Longtime NHL player Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60, according to a statement from the NHL Alumni Association.
Lemieux just carried the torch for the Montreal Canadiens before Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday at Bell Centre. Three days later, he is dead, in shocking news that stunned and saddened the entire hockey community.
No official cause of death has been revealed yet.
NHL Alumni Association Statement on Claude Lemieux
The NHL Alumni Association released a statement on the passing of Claude Lemieux on social media.
“The NHL Alumni Association is devastated to share that Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60. Born in Buckingham, Quebec, Claude was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and would make his NHL debut just a few months later on October 13, 1983 and scored his first career NHL goal on December 4, 1983. Claude split time between the Canadiens organization and the QMJHL from 1983 to 1985, capturing the President’s Cup with the Verdun Junior Canadiens in 1985 as QMJHL playoff champions, while earning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as Playoff MVP. The very next season, Claude recorded 10 goals and 16 points in 20 playoff games as he and the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. Claude remained with the Canadiens for an additional four seasons before joining the New Jersey Devils ahead of the 1990-91 season. In 1994-95, his fifth and final season with New Jersey, Claude led the Devils to their first Stanley Cup championship, registering 13 goals in 20 playoff games, taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP. As a member of the Colorado Avalanche in 1995-96, Claude was once again an integral part of team history as the Avalanche hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup for the very first time in 1996. Claude played 297 regular-season games in an Avalanche uniform before rejoining the New Jersey Devils in November of 1999, and for a fourth and final time, would be crowned a Stanley Cup champion on June 10, 2000. Claude later played for the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars before making a comeback with the San Jose Sharks during the 2008-09 season. Internationally, Claude represented Canada on several occasions, including capturing a gold medal at the 1985 World Junior Hockey Championships and winning the 1987 Canada Cup. He was loved by his wife and four children, and on behalf of the Lemieux family, we kindly ask that everyone respect their privacy during this difficult time. Memorial service details to follow,” wrote the NHL Alumni statement on X.
Born in Buckingham, Quebec, Claude was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and would make his NHL debut just a few months later
Claude Lemieux’s Greatest Hits
Lemieux was known as a fierce and fiery competitor who played for six teams in his NHL career, which spanned from 1983 to 2009.
He was drafted in the second round with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Canadiens, and he won his first Stanley Cup in Montreal in 1986. He then won a second Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, a third Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, and a fourth and final Stanley Cup with the Devils once again in 2000.
For his efforts in the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals, he was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP.
In his NHL career, Lemieux played in 1215 regular-season games and scored 379 goals and 786 points with 1777 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, Lemieux played in 234 postseason games with 80 goals and 158 points.
We at Heavy extend our sympathies to the Lemieux family after suffering this tragic loss.
Claude Lemieux Dead at Age 60