The extended family of the Pittsburgh Penguins suffered a tragic loss on Saturday with the sudden passing of a former veteran defenseman that older generations of fans remember well.
Defenseman Lyle Odelein, who spent part of his NHL career with the Penguins, passed away late Friday at the age of 58 after a reported heart attack, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
He skated in his final NHL campaign during the 2005-06 season, but was limited to just 27 games with the Penguins, during which he recorded an assist.
Former Pittsburgh Penguins Defenseman Lyle Odelein Has Passed Away At 58
Odelein started his hockey career with the Moose Jaw Warriors before the Montreal Canadiens took him 141st overall in the 1986 NHL Draft. While he was initially more of a stay-at-home defenseman, he began to show some offensive upside.
He would be part of Montreal’s most recent Stanley Cup winning team of 1993, and then followed it up with the best output of his career the following season, scoring 11 goals, 29 assists and 40 points in 1993-94, all career highs.
He also scored a hat trick against St. Louis and recorded five assists against Hartford, tying a Canadiens record for most assists in a game by a defenseman.
Odelein was traded to New Jersey in 1996 and later spent time with Phoenix, Columbus, Chicago, Dallas and Florida. When Columbus entered the NHL in 2000, the Blue Jackets selected Odelein in the expansion draft and named him the franchise’s first captain.
After playing all 82 games for Florida in 2003-04, Odelein signed with Pittsburgh in 2005. A knee injury limited him to 27 games with the Penguins, and he soon retired.
Overall throughout his NHL career, Odelein appeared in 1,056 games and tallied 50 goals with 202 assists for 252 points. He also added five goals and 13 assists in 86 career games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Lyle Odelein Endured A Serious Health Crisis In 2018
He also survived a life-threatening incident after being pricked by a cactus while playing golf in Arizona; he eventually fell into a coma and experienced paralysis.
He was diagnosed with critical illness polyneuropathy and underwent heart-valve surgery as well as liver and kidney transplants at Allegheny General Hospital in Pennsylvania.
Tragedy Strikes Penguins As Former Defenseman Passes Away