Mario Lemieux | The Complete Card Digital Library

Mario Lemieux's Eight Rookie Cards

WARNING: Beware of Reprints and Forgeries

#66 Rookie card being defined as officially licensed trading card after his professional debut

Lemieux's RC Checklist:

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #9
1985-86 Topps #9
1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #262
1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Box Bottoms #"I"
1985-86 Topps Box Bottoms #"I"
1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #97
1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Stickers # 72 / #199
1985-86 Super Star Sports 7-Eleven NHL Collectors' Series #15

The Mario Lemieux Rookie Card Checklist

While the 1985-86 season defined Mario’s entrance into the league, his "rookie" designation spans a few different formats. From the iconic base cards to the delicate stickers, here is a breakdown of the eight cards that define the start of Number 66's legendary career.

A Word of Caution: Before investing, be aware that Mario Lemieux rookie cards are among the most frequently replicated in the hobby. Beyond official reprints from major manufacturers, "counterfeiters" often use modern technology to produce high-quality fakes. Always vet the seller’s reputation before making a purchase; keep in mind that even honest sellers may unknowingly list for sale a fake they believe to be genuine. Unless you are buying from a trusted dealer or can inspect the card in person, I strongly recommend purchasing versions graded by reputable companies like PSA, BGS, SGC, CSG, KSA, MNT or TAG. To help you spot the red flags, check out this video on verifying Lemieux authenticity.

In the lead-up to the Junk Wax Era, O-Pee-Chee and Topps split the hockey market between Canada and the United States. This era (roughly 1985–1995) saw manufacturers produce cards in such high volumes that supply often far outpaced demand. Since the Lemieux rookie sits right at the start of this high-production period, its wide range of value is based on grade and condition.

1985-86 Releases Issued

Major Set Standard Base: Icons of the hobby, the definitive card cornerstone pursuit for many Lemieux collectors.

1. 1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #9 2. 1985-86 Topps #9 Note: The two most iconic Mario Lemieux rookie cards are the 1985 O-Pee-Chee #9 and the 1985 Topps #9. At first glance, the card fronts are virtually indistinguishable. To identify the card, you must check the back: look for either the Topps or O-Pee-Chee logo positioned directly under the NHL shield. You will also notice distinct copyright information to the left of these logos. Because O-Pee-Chee was distributed in Canada, the player stats and summaries are printed in both English and French. While they appear to be identical on the front, an O-Pee-Chee card often displays more vibrant coloring when placed side-by-side with a Topps counterpart. Additionally, the O-Pee-Chee set is much larger containing 264 cards compared to the 165 total cards in the Topps set. Due to the secondary card market preference and printing standards used for the Canadian sales, the O-Pee-Chee versions are significantly more valuable in the secondary market when compared to the Topps version of similar condition.

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #9 Front

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #9 Back

1985-86 Topps #9 Front

1985-86 Topps #9 Back

3. 1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #262 (Rookie Scoring Leaders) Note: Often overshadowed by his main rookie release, the Mario Lemieux OPC Rookie Scoring Leaders card is a hidden gem that frequently can be overlooked by collectors. Because the Topps set concluded at 165 cards, this specific subset card remains an O-Pee-Chee exclusive. There is no Topps equivalent version. For those looking to add a piece of Lemieux’s debut year to their collection, this card offers a significantly more affordable entry point alternative for collectors than the iconic and high-demand Lemieux's #9 base rookie cards from either manufacturer.

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Mario Rookie Scoring Leaders #262 Front

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Mario Rookie Scoring Leaders #262 #9 Back

Hobby Box Bottoms: Printed on the bottom of card boxes for pack distribution.

4. 1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Box Bottoms #"I" 5. 1985-86 Topps Box Bottoms #"I" Note: For the advanced collector, 1985–86 Box Bottoms represent a significant challenge. The original box may have been discarded after opening all the wax packs. These cards were hand-cut from the bottom of the wax card boxes, a method that makes finding high-grade copies scarce and in demand. The manual nature of producing these cards from the box bottoms often resulted in rough edges, surface and corner wear, leaving a significant premium on pristine copies that remain. Both the O-Pee-Chee and Topps Box Bottom sets consisted of only 16 cards, labeled alphabetically from "A" through "P" rather than numerically. While these cards feature a new image of Lemieux, the design remains very similar to the main #9 rookie release. However, there are key differences: the logo is shifted to the upper-left corner, and the borders are yellow to match the Pittsburgh Penguins' team colors. On the back, the only major change is the "I" designation in the corner. It is common for these cards to retain a small sliver of the original box outline after the card is trimmed to size, as seen at the top of the card pictured below. Condition Issues Because these cards were manually salvaged by collectors from the bottom of wax pack boxes, they are frequently found with irregular edges, miscuts, sizing or peripheral damage. Much like the standard 1985-86 Topps and O-Pee-Chee releases, these box-bottom issues are also prone to significant centering flaws. Finding a specimen with clean, straight cuts and balanced borders is a true rarity for any collection.

This is card #I in a set (A-P) of 16 O-Pee-Chee cards.

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #I Back

This is card #I in a set (A-P) of 16 Topps cards.

1985-86 Topps #I Back

Stickers: A fragile, Italian-made alternative to standard cards

6. 1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #97 7. 1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #72 / #199 Note: In addition to their standard cards, O-Pee-Chee released a separate 1985–86 sticker set featuring smaller-format collectibles. This 255-sticker set often distributed multiple subjects on a single card backing. Lemieux sticker displays his name, the sticker number, and the reverse promotional offer side featuring a unique "team puck" redemption offer. These were manufactured in Italy, as indicated by the fine print on the lower right of the reverse. Unlike the standard cardboard releases, these Italian-made stickers were produced on much thinner stock and are smaller than the traditional trading card size. Because these were intended to be used, many collectors peeled them at the time of purchase, making intact, high-grade examples much smaller than the original production run. Furthermore, these stickers were plagued by quality control issues including off-center printing, surface defects and manufacturing issues. The sticker material is significantly thinner and more fragile than a standard 20-point trading card. Consequently, finding a pristine, mint unpeeled Lemieux sticker can be a significant challenge for modern collectors.

This is sticker #97 in a set of 255 O-Pee-Chee stickers

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee sticker #97 Back

This is sticker of both #72 and #199 in a set of 255 O-Pee-Chee stickers.

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee sticker #72 and #199 Back

Odd / Oddball: A fragile, Italian-made alternative to standard cards

8. 1985–86 7-Eleven NHL Collectors' Series #15 Note: Sponsored by 7-Eleven, this #15 card features Mario Lemieux alongside teammate Mike Bullard as part of a 25-card promotional set. Unlike traditional cardboard, these cards were produced in a "credit card" style using hard, glossy plastic with rounded edges. Measuring approximately $2\ 1/8" \times 3\ 3/8"$, the front displays headshots of both players against a black background. Produced in Canada by Super Star Sports, the reverse side provides franchise history alongside the Pittsburgh Penguins and 7-Eleven logos. While more durable than standard card stock or fragile stickers, these "oddball" promotional cards are highly condition-sensitive and generally command a market value similar to that of Lemieux’s rookie stickers.

Penguins Chronicles

Pittsburgh Penguins History

Officially Recommended

Crosby Card DB

Online database for Sidney Crosby Hockey Cards

Mario Lemieux's Eight Rookie Cards

Lemieux's RC Checklist:

The Mario Lemieux Rookie Card Checklist

While the 1985-86 season defined Mario’s entrance into the league, his "rookie" designation spans a few different formats. From the iconic base cards to the delicate stickers, here is a breakdown of the eight cards that define the start of Number 66's legendary career.

1985-86 Releases Issued

Market Value & Sales Analysis

Official Market Resources & Real-Time Price Guide Tracking:

Catalog Information

Rookie Card Guide

Browse Documented Card Catalog

Eligibility Requirements

Catalog Details

Penguins Chronicles

Crosby Card DB

The Mario Lemieux Rookie Card Checklist

While the 1985-86 season defined Mario’s entrance into the league, his "rookie" designation spans a few different formats. From the iconic base cards to the delicate stickers, here is a breakdown of the eight cards that define the start of Number 66's legendary career.

1985-86 Releases Issued

Market Value & Sales Analysis

Official Market Resources & Real-Time Price Guide Tracking:

Catalog Information

Rookie Card Guide

Browse Documented Card Catalog

Eligibility Requirements

Catalog Details

The Mario Lemieux Card Library Hockey Network

Penguins Chronicles

Crosby Card DB