LAMAMIMET

Claude Lemieux was born on July 16, 1965, in Buckingham, Quebec, and was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. He broke into the league that year and helped Montreal capture the Stanley Cup in 1986, establishing himself as a gritty, competitive forward. In 1990 he was traded to the New Jersey Devils, where his playoff prowess peaked; he scored 13 goals in the 1995 postseason and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player as the Devils won the Stanley Cup. Lemieux was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche before the 1995‑96 season and won a second consecutive championship, becoming one of the few players to win back‑to‑back Cups with different teams. His hard‑charging style sparked controversy, most famously a hit on Detroit’s Kris Draper that ignited a fierce rivalry between the Avalanche and Red Wings. He later returned to New Jersey, winning a fourth Stanley Cup in 2000, and finished his NHL career with stints at the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and a brief overseas spell before retiring. After playing, he served as president of the ECHL’s Phoenix RoadRunners and appeared on television. Lemieux passed away on May 28, 2026, at age 60, leaving a legacy as one of the most formidable playoff performers in hockey history.