Mario Lemieux was crowned MVP in the 1987-88 NHL regular season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and received the prestigious Hart Memorial Trophy for the first time.

But it was at the expense of fellow Canadian center Wayne Gretzky, who was leading the Dynasty Years with the Edmonton Oilers.

After securing the first of his three MVPs with the Penguins, he had called it a “fortunate” victory for himself at the time.

“The only reason Gretzky did not win the Hart is because he was hurt,” Lemieux, who is hailed as “The Magnificent One,” said back then, as per the Deseret News website. “I was fortunate to be able to take advantage of that.”

It also broke the run of eight consecutive Hart Memorial Trophy wins for Gretzky. He actually finished third in the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA), behind Lemieux and fellow Oiler teammate, goaltender Grant Fuhr.

Notably, during that season, Lemieux scored 168 points (70G/98A) in 77 games for the Penguins, missing only three games. In contrast, Gretzky missed 16 games after sustaining a sprained left knee in December.

Despite that, “The Great One” finished second in the scoring charts, registering 149 points, including 40 goals and 109 assists, in 64 appearances.

And most importantly, the Oilers swept the Boston Bruins to win their fourth Stanley Cup title in five seasons in 1988.

Revisiting Lemieux's acceptance speech after MVP Win

Mario Lemieux had one of the most powerful acceptance speeches after becoming the MVP. He was humble enough to credit his direct competitor for the Hart Memorial Trophy, Wayne Gretzky, for inspiring him.

Lemieux alluded to their partnership for Team Canada as a kick-start less than a year prior. They played together for the national team in the 1987 edition of the Canada Cup held in Montreal and Hamilton.

“That's where it all started, playing with Gretzky,” said Lemieux about playing with his senior teammate for Canada.

“I learned what it takes to be on the top of your game. Being around the greatest hockey player in the world helped me. I think everybody can learn from him. I know I did. When I got that confidence, I could do a lot of things,” he added.

Coincidentally, Canada won the coveted title nearly 39 years ago after Lemieux scored the winner, with Gretzky assisting him. They beat the Soviet Union by 6-5 in the best-of-three Canada Cup Finals Series, winning 2-1 in September 1987.

What do you think of Mario Lemieux crediting Wayne Gretzky for his MVP win? Give us your opinion in the comments.

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Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Sijo Paul