Mario Lemieux pays Steven Stamkos ultimate compliment

In just his second year in the league, Steven Stamkos trails only Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin in goals with 41, while his 78 points place him 6th in NHL scoring. Not a bad year for a guy many considered a bust at the halfway point of last season.

Before extending his club-record point streak to 17 games in Tampa’s 5-3 loss to the Habs on Tuesday, Stamkos received high praise from Penguins owner Mario Lemieux.

“I talked to Mario [Lemieux] earlier and he even came up to me and said ‘This kid can play,’” said Lightning head coach Rick Tocchet. Mario is probably one of the best players ever to play the game, so for him to say that, that’s saying something.”

But, according to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday, Lemieux had other motives for paying Stamkos the compliment.

“Lemieux’s courting him,” wrote Gene Collier, hockey columnist for the Gazette. “Not to play for the Penguins, but to live him with him this summer.”

On Wednesday, Lemieux’s wife confirmed the rumour.

“Mario and I have been talking about adopting young Steven for quite some time now,” said Nathalie.

“Like Leanne Tuohy, the woman who inspired The Blind Side, I love taking children into my home and making a difference in their lives. Only, instead of poor, young African-American boys from the streets, I just happen to prefer young, white hockey millionaires.”

As you may know, Crosby has lived with the Lemieux family for the past five seasons. Since the arrangement has worked out so well for both sides, Mario is now looking forward to expanding his hockey family.

“Sid deserves a brother he can go out into the yard and play with,” says Lemieux, who is also hoping to entice the Islanders John Tavares, Colorado’s Matt Duchene and consensus number one overall pick Taylor Hall to move in with him this summer.

“This is only the beginning,” said Lemieux. “In ten years I expect to have at least a hundred needy, young NHLers living with me in my mansion.”

To ensure he reaches this lofty goal, the Hall of Famer is currently diverting funds from the Penguins new $321 million arena in order to upgrade his property.

“I’m putting in two new pools, a sauna, an extra fitness centre and, of course, a grotto,” said Lemieux.

“These kids need a real home.”