10) Mario Lemieux

Praised as one of the greatest hockey players of all time, Mario Lemieux battled cancer during the peak of his greatness. During the 1992-1993 season, “Super Mario” was on pace to challenge Wayne Gretzky’s records of 92 goals in one season (1981–82) and 215 points in one season (1985–86). However, on January 12, 1993, Lemieux made the shocking announcement that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Lemieux was forced to undergo aggressive radiation treatments and missed two months of the season.

Even though health issues forced Lemieux to miss 24 of the Penguins 84 games that season, Super Mario still managed to lead the NHL with 160 points (69 Goals / 91 Assists). Lemieux was awarded the Hart Trophy (his second at the time) as the league’s MVP. Although he was unable to break Wayne Gretzky’s insane scoring records, Mario Lemieux’s performance throughout the 1992-1993 season may have been more impressive.