The hockey world mourned the passing of Claude Lemieux after the news broke that the four-time Stanley Cup champion died on Thursday, May 28.
Lemieux was taken by the Montréal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL draft. He played for the team for seven seasons and won his first Stanley Cup with them in the 1985-1986 campaign. He then joined the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche where he won the rest of this three championships, two with New Jersey and one with Colorado. He finished his career with stints on the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks.
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The Quebec native helped fuel the rivalry between the Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings when, in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals, he slammed into Kris Draper. Lemieux was suspended two games for the hit.
Just days before his passing, Lemieux presented the torch for the Canadiens’ Game 3 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Several of Lemieux’s former teams and media personalities from across the sports world expressed their condolences for the hockey great’s passing, which is being investigated as suicide.
Claude Lemieux of the San Jose Sharks looks on against the Anaheim Ducks during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinal Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on April 21, 2009, in Anaheim, California.
NHL commissioner honors Claude Lemieux
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement upon Claude Lemieux’s death praising him for his accomplishments on the ice.
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“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest big-game Players in hockey history,” he said.
“Lemieux forged his postseason reputation and won the Cup for the first time as a rookie in 1986, when he scored 10 goals in the Playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoffs MVP in 1995, scoring 13 goals in 20 postseason games with the New Jersey Devils. He also was an integral part of Cup-winning teams in Colorado, in 1996, and back with New Jersey in 2000.
“Overall, his teams reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 15 straight seasons; his 234 postseason games played rank sixth in NHL history; and his 80 career Playoff goals rank ninth. In recent years, as a player agent, he has represented some of the top stars in the NHL.
“We send our deepest condolences to Claude’s wife, Deborah, and his four children, Brendan, Claudia, Michael and Christopher.”
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Canadiens, Avalanche, Devils pay tribute to Claude Lemieux
The Montréal Canadiens shared the news of Claude Lemieux’s death and mourned his passing.
“Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community. I wish to express my most sincere and deepest condolences to Claude’s family and loved ones,” Geoff Molson, owner and CEO of Groupe CH, said in a statement. “A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He embodied the very essence of being a Montréal Canadiens player.”
In an Instagram post, the team said it was “shocked and saddened” to hear the news of his death.
The Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils also shared their condolences to Lemieux’s loved ones. Hall of Famer Joe Sakic released his own statement on the Avalanche’s social media.
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“We are devastated to learn of Claude’s passing,” Sakic wrote. “‘Pepe’ was a terrific hockey player, a fierce competitor and a champion in every way.”
In his tribute, former Detroit Red Wings player Darren McCarty said that Lemieux was a venerable threat on the ice and a different person off it.
“This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold, he wrote on X. “My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on. As I’ve said and will always call it as I see it ‘If your on the ICE with Claude Lemieux and your turn your back. YOU Are an IDIOT. But off the ICE I’ll turn mine.'”
The official X page for Canada Hockey also honored Lemieux.
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“We are saddened by the passing of Team Canada alumnus Claude Lemieux, and send our condolences to his family and friends,” the team wrote.
Jemele Hill, Vic Lombardi among media mourning Claude Lemieux
Jemele Hill and Vic Lombardi also took to social media to pay tribute to Claude Lemieux.
Hill recalled the rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
“This is just horrible news. I watched a lot of hockey growing up and even collected trading cards,” she said on X. “As a Detroiter, we spent a lot of time absolutely hating Claude Lemieux, but he was a heck of a player.”
Lombardi reflected on the right wing’s impact on Colorado sports.
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“This awful,” he wrote on X. “Such an instrumental piece of the Avs first Cup winner. He was the sandpaper that team desperately needed. So him many years later. Could not have been nicer.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Claude Lemieux death reactions from around NHL world
