When Mario Lemieux was indirectly involved in two sexual scandal cases

Mario Lemieux was indirectly involved in a sexual scandal. In December 2019, TSN reporter Rick Westhead dropped a bombshell report regarding an alleged sexual assault. It involved members of the Pittsburgh Penguins' AHL coaching staff.

Former Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins assistant coach Jarrod Skalde filed a lawsuit. It was against then-head coach Clark Donatelli for allegedly sexually assaulting Skalde's wife, Erin Skalde, during a road trip to Providence, Rhode Island, earlier that year.

According to the report, the Skaldes and Donatelli went to dinner together after a game. When Jarrod Skalde left the car, Donatelli allegedly sexually assaulted Erin Skalde in the backseat. When Jarrod Skalde informed the Penguins' organization, including now-Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin, they allegedly told him to keep quiet about the incident.

But the shocking allegations don't stop there. Dead Spin reported that this is not the first time Penguins owner Mario Lemieux has dealt with sexual assault and kept quiet about it. Witnesses and the alleged victim herself claim that Lemieux was in the room when teammate Dan Quinn raped a 19-year-old girl in Minnesota.

Additionally, Lemieux signed Billy Tibbetts, who had previously been convicted of raping an unconscious 15-year-old girl but only served time after violating his probation from that case for shooting someone with a BB gun.

Lemieux's response to Tibbetts' return to the NHL was particularly concerning, as he called it a "great story" and referred to Tibbetts' experience as "adversity." These repeated instances of sexual assault and Lemieux's apparent disregard for their severity are deeply disturbing, especially considering that Lemieux is the father of three daughters.

Mario Lemieux's Career: Conquering Cancer and Dominating Hockey

Mario Lemieux is one of the greatest hockey players of all time, and his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins is nothing short of extraordinary. He started the 1992-93 season with a franchise record of scoring at least one goal in 12 consecutive games.

It had put him on pace to challenge Wayne Gretzky's records of 92 goals in one season and 215 points in one season. However, his pursuit of the records was cut short when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma on January 12th, 1993.

Lemieux received aggressive radiation treatment and missed two months of play, but returned to the ice on the day of his last radiation treatment to play against the Philadelphia Flyers. He scored a goal and an assist in a 5-4 loss and earned a standing ovation from the typically hostile Philadelphia fans.

Mario Lemieux announced his retirement following the playoffs in 1997. He scored one goal and earned an assist in his final game and received a standing ovation from the typically hostile Philadelphia crowd.