a rare-bone disease caused by an infection, Lemieux returned and won the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP, leading the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup championship ever.

In 1992, after having his hand broken in the playoffs against the Rangers, Lemieux continued to play and once again won the Conn Smythe in giving Pittsburgh its second straight Stanley Cup.

And in 1993, Lemieux suffered the greatest blow of all.

"Super Mario" was diagnosed with a rare form of Hodgkin's disease, causing him to miss a great part of the season because of radiation therapy. Against all odds, Lemieux managed to battle back from the cancer and lead the league in scoring.