Being a hockey parent causes no problems for Lemieux

Photo and story by Ralph Schwarz
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, April 8, 2004
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, April 10, 2004

Young hockey fans line up to get an autograph of hockey superstar Mario Lemieux during the recent Niagara Falls Championship Cup tournament at the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion.

When Mario Lemieux stepped of the ice and headed to the locker rooms at the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion, he just wanted to do what all hockey parents do after a game: being with his child.

"I'm here to take care of my son -- what's so hard to understand about that," Lemieux said to a group of other hockey parents who persistently wanted to start up a conversation with the NHL superstar.

Indeed, all that one of hockey's most prolific scorers wanted during the Niagara Falls Championship Cup was to support his 8-year-old son, Austin, who played for the Pittsburgh-area Arctic Foxes in the Mite Major Division of the three-day tournament, held March 26-28.

The circumstance that the owner and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins watched his son play from behind the Foxes' bench did not cause any problems for the team.

"He has been welcome all year and this time is the first time he has come behind the bench," said George Barney, head coach of the Arctic Foxes.

The mere fact of having a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame of Lemieux's caliber behind the bench -- a circumstance that might send most amateur hockey players into a state of awe -- did not have any negative impact on Austin's teammates.

"They are really used to having him around," Barney said. "Maybe in the beginning of the season, they might have been a little bit in awe. But Mario is a parent first, and [the players] see him so much around, it doesn't even bother."

The familiar image of hockey parents trying to influence coaches to give their children more ice time or even coaching tips, does not apply to Lemieux, Barney said.

"All season, he has been here as father to watch Austin play and he's a very good one with that," the coach said. "I told him before anytime he has anything he wants to put in, I'm more than open to hear it. ... Sometimes, I do wish he would give me some tips from his rich experience."

But not getting involved did not mean that Lemieux held back any encouraging words for the team, especially when the Foxes found themselves down 3-0 after two periods in their first game of the tournament against Fort Erie.

"When we were on the bench, he basically told them to keep working hard and keep their heads up a little bit, make some good passes," Barney said.

The encouraging words and the occasional tap on the head of each player coming back to the bench seemed to rub off as the Foxes staged a comeback in the third period but came short as the team lost 3-2.

"He's a great hockey parent," Barney said. "He's here to be with his son and he wants all the attention on the team, not on himself."

Although "Super Mario" tried to stay out of the public spotlight as much as possible that weekend, he did not shun away to mingle with other hockey parents or sign autographs for hockey fans of all ages. And when it came to signing, the most famous Penguin followed up on all requests, even if that meant having to sign the odd Toronto Maple Leafs or Detroit Red Wings hat.