Claude Lemieux
By 
The Canadiens have a cool ritual before every playoff game where a former player carries a torch before the national anthems. Before Game 3 of the conference finals it was Claude Lemieux, which caused me to reflect on the fact that he was such a widely hated player fans of rival teams could know exactly what you mean when you invoked his name as an insult:
Now reminded of the phys. ed. teacher who would call me "Mario" or "Claude" depending on whether he was satisfied with my effort level
[image or embed]— Scott Lemieux (@lemieuxlgm.bsky.social) 5:17 PM · May 25, 2026
The Flames played the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup final twice in four years when we split season tickets, so you really hated the most hateable player on the other team. But Lemieux was also one of those guys that you had to respect even as you hated him, because he was a money player, one of the best playoff performers of his generation. (“To be the most hated man in hockey and have your name on the Conn Smythe trophy [for playoff MVP] is pretty special” he said after his Devils swept the Red Wings for the Stanley Cup in 1995.)
The irony is that just as a player Claude was the phys ed. teacher's ideal — winning player, worked his ass off, got absolutely everything out of his talent that was there. But he was such a fuckin' rat— Scott Lemieux (@lemieuxlgm.bsky.social) 5:30 PM · May 25, 2026
But while Flames, Whalers, Nordiques etc. fans were in on the ground floor, Lemieux escalated his reputation as the most notorious player in the NHL after a vicious hit from behind on Detroit’s Kris Draper in the 1996 playoffs, which led toa famous series of brawls in their next game, including an opening fight between Lemieux and wings tough guy Darren McCarty. Lemieux remains hated by Red Wings fans today.
There was a fascinating documentary about the Red Wings/Avalanche rivalry streaming in full on Disney+ (I am beginning to rewatch as I type this) that not only provides all the background but shows a meeting between Lemieux and McCarty in Royal Oak in front of a bunch of Wings fans. It’s a difficult and awkward meeting, but McCarty (while still angry about the hit) reaches out in a spirit of forgiveness and shows his appreciation for Lemieux’s working-class roots and incredible tenacity as a player, and calls him his friend. It’s a riveting watch.
Claude Lemieux committed suicide last night.
The NHL Alumni Association is devastated to share that Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60.
Born in Buckingham, Quebec, Claude was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and would make his NHL debut just a few months later… pic.twitter.com/iohlATU6qz— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) May 28, 2026
R.I.P.
Just heard the news on #ClaudeLemieux
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…— Darren McCarty (@DarrenMcCarty4) May 28, 2026
…and, yes, as noted in comments:
His son Brendan was a forward in the NHL, playing for five NHL teams over seven seasons. They are the only father-son duo to be punished by the NHL for biting other players.