Youppi! is the official mascot for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and former longtime mascot of the MLB’s Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals). Youppi! was commissioned by the Montreal Expos and originally leased by the team. In 1979, the mascot was purchased by the Expos baseball team and represented them until they moved to Washington, D.C., after the 2004 season. The orange, hairy giant was one of the most popular figures among everyone at Olympic Stadium, where he was often seen running around with his arms waving wildly during baseball games.
Stan Smyl is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He played 13 seasons as a winger for the Vancouver Canucks, from 1978 to 1991. Nicknamed “Steamer” for his relentless and hard-nosed style of play, he served as team captain for a record eight seasons. He led Vancouver to the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals and retired as the Canucks’ all-time leader in games played, goals, assists and points. Smyl’s number 12 was the first retired number in Canucks’ history.
Note: I chose to draw 8-bit Smyl because he was the best player to wear a Vancouver Canucks uniform during their famously ugly “flying V” uniform era (1978-1984). Terrible uniforms and clown costumes must be remembered!
Mario Lemieux is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984 and 2006. Lemieux led Pittsburgh to two Stanley Cups (1991 and 1992) and led Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002. He was named MVP three times and led the league in scoring six times. Playing only 915 out of a potential 1428 regular season NHL games, Lemieux’s career was plagued by health problems, including Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He is currently the Penguins’ principal owner and is the only person ever to win the Stanley Cup as both a player and an owner. Lemieux is one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
Today is the last day that Heidi and I will be in Switzerland. The next stop on our train journey across Europe is Venice, Italy. Goodbye, Alps.
Gordie Howe is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. During his 33-year professional hockey career, he played right wing for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons (1947-1971) and won four Stanley Cups (1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955). An ambidextrous player, Howe led the NHL in scoring six times and was named MVP six times. He is often referred to as “Mr. Hockey,” and is one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
Bobby Orr is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He played his 12-season career (1966-1978) for the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Black Hawks. A defenseman, Orr used his skating speed and scoring abilities to revolutionize the position. Orr remains the only defenseman to have won the league scoring title. He was named the NHL’s best defenseman eight consecutive times and MVP three consecutive times. With Orr, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1970 and 1972. He is one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He played 20 seasons for four teams (1979-1999), winning four Stanley Cup championships with the Edmonton Oilers and reaching the 1993 Finals with the Los Angeles Kings. Nicknamed “The Great One,” Gretzky is the greatest hockey player of all time. He is the leading point-scorer in NHL history, with more assists than any other player has points, and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season. At the time of his retirement in 1999, Gretzky held 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records and six All-Star records.
Note: The NHL’s 2012-13 regular season started on Thursday, October 11. Or, rather, it would have, if there hadn’t been another NHL lockout.
Mario Lemieux – No. 527
Mario Lemieux is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984 and 2006. Lemieux led Pittsburgh to two Stanley Cups (1991 and 1992) and led Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002. He was named MVP three times and led the league in scoring six times. Playing only 915 out of a potential 1428 regular season NHL games, Lemieux’s career was plagued by health problems, including Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He is currently the Penguins’ principal owner and is the only person ever to win the Stanley Cup as both a player and an owner. Lemieux is one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
Today is the last day that Heidi and I will be in Switzerland. The next stop on our train journey across Europe is Venice, Italy. Goodbye, Alps.