James Nichols
Former New Jersey Devils and NHL forward Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup winner who later worked as a player agent, died at the age of 60. He passed away four days appearing at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
On May 26, 2026, Lemieux carried the ceremonial torch onto the ice before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, one of his clients, said Lemieux had contacted him before the game about the honor.
Lemieux was born in Buckingham, Quebec. The Montreal Canadiens selected him in the second round of the 1983 NHL Draft. He played parts of seven seasons with Montreal and won his first Stanley Cup with the team in 1986.
He won two Stanley Cups with the Devils, including the 1995 championship where he recorded 13 playoff goals and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He won his fourth Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.
In 234 career playoff games, Lemieux scored 80 goals. While with the Avalanche, he delivered a hit on Detroit Red Wings forward Kris Draper that resulted in multiple facial fractures for Draper and contributed to a major rivalry between the teams.
Lemieux played 21 seasons in the NHL. After retiring, he became an agent at 4Sports Hockey. His clients included Andersen, Vegas defenseman Rasmus Andersson, New Jersey winger Timo Meier, Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider, and Hurricanes prospect Felix Unger Sorum.
Lemieux’s son Brendan played for the Hurricanes in the 2023-24 season and briefly with their AHL affiliate.
He is survived by his wife Deborah and their four children.
