Claude Lemieux, fiery winger who won four Stanley Cups, dies aged 60

Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion, died at age 60. The NHL Alumni Association announced his death, and no cause of death or location at the time of death was immediately provided. Lemieux had served as the Montreal Canadiens’ torch bearer before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final at the Bell Centre. Canadiens owner Geoff Molson praised Lemieux as a relentless, courageous, and tenacious competitor who embodied the Canadiens. Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils. In 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche, he was suspended for a hit from behind on Detroit’s Kris Draper. Darren McCarty, a former rival, expressed sadness and offered condolences to Lemieux’s family and friends.

"Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion whose hockey career was built on playing with ferocity and physicality, has died. He was 60. The NHL Alumni Association announced Lemieux's death in a post on social media. A cause of death was not immediately available, nor was it clear where Lemieux was when he died."

"On Monday night, Lemieux was the Montreal Canadiens' torch bearer prior to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final at Bell Centre. Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community, Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said. A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He embodied the very essence of being a Montreal Canadiens player."

"As a player, Lemieux was a mix of skill and abrasiveness, unafraid to cross the line in the name of competition. Claude Lemieux carries the torch on Monday night before the Montreal Canadiens' Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final at Bell Centre. Photograph: Matt Garies/NHLI/Getty Images He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for his role in helping the New Jersey Devils win their first championship in 1995."

"A year later with the Colorado Avalanche, he was suspended for two games for a hit from behind on Detroit's Kris Draper on the way to them hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time in their first season since moving from his native Quebec. Darren McCarty, a member of the Red Wings during the heyday of their rivalry with the Avalanche that was sparked by Lemieux's hit on Draper, posted a broken heart emoji on social media with the alumni's announcement and additional thoughts about his former adversary."

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