Claude Lemieux
Claude Lemieux | |
|---|---|
| Born | Claude Percy Lemieux July 16, 1965 Buckingham, Quebec, Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player (retired) |
| Years active | 1983–2009 |
| Known for | Four-time Stanley Cup champion, Conn Smythe Trophy winner (1995) |
Claude Percy Lemieux (born July 16, 1965) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who spent 21 seasons in the NHL, representing six different teams between 1983 and 2009. Throughout his career, Lemieux secured four Stanley Cup championships, including two titles with the New Jersey Devils, where he was honored with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the 1995 Finals. He is one of only 11 players to have won Stanley Cups with three or more franchises and holds the ninth position on the all-time list with 80 playoff goals.
Originating from Buckingham, Quebec, Lemieux was selected 26th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He remained with Montreal until 1990, capturing his first Stanley Cup in 1986. After being traded to the New Jersey Devils in 1990, he added another championship during his five-year tenure there. In 1995, Lemieux joined the Colorado Avalanche and contributed to their second consecutive Stanley Cup victory in 1996. That postseason featured a contentious hit on Detroit Red Wings’ Kris Draper, which escalated the rivalry between the Avalanche and Red Wings. Lemieux returned to New Jersey in 1999 and helped secure his fourth Stanley Cup in 2000. Subsequent engagements included playing for the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars before concluding his NHL career in 2003.
Following his NHL departure, Lemieux had a brief stint with EV Zug in Switzerland’s Nationalliga A prior to retirement. In 2005, he took on the role of president for the ECHL’s Phoenix RoadRunners for a two-year period. He made a final NHL return with the San Jose Sharks during the 2008–09 season before retiring permanently.
His son, Brendan Lemieux, also pursues professional hockey and currently competes with HC Davos in Switzerland’s National League.
NHL
Selected in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, Lemieux played for Montreal from 1983 through 1990, earning a Stanley Cup ring in 1986.
In September 1990, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Sylvain Turgeon. Lemieux captured his second Stanley Cup during the 1995 campaign when New Jersey triumphed over the Detroit Red Wings, and he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after netting 13 goals.
Ahead of the 1995–96 season, Lemieux was involved in a three-team trade that sent him to the Colorado Avalanche, along with players such as Wendel Clark and Steve Thomas. Upon Colorado’s Stanley Cup win in 1996, Lemieux became only the tenth player to win consecutive Cups with different teams.
In November 1999, Lemieux returned to New Jersey through a trade that sent Brian Rolston to Colorado. He achieved his fourth Stanley Cup championship with the Devils during the 2000 season. Following that victory, he signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes.
In January 2003, Phoenix traded him to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Scott Pellerin and a conditional draft pick. After completing the 2002–03 season with Dallas, Lemieux concluded his NHL playing days and briefly competed for Swiss team EV Zug.
Retirement
In 2005, Lemieux assumed presidency of the ECHL's Phoenix RoadRunners, a position he held until stepping down in 2007.
He appeared on Spike TV’s Pros vs. Joes in 2007 and participated in CBC’s Battle of the Blades in 2009, performing skating routines including one choreographed to his own rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
2008 return to the NHL
In September 2008, Lemieux indicated a desire to rejoin the NHL. He began the season playing for the China Sharks in the Asia League Ice Hockey before signing with the Worcester Sharks on November 25. After accumulating two goals and six points across 14 games, he secured a two-way contract with the San Jose Sharks on December 29. Following clearance through waivers, he continued competing with Worcester.
San Jose called Lemieux up to the NHL roster on January 19, 2009; he notched his sole NHL point during this comeback on February 19, assisting against the Los Angeles Kings. That same season, the Sharks earned the Presidents' Trophy.
International competition
Lemieux represented Canada in international tournaments on three occasions. His first appearance was at the 1985 World Junior Championships in Helsinki with the Canadian junior team, where he contributed three goals and two assists over six games, aiding Canada in capturing its second World Junior gold medal. He also participated in the victorious 1987 Canada Cup squad, recording two points in six contests. His last international outing came at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, where he accumulated 19 penalty minutes throughout eight games as Canada finished as runners-up.
On-ice approach
Lemieux was recognized for raising his level of play during postseason action, taking part in 15 straight NHL playoff seasons beginning in 1985–86 and appearing in playoffs across 18 separate years, missing only the 2001 season with Phoenix. He holds fourth place all-time with 234 playoff appearances and retired ranked ninth for playoff goals scored with 80. Remarkably, in three seasons (1985–86 Montreal, 1994–95 New Jersey, and 1996–97 Colorado), he tallied more goals during playoffs than in regular-season play.
Controversies
Lemieux gained notoriety as one of the league’s most reviled and aggressive players. A 2009 TSN feature placed him second among the "Top 10 Most Hated NHL Players," trailing only Sean Avery. One infamous moment occurred during a playoff match versus Calgary when Lemieux bit winger Jim Peplinski’s finger amid an altercation.
Incident involving Kris Draper
The peak of Lemieux’s physical style was exemplified by a notorious event in 1996 when he delivered a check from behind to Kris Draper of the Detroit Red Wings during Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Draper suffered a concussion and multiple facial fractures that required reconstructive surgery. The NHL imposed a two-game suspension on Lemieux for this hit, which sparked debate about whether the punishment was adequate. This event further intensified the rivalry between the Avalanche and Red Wings.
The following season saw tensions erupt into a major brawl between Detroit and Colorado. After a fight initiated by Peter Forsberg and Igor Larionov concluded, Darren McCarty targeted Lemieux and assaulted him until officials stepped in; McCarty received a double minor penalty for roughing. Additional fights broke out involving players and goalies from both sides. In their next encounter, Lemieux immediately engaged McCarty in a fight right as play began, continuing their intense rivalry.
Personal background
Born in Buckingham, Quebec, Lemieux currently resides in Huntington Beach, California. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States on June 26, 2009.
He is the elder sibling of former NHL forward Jocelyn Lemieux and has another brother, Serge, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. There is no familial connection between him and NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux.
Lemieux has four children from two marriages: three sons and one daughter. His son Brendan Lemieux has played as an NHL forward for five different teams over seven seasons. Notably, they are the only father-son pair to have been penalized by the NHL for biting incidents.
Following his retirement, Lemieux has frequently appeared on TSN’s Off the Record with Michael Landsberg, sharing perspectives drawn from his professional hockey career.
Regular season and playoffs
1999–2000 New Jersey Devils 70 38 20002001 Phoenix Coyotes NHL46 10 16 26 58 — — — — — 20012002 Phoenix Coyotes NHL82 16 25 41 70 5 0 0 0 2 20022003 Phoenix Coyotes NHL36 6 8 14 30 — — — — — 20022003 Dallas Stars NHL32 2 4 6 14 7 0 1 1 10 20032004 EV Zug NLA7 2 3 5 4 5 1 3 4 8 20082009 China Sharks ALH2 0 1 1 4 — — — — — 20082009 Worcester Sharks AHL23 3 8 11 24 — — — — — 20082009 San Jose Sharks NHL18 0 1 1 21 1 0 0 0 0| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1981–82 | Richelieu Éclaireurs | QMAAA | 48 | 24 | 48 | 72 | 96 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 14 | ||
| 1982–83 | Trois-Rivières Draveurs | QMJHL | 62 | 28 | 38 | 66 | 187 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 30 | ||
| 1983–84 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Verdun Juniors | QMJHL | 51 | 41 | 45 | 86 | 225 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 63 | ||
| 1983–84 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1983–84 | Verdun Juniors | MC | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1984–85 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Verdun Junior Canadiens | QMJHL | 52 | 58 | 66 | 124 | 152 | 14 | 23 | 17 | 40 | 38 | ||
| 1985–86 | Sherbrooke Canadiens | AHL | 58 | 21 | 32 | 53 | 145 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 68 | ||
| 1986–87 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 76 | 27 | 26 | 53 | 156 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 41 | ||
| 1987–88 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 78 | 31 | 30 | 61 | 137 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 20 | ||
| 1988–89 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 69 | 29 | 22 | 51 | 136 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 58 | ||
| 1989–90 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 39 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 106 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 38 | ||
| 1990–91 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 78 | 30 | 17 | 47 | 105 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 34 | ||
| 1991–92 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 74 | 41 | 27 | 68 | 109 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 26 | ||
| 1992–93 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 77 | 30 | 51 | 81 | 155 | 5 | 2' | '0' | '2' | '19 | ||
| New Jersey Devils | NHL |79 |18 |26 |44 |86 |20 |7 |11 |18 |44 | ||||||||||||||
| New Jersey Devils | NHL |45 |6 |13 |19 |86 |20 |13 |3 |16 |20 | ||||||||||||||
| Colorado Avalanche | NHL |79 |39 |32 |71 |117 |19 |5 |7 |12 |55 | ||||||||||||||
| Colorado Avalanche | NHL |45 |11 |17 |28 |43 |17 |13 |10 |23 |32 | ||||||||||||||
| Colorado Avalanche | NHL |78 |26 |27 |53 |115 |7 |3 |3 |6 |8 | ||||||||||||||
| Colorado Avalanche | NHL |82 |27 |24 |51 |102 |19 |3 |11 |14 |26 | ||||||||||||||
| Colorado Avalanche | NHL |13 |3 |6 |9 |4 |— |— |— |— |— | ||||||||||||||
| colspan="3" ! NHL totals !1215 !379 !407 !786 !1777 !234 !80 !78 !158 !529 | ||||||||||||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Canada | WJC | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1987 | Canada | CC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 1996 | Canada | WCH | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | |
| Junior career totals | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |||
| Senior career totals | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 23 | |||
Awards and achievements
- Four-time Stanley Cup winner (1986, 1995, 1996, 2000)
- Recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy (1995)
- Most Valuable Player in QMJHL Playoffs (1985)
- Named to the QMJHL First All-Star Team (1985)
- Selected for the QMJHL Second All-Star Team (1984)
- Awarded the Guy Lafleur Trophy (1985)
- Inducted into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame (2005)
- Ranked ninth all-time in Stanley Cup playoff goal scoring with a total of 80
Transactions
- June 8, 1983 – Selected by Montreal Canadiens in the second round (26th overall) of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft
- September 4, 1990 – Traded to New Jersey Devils in exchange for Sylvain Turgeon
- October 3, 1995 – Traded to New York Islanders for Steve Thomas; subsequently traded the same day to Colorado Avalanche for Wendel Clark
- November 3, 1999 – Traded back to New Jersey Devils along with draft picks for Brian Rolston and a draft pick
- December 5, 2000 – Signed as a free agent with Phoenix Coyotes
- January 16, 2003 – Traded to Dallas Stars for Scott Pellerin and a draft pick
- December 29, 2008 – Signed as a free agent with San Jose Sharks