Today, Paul Bissonnette is one of hockey media’s biggest and most well-liked figures.
Known for being the co-host of the popular Spittin’ Chiclets podcast and an analyst for TNT, Bissonnette has made himself known as someone who always speaks his mind about things and always makes hockey entertaining with great jokes and sharing stories.
But BizNasty was an okay player before all this happened, too. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
That summer, the 18-year-old attended his first NHL training camp, which is a special moment for any kid dreaming of playing pro hockey.
But it was perhaps even more special for Bissonnette and every prospect on the Penguins during those days, as Mario Lemieux was on the ice with them.
It’s not everyone who can say they have played with Mario Lemieux, even if it was just at practice or training camp, but Bissonnette is one of the lucky few.
BizNasty, who’s a great storyteller, found several perks in playing with Mario Lemieux.
Aside from being the greatest player in the history of the Penguins’ franchise, it definitely helped being the team’s owner as well.
When Lemieux came back as a player, he could pretty much dictate how he wanted practices to be, and Bissonnette got out of a really tough training session because of it.
”I was in his group session, and the other group had already practiced, and we played a game, and then we practiced, and the last team that practices would bag skate after,” Bissonnette said.
”So it was our turn to bag skate, and Eddie Olczyk called us in and said, ’Alright guys, great practice. We’re just gonna finish off with a skate here.’ Mario was like, ’Hey, Eddie.’ And then he gave him the, like, ’Eh-Eh!’ Like, ’We’re not skating.’
”And Eddie was like, ’Alright guys, have a great day!’ And I was like, ’What the f—k just happened!?’ I couldn’t believe it, I have never seen anything like that in my life. And that was when I knew Mario Lemieux, how big of a legend he was.”
