As confirmed by the NHL Alumni, Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60. Born in Buckingham, Quebec, Lemieux was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. It was only the first of many childhood dreams he’d go on to accomplish during his professional journey.
It did not take long for the winger to hoist his first Stanley Cup, as he won the Cup in 1986 with the Habs. Wherever he went in the NHL, wins followed. His style of play continues to influence players across the league.
Lemieux was the classic prototype of a forward you love when he is on your team and hate when he is not. More often than not, that description fits natural-born winners best, and Lemieux was no exception. His immediate impact on the Canadiens earned him an eternal place among the franchise’s most beloved players.
In fact, Lemieux recently raised the torch in Montreal’s pregame ritual before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. His appearance at Bell Centre earlier this week makes his passing all the more difficult to digest and comprehend—if there is even a way to do so.
Tu es chez toi ici, Claude Lemieux! 👏
— x – Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) May 26, 2026
Welcome home, Claude Lemieux!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/fQvfhZSNUB
Lemieux’s Stanley Cup conquests
Though unrelated to Mario Lemieux, Claude made his last name proud with a remarkable career. He joined a very short list of players to have won the Stanley Cup with three different teams. Claude Lemieux hoisted Lord Stanley four times in his career: in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens, 1995 with the Colorado Avalanche, and 1996 and 2000 with the New Jersey Devils.
Furthermore, Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his production during the 1995 conquest. During those Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Quebecker registered 16 points (13 goals and 3 assists) in 20 games for the Devils.
Lemieux represented Canada Hockey multiple times and helped his country crown itself champion in the 1985 World Junior Hockey Championship and the 1987 Canada Cup. Time and again, Claude proved to be a winner. Winning was all he did in the NHL, and it is what he will forever be remembered for in Montreal, Denver, Newark, and across the entire league.
Lemieux’s stats
Across his long NHL career—which extended over three different decades and two different centuries—Lemieux played 1,215 games, registering 379 goals and 407 assists for a total of 786 points. He ended his career with a 0.65 points-per-game average.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, however, he became a different beast—an untamable one at that. Across 234 postseason games, Lemieux recorded 158 points (80 G, 78 A), posting a 0.68 points-per-game average.
Following his crowning with the Devils in 2000, Lemieux had one-year stints with the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars in 2001-02 and 2002-03, respectively. After a five-year hiatus, Lemieux returned for his final NHL season in 2008-09, in which he played one game for the San Jose Sharks before hanging up the skates.
