Lemieux Steals the Show : Hockey: Pittsburgh center scores four goals in Wales Conference’s 12-7 All-Star victory over Campbell Conference.

The chant by the sellout Civic Arena crowd of 16,236 began before the national anthems.

“Mario! Mario! Mario.”

It grew so loud, the public-address announcer couldn’t be heard when Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins skated out on the ice for the 41st NHL All-Star game.

This was to be Lemieux’s day. His town. His arena. His fans. His chance to claim a place in the national spotlight alongside the game’s resident superstar, Wayne Gretzky.

But could Lemieux, who has scored in 35 consecutive regular-season games, produce this day?

It took only 21 seconds to get an answer.

That’s how long Lemieux waited before responding to his emotional fans with his first of four goals as he led the Wales Conference to a 12-7 victory over the Campbell Conference.

The game’s MVP?

Get serious. It could have been determined by voice vote. It was the third time Lemieux has won the honor.

“When you have the best in the business out there and he still does his stuff,” Campbell Coach Terry Crisp said, “you have to give him his due. He’s a God-given All-Star.”

Luc Robitaille of the Kings led the Campbell players with a pair of goals.

It was just the kind of offensive show NHL officials wanted in this, the league’s first appearance on network television in a decade.

The 12 goals by the Wales team was an All-Star record. So was the combined total of 19. If network executives could be guaranteed 19 goals a game, they might be interested in a long-term deal.

But this game bore as much resemblance to the regular season as a sparring session does to a title fight.

There was no hitting, no checking into the boards and no organized defense.

There were only four penalties, and one of those was for delay of game.

This was a playground game without the playground.

“We come to enjoy ourselves,” Robitaille said. “We want to put on a good show. The only guys not really having any fun are the goalies. But that’s part of the game. They wanted to be goalies.”

Not necessarily on an afternoon like this.

The Wales Conference took an All-Star record 45 shots on goal, the Campbell 42.

Lemieux’s four goals tied a record set by Gretzky in 1983. But Lemieux became the first player in All-Star history to get a hat trick in the first period, a period in which his team shot out to a 7-2 lead.

Lemieux’s third goal was the most spectacular. He skated across the middle of the slot, faking out both Al Iafrate of Toronto and Doug Wilson of Chicago. But in doing so, Lemieux spun around, leaving him skating backwards as he collided with goalie Mike Vernon.

No problem.

As both Lemieux and Vernon tumbled to the ice, Lemieux reached out with his stick and pushed the puck into the net, restarting the chants.

“It just happened,” Lemieux said. “Most people in All-Star games play the puck, so I took advantage.

“It was special for me. It was just a great day.”

Does he like the wide-open game?

“You don’t get checked at All-Star games,” he said with a grin. “That’s for sure.”

Pierre Turgeon of Buffalo and Kirk Muller of New Jersey scored two goals each for Wales.

Muller, teammate Cam Neely of Boston, and Campbell players Steve Yzerman of Detroit and Brett Hull of St. Louis had three points apiece.

And what of Gretzky? Would you believe zero?

That’s right, the Kings’ center failed to score a point, breaking an eight-game All-Star scoring streak.

He later said he was still preoccupied with thoughts of the trade that sent teammate Bernie Nicholls to the New York Rangers Saturday.

“Even though you come to play,” Gretzky said, “my mind was not 100% where it should have been.”

But he laughed when asked if this was an important game for him.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my 12-year career,” he said. “One game is not going to make or break me. When I retire, they are not going to say, well, he had a rough night in Pittsburgh one time.”

No they won’t, but this day will certainly not be forgotten by those who spent it chanting, “Mario!”

All-Star Notes

Before the game, it was announced that Alan Eagleson, executive director of the NHL Players Assn., will step down at the end of next year, and be replaced by Bob Goodenow, a Toronto-based lawyer and players’ agent who has been named deputy executive director in the interim. . . . Lemieux’s first goal is the third fastest in NHL history. Ted Lindsay of Detroit scored 19 seconds into the 1950 game. . . . Since they started making these All-Star games East against West in the 1968-69 season, the East, or Wales Conference, holds a 14-6 edge and has won five of the past six.