The hockey world is mourning the loss of Claude Lemieux. The four-time Stanley Cup champion spent five seasons of his illustrious 21-year NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens before playing for the New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes, and Dallas Stars. Lemieux was an integral part of the Canadiens' 1986 Stanley Cup-winning team, where, as a rookie, he scored 10 goals after playing only 10 regular-season games. It was only a couple of days ago that we saw him walk out with the Canadiens iconic torch ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. He was just 60 years old.
Claude Lemieux’s playoff legend began in Montreal
Lemieux, born in Buckingham, Quebec, played a year in the QMAAA for the Richelieu Éclaireurs before moving to play in the QMJHL the following season for the Trois-Rivières Draveurs. Lemieux finished the season with the Draveurs with 28 goals and 66 points to go along with 187 penalty minutes in 62 games. Lemieux had a rare combination of skill and grit in his game. The Canadiens saw the value in his play, and with their second-round pick in the 1983 NHL Draft, Montreal selected Lemieux 26th overall. Lemieux spent his first couple of seasons bouncing from the QMJHL, AHL, and NHL, but got his shot with the Canadiens near the end of the 1986 season and never looked back.
Lemieux played 10 games in the regular season, recording a goal, two assists, and 22 penalty minutes, but he really began to shine in the playoffs. Lemieux led the Canadiens in goals during their playoff run, finishing with 10 goals, third most in the playoffs that season, and added six assists. In the Stanley Cup Final, Lemieux scored the only goal in Montreal’s 1-0 win in Game 4 against the Calgary Flames, giving the Canadiens a 3-1 series lead. The Canadiens would wrap up the series in Game 5, and despite being a rookie, Lemieux became known as a clutch playoff performer, something that stuck with him throughout his NHL career.
Lemieux began the next season as an every-night player for the Canadiens, and in his first full season, he recorded 27 goals, 26 assists, and 156 penalty minutes in 76 games. His best season in Montreal came in the following season, when he recorded his first career 30-goal season (31), adding 30 assists, and saw his penalty minutes drop to 137. Lemieux’s point totals dropped over the next two seasons, and in September of 1990, the Canadiens traded him to the Devils for Sylvain Turgeon. Lemieux finished his Canadiens career with 97 goals, 189 points, and 576 penalty minutes to go along with his Stanley Cup ring.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs were where Claude Lemieux became a legend
While Lemieux will be remembered as a great player, he was always his best when the lights were the brightest. Something that began way before his NHL career. As a member of the Verdun Junior Canadiens in 1985, Lemieux recorded 23 goals and 40 points in just 14 playoff games. He was the catalyst for the Junior Canadiens as they took home the President's Cup. He followed that performance up the next season with the NHL Canadiens, when he was an integral part of the 1986 Stanley Cup team.
After his move to the Devils, Lemieux established himself as one of the better players in the league, recording three consecutive 30-plus goal seasons and recording a career best of 41 in 1992. His playoff performances continued to stack up. In the 1994 playoffs, Lemieux recorded 18 points in 20 games, but he and the Devils came up short, losing to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final. However, in the 1995 playoffs, Lemieux could not be stopped. He recorded a new career high of 13 goals, helping the Devils take down the Detroit Red Wings in four games, as he took home the Conn Smythe Trophy.
After winning the Stanley Cup with the Devils, Lemieux was traded to the Avalanche in a three-team trade that also included Wendel Clark and Steve Thomas. Lemieux did not have to wait long to win his next Stanley Cup because in that same season, he helped the Avalanche sweep the Florida Panthers, recording five goals and 12 points in 19 games. Despite losing in the Western Conference Final the very next season, Lemieux matched his career-best playoff goal total with 13 and added 10 assists, as the Avalanche lost to the Red Wings.
Following a trade back to the Devils in the 1999-2000 season, Lemieux would win his fourth career Stanley Cup. While it was not a vintage Lemieux playoff performance, he still was able to chip in with four goals and six assists in 23 games. Lemieux finished his playoff career with 80 goals, which puts him in ninth all-time in NHL history. He left everlasting memories for every franchise he played for and will be severely missed in the hockey community.
Add us as a preferred source on Google