Claude Lemieux, former Canadien and four-time Stanley Cup champion, dead at 60

Born in Buckingham, Que., Lemieux broke into the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens in 1983 and helped the club win the Stanley Cup in 1986.

The gritty winger later captured championships with the New Jersey Devils in 1995 and 2000, and the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1995 after recording 13 goals in 20 post-season games for New Jersey.

In the 2025 Crave series Toujours Canadiens, Lemieux reflected on what he hoped for his four children when asked about life beyond hockey.

“Happiness. Being happy is not about winning the Stanley Cup or money. Being happy is to be comfortable in your own skin, to have a good partner, to be there for your kids,” he said. “I’m a grandfather now, so that’s something I wish for them, too.”

He was honoured at Montreal’s Bell Centre on Monday, carrying a ceremonial torch onto the ice before the Canadiens’ Game 3 playoff matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Canadiens said Thursday that “the entire Canadiens organization is saddened to learn of the passing of Claude Lemieux.”

“Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community,” Canadiens owner and CEO Geoff Molson said in a statement. “I wish to express my most sincere and deepest condolences to Claude’s family and loved ones.”

Molson described Lemieux as a fierce competitor who consistently delivered in big moments and said he “embodied the very essence of being a Montreal Canadiens player.”

Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis opened his media availability at the team’s hotel in Raleigh, N.C., ahead of Friday’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final by sending his “sincere sympathies to the whole Lemieux family.”

St. Louis watched Lemieux help the Canadiens win the Cup in 1986 as a fan and then competed against him in the NHL.

“Hard-nosed player,” St. Louis said. “You had to fight for every inch on the ice with him. He competed hard. He always toed the line. He was a hard player to play against.”

Montreal defenceman Alexandre Carrier played with Lemieux’s son Brendan for Canada at the under-18 level back in 2013.

“It’s a sad day for the organization, for their family,” he said. “Alumni from Montreal, won a Cup here. Sad day.”

The San Jose Sharks said on X that “the entire Sharks organization is saddened to learn of the passing of Sharks alum and NHL legend Claude Lemieux.”

Lemieux finished his career with San Jose after coming out of a five-and-a-half-year retirement at age 43 during the 2008-09 season. He had one assist in 18 games before retiring for good in July 2009.

In a statement, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called Lemieux “one of the greatest big-game players in hockey history,’ a reputation reflected in his playoff scoring totals.

His 80 career playoff goals rank ninth in league history, sandwiched between Habs legends Jean Beliveau (79) and Maurice (Rocket) Richard (82).

Along with stepping up his game in the playoffs, he was also known for playing close to the edge — and sometimes crossing it.

In the 1986 Stanley Cup final, Lemieux bit Calgary Flames winger Jim Peplinski’s finger as they tussled in a brawl following the fourth game.

“I didn’t know they allowed cannibalism in the NHL,” Peplinski quipped after the game.

Ten years later, Lemieux once again made headlines while playing for Colorado when he rammed Detroit Red Wings forward Kris Draper into the boards from behind in Game 6 of the Western Conference final.

Draper sustained a broken jaw, cheek and orbital bone, while Lemieux escaped serious discipline when he was suspended by the NHL for two games.

The Avalanche went on to sweep Florida in the Cup final, with Lemieux returning from suspension to score the first goal in Game 3.

Lemieux’s bite came up again in 2021 when Brendan Lemieux, then a forward with the Los Angeles Kings, was suspended five games for biting Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk during a game in 2021.

Drafted by Montreal in the second round in 1983, Lemieux recorded 97 goals and 92 assists in 281 regular-season games with the Canadiens.

He added 23 goals and 22 assists in 77 playoff games and won the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 1986.

Former Canadiens teammate Chris Nilan said he was stunned by the news, recalling he had just seen Lemieux before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final at the Bell Centre.

“He looked great; he seemed great,” Nilan said Thursday on Montreal 690 radio.

Nilan called Lemieux “an incredible playoff performer, a great teammate, tough as nails.”

“I am totally shocked,” he added. “You never know when you are going to see someone for the last time.

“I’m glad I at least got to look him in the eye and tell him what I thought of him.”

Darren McCarty, a truculent member of the Red Wings who had multiple fights with Lemieux, posted a broken heart emoji on social media and heard the news from Draper.

McCarty said Lemieux the person was totally different than the player, and the two later met for an interview with smiles about their clashes.

“Sad day: another brother gone,” McCarty said in a video message posted to YouTube. “If you’re struggling out there, no matter what, just reach out for some help. It can never be that bad. It’s a sad day, no matter what. Rest in peace, Claude.”

Lemieux finished his NHL career with 379 goals, 407 assists and 1,777 penalty minutes in 1,215 regular-season games with Montreal, New Jersey, Colorado, Phoenix, Dallas and San Jose.

He also represented Canada internationally, winning gold at the 1985 world junior championship and the 1987 Canada Cup.

With files from the Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first reported May 28, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Claude Lemieux, former Canadien and four-time Stanley Cup champion, dead at 60

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