Mario Lemieux to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Lemieux fans. Speculation had been rife that center of the Pittsburgh Penguins will announce his retirement from sports, at age 60, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 13/06/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an athlete isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an athlete-business man just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouMario

For a little while on Friday evening, #ThankYouMario was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouMario.”
— @DesireePlum, 12 Jun 2026

“Lemieux wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 12 Jun 2026

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