Lemieux was recognized with a standing ovation from the crowd and took the dais. He thanked all of his fans for supporting him during his career, congratulated the other award winners and said he'll make Pittsburgh his home in his non-playing days. "He certainly has given enough indications to enough people that this was his last year," Penguins president Donn Patton said. "The surprising thing about it is the timing of it."
Lemieux was expected to at least go through the formality of contemplating retirement for a couple of weeks following the end of the season before making any announcement.
