Lemieux unveiled a ceremonial banner before Canada and Sweden kicked off the tournament.
Mario Lemieux was back in his hometown of Montreal on Wednesday night for the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and was welcomed with a thundering standing ovation at the Bell Centre.
Lemieux unveiled a ceremonial banner before Canada and Sweden kicked off the tournament and also made a surprise visit to Team Canada’s locker room to announce the team’s starting lineup.
A warm welcome back to Montreal for Le Magnifique! pic.twitter.com/XJG6p768qN
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 13, 2025
Lemieux’s ovation had the Bell Centre crowd on its feet and the Penguins legend flashed a big smile when calling over current team captain and fellow Pittsburgh legend Sidney Crosby to join on the celebratory action.
Montreal LOVES Mario Lemieux ❤️ #4Nations
: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/5clMRIPyms— NHL (@NHL) February 13, 2025
After the 4-3 overtime win against Sweden, Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday night was the first time he ever got to meet Lemieux.
Canada will be back in action on Saturday night when they play their second game of the tournament against Team USA. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m.