Alain Lemieux
A skilled playmaking center who carved out an NHL career while living in the immense shadow of his superstar younger brother.
Born 1961 (age 65)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: May 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alain Lemieux's hockey journey is a study in talent, persistence, and familial context. Born in Montreal in 1961, he followed the classic Canadian path to the pros, his slick hands and vision as a center earning him a draft spot. He debuted with the St. Louis Blues in the 1983-84 season, later skating for the Quebec Nordiques and Pittsburgh Penguins. His time in Pittsburgh, beginning in 1987, placed him directly alongside his brother Mario, who was already transforming the franchise. Alain was a reliable two-way forward, but his narrative was forever intertwined with his sibling's meteoric rise. After his NHL tenure, he played several more seasons in the minor leagues and in Europe before retiring. His legacy is uniquely dual: a respected professional in his own right, and a permanent footnote in the story of one of hockey's greatest talents.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alain was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alain Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Alain's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 119 games in the National Hockey League across three franchises.
- Recorded 52 total points (18 goals, 34 assists) during his NHL career.
- Won the IHL's Turner Cup championship with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in 1987.
- Played professionally in Italy's Serie A after his North American career.
Did You Know?
He is exactly five years older than his brother Mario, both sharing a birthday (October 5th).
He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 7th round (134th overall) of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.
He and Mario were teammates on the Pittsburgh Penguins for parts of two seasons.
His son, Brendan Lemieux, was drafted into the NHL and has played for several teams.
“You play for the crest on the front, not the name on the back.”
