The entire hockey community was stunned at the news of the tragic passing of four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux at the age of 60 on Thursday.
Lemieux, who won the Stanley Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils and once each with the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens, was one of the central figures in the iconic rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Avalanche starting in 1996.
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While Lemieux was a fierce rival of the Red Wings during that time, he and Darren McCarty mended fences and routinely held joint autograph sessions with one another.
McCarty himself reacted to the tragic news on Thursday with a touching tribute on social media.
“Just heard the news on Claude Lemieux,” McCarty wrote on X. “This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold. 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’ And please. If you are struggling at all please reach out and talk to someone Godspeed my friend.”
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Amidst an outpouring of tributes from around the NHL as well as Lemieux former teams, the Red Wings posted a memorial tribute for him.
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“The Detroit Red Wings extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and former teammates of Claude Lemieux,” the club wrote on X. “Claude was a fierce competitor on the ice who, especially in the playoffs, consistently elevated his play during the game’s biggest moments. Our thoughts are with his wife, Deborah, and his four children.”
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, who faced Lemieux dozens of times in regular season and playoff competition, also released a statement.
“In his post-playing career as an agent, I got to know Claude on a more personal level and quickly grew to respect his professionalism in our interactions,” Yzerman’s statement read. “Even more fondly, I will remember and miss the deeper conversations we had beyond the game.
After retiring from the game, Lemieux became an NHLPA-certified player agent, and among his clients was Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider.
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During his NHL career, Lemieux skated in 1,215 regular season games, scoring 379 goals with 407 assists.
He also contributed 80 goals and 78 assists in 234 career playoff games, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1995 after helping the Devils sweep the Red Wings in that year’s Stanley Cup Final.
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