Montreal drafted Lemieux in 1983, and three years later he won his first Stanley Cup with the team. He added another triumph in 1995 with New Jersey, helping them to their first-ever title with 13 playoff goals and earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the postseason.
The following season, he celebrated another Stanley Cup with Colorado, and in 2000, he won again after returning to New Jersey.
In 2003, after a season with Dallas, he finished his NHL career and briefly played in Switzerland for Zug. He then said goodbye to his playing career, but in 2008 he returned to the ice with a Chinese club and later appeared in the AHL and NHL with San Jose before finally retiring at age 43.
Over 21 NHL seasons, including playoffs, he played 1,449 games, scored 459 goals, and recorded 485 assists. After retiring, he worked as a player agent. His brother Jocelyn and his son Brendan also played in the NHL.