:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67805506/99051211.jpg.0.jpg)
On this date, November 17th, Mario Lemieux was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
23 years ago, he became a member of the Hall of Fame alongside Bryan Trottier, Glen Sather, Gene Hart, and Ken McKenzie.
On this day in 1997, Mario Lemieux, Bryan Trottier, Glen Sather, Flyers' announcer Gene Hart, and Ken McKenzie were inducted into the @HockeyHallFame #Hockey365 pic.twitter.com/icrfPI0zZi
— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) November 17, 2020
Lemieux was inducted into the Hall of Fame immediately following his initial retirement from the NHL in 1997.
Because of his status as a player, the standard three-year waiting period was waived. Lemieux was just the ninth player in history to have the waiting period waived.
Lemieux would return to the NHL in 2000, becoming the third Hall of Famer to play after being inducted into the Hall. The other two players to achieve that feat were Gordie Howe and Guy LaFleur. Nice company.
Lemieux has his own exhibit inside the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, which is a must-see piece of hockey history for fans of Lemieux, the Penguins, or just hockey in general.