from Tal Pinchevsky at ESPN,

It has been more than a decade since Mario Lemieux played his last NHL game for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and yet no athlete -- perhaps no human being -- is a more prominent presence in the city of champions.

A simple stroll through Pittsburgh is the easiest way to discover how fully the man who arrived in town from Quebec as a lanky 18-year-old in 1984 has been embraced by Pittsburgh. Not to mention the degree to which he has embraced the city right back.

In a region that has revered its sports legends for decades, the former Penguins star and current team co-owner and chairman is seemingly everywhere. For starters, there is the statue honoring him outside the Penguins' PPG Paints Arena. The towering tribute lies mere steps from 66 Mario Lemieux Place, the address bearing the Penguins legend's name and number where the team's former home, Mellon Arena, was once located.

With current Penguins captain Sidney Crosby facing the opportunity to capture his second straight (and third overall) Stanley Cup title on Sunday night (8 ET) at Bridgestone Arena, Lemieux has established an incredibly high bar as the Penguins' reigning star establishes his own legacy around town.

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