Lemieux's off season training regimen: "Not ordering the fries with my sandwich"

[Big Phil]

It is actually a hard quote to track down and pin down a time frame that he said it. If memory serves me right it was the early 1990s. But what is your opinion of this quote? Is it just vintage Lemieux by trolling the media?

When he was asked what his off season training program is Lemieux said that about a month before training camp he wouldn't order the fries with his sandwich. I found it hilarious to be honest, and still do. It just goes to show you that Lemieux was just simply that good. However, it makes you wonder just how much better he may have been had he applied himself a bit more in the off season. Sort of like if Babe Ruth hadn't ate like a bull and drank like a fish his whole career.

It is scary to think how much better Lemieux would have been had he worked out seriously in the off season.

Click to read more...

 

[sr edler]

I don't think he would have been much better honestly, when he actually played, but he probably would have been less injury prone and lasted longer.

 

[The Panther]

Mario seemed to be a freak of nature, physically. He was slightly chubby, before and after his handful of peak years, but he could fly when he had to. He seemed to get better after long lay-offs before he was really in season-shape. He took radiation treatments in the morning and played in the NHL that evening. He took three-and-a-half years off to play golf and sit around, then came back and scored 76 points in 43 games.

 

[Theokritos]

It is actually a hard quote to track down and pin down a time frame that he said it. If memory serves me right it was the early 1990s. But what is your opinion of this quote? Is it just vintage Lemieux by trolling the media?

An earlier answer by someone who should know:

Old Montreal joke that has grown out of context beyond belief.

Marion Lemieux played his youth hockey for the Ville Emard Hurricanes sponsored by Di Lallo`s Restaurant known locally for their hamburgers.

Ergo the comment.

 

[Acallabeth]

Lemieux might have had a bit more longevity (then again, neither his lymphoma nor AFIB would benefit that much. Lumbar pain might have), but I doubt his actual peak performance would improve greatly. Hockey is the game of skill and intelligence first, and with massive skill gap of the 80s even more so. I don't think we've seen that many cases of players who converted their physical ability improvement into great performance increase.

 

[JackSlater]

I don't think that there would be a particularly big improvement outside of Lemieux's games played. I think that Lemieux was naturally quite gifted and if he gets a bit stronger and faster it doesn't make a huge difference, at least in any of the games that he did play.

 

[VanIslander]

Lemieux and Lindros, 6'4 big guys who dominated juniors and arrogantly cakewalked into the NHL, both getting their clocks cleaned by 5'11 guys who bring the fire in the big league.

They both are partially responsible for their underachieving professional careers. It was a bloody embarrassment to watch a 6'4 230 lbs Mario get owned repeatedly by a 5'11 198 lbs. Lithuanian with the heart and grit of a tiger in battle (similarly 6'4 Lindros being constantly slammed by 5'11 Peca).

They are poster boys of overconfident ill-adapted stars who as great as they were, could have been greater if they had the heart, work ethic, grit and willingness to adapt that the opponents they faced had.

Imagine if they had trained in the offseason with Gary Roberts, Rod Brind'amour or Duncan Keith.

Instead, they are more like Keith Tkachuk, Jason Spezza and Phil Kessel.

Sad, really.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Dilallo's menu for the curious. Has not changed much except for pricing since we played against the Hurricanes before Lemieux was born:

Menu - Dilallo Burger | Original Since 1929

 

[sr edler]

Lemieux and Lindros, 6'4 big guys who dominated juniors and arrogantly cakewalked into the NHL, both getting their clocks cleaned by 5'11 guys who bring the fire in the big league.

They both are partially responsible for their underachieving professional careers. It was a bloody embarrassment to watch a 6'4 230 lbs Mario get owned repeatedly by a 5'11 198 lbs. Lithuanian with the heart and grit of a tiger in battle (similarly 6'4 Lindros being constantly slammed by 5'11 Peca).

They are poster boys of overconfident ill-adapted stars who as great as they were, could have been greater if they had the heart, work ethic, grit and willingness to adapt that the opponents they faced had.

Imagine if they had trained in the offseason with Gary Roberts, Rod Brind'amour or Duncan Keith.

Instead, they are more like Keith Tkachuk, Jason Spezza and Phil Kessel.

Sad, really.

If Lemieux had played like Peca he probably would have been even more injured. You know Lemieux played more regular season and playoff games than Peca?

Lindros brought a lot of passion/fire to his game, hit a lot, played physical. You're claiming he didn't have work ethic, grit and/or heart?

And Gary Roberts wasn't Gary Roberts the fitness guy for most of his career.

 

[Big Phil]

Mario seemed to be a freak of nature, physically. He was slightly chubby, before and after his handful of peak years, but he could fly when he had to. He seemed to get better after long lay-offs before he was really in season-shape. He took radiation treatments in the morning and played in the NHL that evening. He took three-and-a-half years off to play golf and sit around, then came back and scored 76 points in 43 games.

Oh yeah, no doubt he was a freak of nature a la Howe. The guy was dominant without even trying by the looks of it. Which is why he could just seemingly breeze through things. You have to have heart, and you have to be strong to do these things. I remember the debate about whether the NHL was just watered down in 2001 or if Lemieux was just simply THAT good for his lay off for so long and coming back scoring at such a high rate. I think it was more the latter for sure.

Paul Kariya marvelling in the 2002 Olympics that Lemieux - an old supposed "tractor" Lemieux - could "flat out fly!"

I honestly think that a 54 year old Lemieux - today - would be effective on any team's power play in the NHL. Maybe not a regular shift anymore, but put him on the power play. That says something.

 

[JackSlater]

Imagine if they had trained in the offseason with Gary Roberts, Rod Brind'amour or Duncan Keith.

Instead, they are more like Keith Tkachuk, Jason Spezza and Phil Kessel.

Sad, really.

Is there any evidence that Lindros didn't take his training seriously? He may have played in an arrogant way but I've never seen anything to indicate that he wasn't physically prepared to play. I remember reading the stories about Lindros being told to stop lifting weights because he would build up too much muscle, but I'm not sure that those stories are legitimate.

 

[NoMessi]

Lemieux and Lindros, 6'4 big guys who dominated juniors and arrogantly cakewalked into the NHL, both getting their clocks cleaned by 5'11 guys who bring the fire in the big league.

They both are partially responsible for their underachieving professional careers. It was a bloody embarrassment to watch a 6'4 230 lbs Mario get owned repeatedly by a 5'11 198 lbs. Lithuanian with the heart and grit of a tiger in battle (similarly 6'4 Lindros being constantly slammed by 5'11 Peca).

They are poster boys of overconfident ill-adapted stars who as great as they were, could have been greater if they had the heart, work ethic, grit and willingness to adapt that the opponents they faced had.

Imagine if they had trained in the offseason with Gary Roberts, Rod Brind'amour or Duncan Keith.

Instead, they are more like Keith Tkachuk, Jason Spezza and Phil Kessel.

Sad, really.

Yeah, that underachiever Mario Lemieux was just pure trash. Why are we even talking about him? I mean, he lost battles sometimes to lesser players even though he most often scored a couple of times against them as well.

 

[VanIslander]

Do more than skip the fries Mario.
And learn to keep your head up Eric.

This ain't the juniors, where a poor diet and physical traits alone win battles.

The NHL have seen guys get A LOT MORE out of their skillset than this duo of indulgent, maladapting super talented stars.

Sad, really.

They bear some responsibility for the potential they failed to live up to.

 

[Canadiens1958]

As a youngster, pre-teen, Mario Lemieux played alot of rink pick-up hockey with his older brother (4 and 1/2 years) Alain, brief NHL career. As a result his skill sets developed differently.

Prime example Eric Lindros played with his head down since he was much bigger than kids his age, never learning to survive against bigger, stronger players.

Lemieux learned how to survive on the ice plus other habits learned from older youngsters. Some he could have done without.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

199 points is def not lemieuxs ceiling. Either was 215.

 

[BenchBrawl]

I thought was he said was that he didn't put ketchup on his french fries?

 

[vikash1987]

I've traced the exact quote/source:

It was, as Ron Francis recalls, the summer of 1991, and he was relaxing with Mario Lemieux after a round of golf. They were sipping beers and savoring the Stanley Cup the Penguins had won a few weeks earlier when the conversation turned to offseason conditioning programs. That sparked a brief exchange, which Francis recounted this way a few days ago:

"I said, 'Mario, do you ever work out in the summertime?' "

"He said, 'Yeah.' "

"I was actually surprised," Francis said. "I said, 'You do? What do you do?' "

"He said, 'Starting Aug. 1, I don't order any french fries with my club sandwich.' "

(Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6 Oct. 1995)

 

[K Fleur]

Eric Lindros and Mario Lemieux were nothing like Keith Tkachuk, Jason Spezza, or Phil Kessel. What a garbage take.

 

[BenchBrawl]

As a youngster, pre-teen, Mario Lemieux played alot of rink pick-up hockey with his older brother (4 and 1/2 years) Alain, brief NHL career. As a result his skill sets developed differently.

Prime example Eric Lindros played with his head down since he was much bigger than kids his age, never learning to survive against bigger, stronger players.

Lemieux learned how to survive on the ice plus other habits learned from older youngsters. Some he could have done without.

Yes, even Mario said he owed a lot to playing pick-up with his brother (who apparently was very skilled too). This is an important point.

Also, 4 years 1/2 means Alain was probably better than Mario for a long time in their youth. If he had been only a year or two older, Mario might have surpassed him very quick.

Can you elaborate on the bad habits Mario picked up from older youngsters?

 

[Midnight Judges]

Imagine how roasted Lemieux would get for stuff like this had he been born outside of Canada.

 

[bobholly39]

Imagine how roasted Lemieux would get for stuff like this had he been born outside of Canada.

Why? He's in the top 4 players of all time. Maybe if he had fizzled out in 3 years and never had a decent career... Why roast him at all? Canadian or not.

I've always felt it's fine to talk smack and be arrogant if you can back it up - and clearly he backed it up in spades.

 

[Eisen]

Unless you are overweight, nutrition has probably a negligible effect on the performance. Also, if you are playing like Lemieux you can eat whatever you want in the off season.

 

[Michael Farkas]

^ Not a doctor

 

[Stephen]

Do more than skip the fries Mario.
And learn to keep your head up Eric.

This ain't the juniors, where a poor diet and physical traits alone win battles.

The NHL have seen guys get A LOT MORE out of their skillset than this duo of indulgent, maladapting super talented stars.

Sad, really.

They bear some responsibility for the potential they failed to live up to.

In some ways I find the cannibalistic culture of the NHL to be the bigger problem. How did the game let those generational treasures get beat up so badly? We almost lost Sidney Crosby to a similar fate. Who the hell cares about Steckel, Kasparitis and Mike freaking Peca?

 

[Canadiens1958]

Yes, even Mario said he owed a lot to playing pick-up with his brother (who apparently was very skilled too). This is an important point.

Also, 4 years 1/2 means Alain was probably better than Mario for a long time in their youth. If he had been only a year or two older, Mario might have surpassed him very quick.

Can you elaborate on the bad habits Mario picked up from older youngsters?

Diet, smoking, schooling, usual kid stuff was advanced.