The NHL legend and fierce playoff performer, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1995, passed away Thursday. He was a torch bearer at a Canadiens playoff game Monday.
5:53 PM
Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the fiercest playoff performers in NHL history, has died, the NHL Alumni Association announced Thursday. He was 60.
Lemieux played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League across six teams: the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and San Jose Sharks. He won Stanley Cups in 1986, 1995, 1996, and 2000—two with the Devils and one each with the Avalanche and Canadiens.
In 1995, Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded annually to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs. His 80 playoff goals rank ninth in NHL history, and his 158 playoff points are tied for 27th. Over his regular season career, Lemieux played 1,215 games, scoring 379 goals and 786 points while accumulating 1,777 penalty minutes. He appeared in 234 playoff games.
Lemieux was selected 26th overall in the 1983 NHL draft. He was present at the Canadiens' playoff game on Monday, serving as the torch bearer in a pregame ceremony at Bell Centre prior to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Geoff Molson, owner and CEO of Groupe CHI, the parent company of the Canadiens, released a statement describing Lemieux as "a fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments" and "a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors." Molson added that Lemieux "embodied the very essence of being a Montreal Canadiens player."
The NHL Alumni Association released a statement saying they were "devastated" by the news of his death. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed by authorities or the league.
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