Marleau shares stories from growing up a Penguins fan

Patrick Marleau untied his skates in his locker stall at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex following Pittsburgh's Friday afternoon practice.
Above Marleau's stall and encircling the entire locker room are the images of former Penguin greats throughout the franchise's history. And many of those faces were from the early '90s when the Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cups championships.
Lemieux. Jagr. Francis. Coffey. Trottier. Recchi.
Those were the same names and faces that inspired a young Marleau growing up in Aneroid, Saskatchewan. Like most Canadian youths, Marleau learned to skate almost before he could walk. But it was when he was 11 years old that his passion for the sport of hockey was truly ignited.

That was when Marleau first saw Mario Lemieux play. And after watching the hockey legend lead Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and '92, Marleau's allegiance was determined.
"Obviously, being a huge hockey fan, and with Mario at the top of his game and winning championships, it was easy to be a Pittsburgh fan," Marleau said.
Marleau said that what stood out the most to him about Lemieux was how graceful he was.
"He was so smooth," Marleau said. "Everything he did was like - it's hard to explain, but he could beat you so many different ways. He's just so big and the puck is on this side" - Marleau gestured to his left before swinging his right arm out - "And then all of a sudden it's 12 feet over here. Just the way he made everyone else around him better, too."
Marleau couldn't get enough Lemieux highlights. When he wasn't watching the Penguins play, he had a VHS tape called "Mario the Magnificent" that he would pop in constantly.
"I think that thing is worn out," Marleau laughed.
It's been enjoyable for Marleau, who was acquired from San Jose by the Penguins at the NHL's Trading Deadline on Feb. 24, to look at the different action photos of Lemieux that are hanging around and remember those magical goals that stuck out to him as a kid.
"There's pictures all around here, but there's one picture of him splitting the defense in playoffs," Marleau said before catching himself and saying with a laugh, "I mean, there's tons of pictures of him splitting the defense. But one that really sticks out was against Toronto. He was getting hauled down by two D. He split them. Then he got hauled down and scored on his back, almost."
Knowing how much Marleau loved Lemieux and the Penguins, his family planned their holiday shopping lists accordingly. One Christmas, his sister got him a Mario Lemieux jersey. Another Christmas, he got a Mario Lemieux stick.
"That was the best gift ever," Marleau said.

Marleau also had Penguins shirts that he would wear on school picture day, joking that they were "fancy (apparel) for a farm boy." And the best part about it was that his mom and dad held onto all of that Penguins gear, storing it away at their farm.
One day, his parents were cleaning out the basement and came across the jersey. They asked Patrick and his wife Christina if they wanted it. And since their four boys - Landon, 13; Brody, 10; Jagger, 8; and Caleb, 5 - ask for different jerseys for Christmas to wear while they play mini sticks, Patrick told them yeah, the kids will wear it. And with that, his former Christmas gift became theirs.
"They play knee hockey with it and it's so tattered you can barely make out the 66 on it," Christina said. "The kids play with it and at first I thought, 'Oh, that was Dad's, don't play with it.' But he wanted them to. He loves that they play with it now."

Years later, Marleau got the opportunity to play alongside Lemieux at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where Canada won gold.
"Another thing that stuck out about him was that I was on the World Cup team with him and one practice, I was going down on one drill with him a couple times," Marleau said. "And he passed it off the goalie's pad right on your stick. That happened like two or three times in the same drill. I think that's one of the things he obviously did well when he was playing, too. He was always just off the goalie's pads to somebody, use them as a passer or a banker. It was pretty amazing."
And Lemieux wasn't the only member of those Penguins teams that Marleau looked up to. He was thrilled to get the opportunity to meet those players from the 1991 and '92 squads that are with the organization now.
"It's funny because I saw Bob Errey, got to meet him and Phil Bourque," Marleau said. "(Paul) Coffey, (Mark) Recchi, that whole crew. (Rick) Tocchet, (Jaromir) Jagr. They had so many great players. All their pictures are up there. Ronnie Francis is another. Then (Bryan) Trottier, he's from around my area."
In the Penguins' dressing room, Marleau's locker stall is two down from Sidney Crosby. And while it was all about Lemieux for Patrick growing up, for his boys it was all about the current Penguins captain. And Landon was so excited to get the chance to meet Crosby when he and Marleau played for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
"Landon was 3 or 4 at the time," Christina said. "His favorite team was the Penguins because his dad's favorite team used to be the Penguins. And he used to tell everyone his name was Sidney Crosby. So after they won the gold medal in Vancouver, when Patrick took them over to introduce them to Sidney, he said 'Tell him your name.' And Landon said, 'I'm Sidney Crosby.' He says it to Sidney. It was so funny."
Landon and his brothers actually got the chance to see Crosby following the Penguins' game in San Jose last week.
"They came in after the game and said hi to him," Marleau said. "Sid was great. He always is."
Now, the Marleau boys don't have to wear jerseys with Nos. 66 or 87 on the back. They have Penguins jerseys with their name and the No. 12.
Marleau got the chance to go to Pittsburgh as a teenager for the 1997 NHL Draft at the old Civic Arena, where he was taken second overall by the Sharks, but never thought he would eventually get the chance to play for the Penguins - until now.
At 40 years old, Marleau has accomplished almost everything imaginable in the game except winning the ultimate prize. To have the chance to do it with the Penguins is incredibly special for him and his family.
"You look at his age and you realize he doesn't have 10 years left," Christina said. "Unfortunately, the Sharks season didn't go the way everyone wanted it to, the way everyone expected. This opportunity came up for him and it was something where all the stars aligned. It was his favorite team, it was a great opportunity and a great team here."