Mario Lemieux statue unveiled at Consol Energy Center

PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins honored the most legendary player in the history of the franchise on Wednesday.

A statue of Mario Lemieux was unveiled Wednesday outside of the Consol Energy Center.

The statue, called Le Magnifique, honors Lemieux's life on and off the ice.

The statue depicts a goal Lemieux scored Dec. 20, 1988, against the New York Islanders. The Penguins said they chose that particular moment in time because it represents Lemiuex's life of breaking through challenges on and off the ice.

"It's a special day," Lemieux said after the statue was unveiled. "I was pretty nervous this morning, but I am always nervous when I have to speak in front of people. It was a great day and I'm going to enjoy it."

Mario Lemieux, his family, Pittsburgh Penguins players and hundreds of fans were at the special ceremony.

The statue, which was sculpted by Bruce Wolfe and took 15 months to design and finish, stands outside of the arena near the Trib Total Media Gate.

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