Claude Lemieux

Claude Lemieux
Born	(1965-07-16) July 16, 1965 Buckingham, Quebec, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Montreal Canadiens New Jersey Devils Colorado Avalanche Phoenix Coyotes Dallas Stars San Jose Sharks
NHL draft	26th overall, 1983 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1983–2003 2008–2009

Claude Percy Lemieux (born July 16, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is best known for his incident with Kris Draper, in which he hit Draper from behind and broke his orbital, cheek and jaw bones, and his subsequent fights with Darren McCarty during the 1996 NHL Playoffs and the beginning of the 1997 season. He is one of only 11 players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three or more different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the ninth-most in NHL history. Lemieux is also a former president of the ECHL's Phoenix RoadRunners. Lemieux was born in Buckingham, Quebec, but grew up in Montreal, Quebec.

Playing career

NHL

Lemieux was drafted in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He played with the Canadiens from 1983–1990, winning the Stanley Cup with the team in 1986.

In September 1990, Lemieux was traded to the New Jersey Devils for Sylvain Turgeon. Lemieux won his second Stanley Cup in 1995 as New Jersey defeated the Detroit Red Wings. Completing the post-season with 13 goals, he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy that year as the playoff MVP.

Shortly before the beginning of the 1995–96 season, Lemieux was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in a three-team deal that also involved Wendel Clark and Steve Thomas. When the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 1996, Lemieux became only the tenth player to win back-to-back Stanley Cups with different teams.

In November 1999, Lemieux was traded back to New Jersey in a deal that sent Brian Rolston to Colorado. He won his fourth and final Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000. In that off-season, Lemieux signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes.

In January 2003, the Coyotes traded him to the Dallas Stars for Scott Pellerin and a conditional draft pick. Lemieux ended his NHL playing career with Dallas at the conclusion of the 2002–03 season. He played briefly the following season for EV Zug of the Swiss Nationalliga A.

Retirement

In 2005, Lemieux became president of the current incarnation of the Phoenix RoadRunners. In 2007, Lemieux took part in the second season of the Spike TV television show Pros vs. Joes. In October 2009, Lemieux began competing as a pairs figure skater on the CBC Television reality show Battle of the Blades with Shae-Lynn Bourne. For one of their routines, the pair skated to Lemieux's recorded version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, which he sang as a duet with Kathryn Rose.

2008 comeback

In September 2008, on RDS, Lemieux expressed an interest in making a comeback to the NHL. He began the season with the China Sharks of the Asia League Ice Hockey before signing a contract with the Worcester Sharks on November 25. After scoring 2 goals and 6 points in 14 games with Worcester, Lemieux signed a two-way contract with the San Jose Sharks on December 29, 2008. The following day, he cleared waivers and continued to play for Worcester. On January 19, 2009, the San Jose Sharks recalled Lemieux to the NHL and, on February 19, he recorded the first (and only) NHL point of his comeback, assisting on Milan Michálek's second-period goal against the Los Angeles Kings.

Playing style

Throughout his career, Lemieux was noted for playing his best games during the postseason. Once Lemieux was called up to the NHL for good during the 1985-86 season he played in 15 consecutive postseasons. In his career, starting with the 1986 playoffs, he played in the postseason 18 different years, missing only the 2001 playoffs while with the Phoenix Coyotes. Lemieux played in 234 playoff games, which is fourth all-time in the NHL.

On three occasions, he scored more goals during the playoffs than he did during the regular season (1985–86 with Montreal, 1994–95 with New Jersey, and 1996-97 with Colorado). Lemieux retired with 80 career playoff goals, ninth all-time in the NHL. On November 24, 2008, Lemieux, at age 43, signed a tryout contract with the San Jose Sharks in hopes of returning to the NHL after a five-year absence. Lemieux is a longtime friend of Sharks general manager Doug Wilson, who has taken a chance on veteran players before. Lemieux played a two-game stint with the China Sharks (vs Anyang Halla), San Jose's affiliate in Shanghai, while gauging his ability to make a full comeback.

Lemieux also had a reputation as one of the league's dirtiest players; in fact, a recent TSN special entitled "The Top 10 Most Hated NHL Players of All Time" ranked Claude second, behind only Sean Avery. While playing for Montreal, during a playoff game against the Calgary Flames, Lemieux bit Calgary's Jim Peplinski on the finger during a scuffle, prompting the Calgary winger to say, "I didn't know they allowed cannibalism in the NHL." Lemieux's title of being a dirty player was solidified in a 1996 incident with the Avalanche when Lemieux checked Kris Draper of the Detroit Red Wings into the boards from behind during a playoff series. Draper suffered a concussion, broken jaw, broken nose and broken cheekbone, all of which all led to Draper having reconstructive surgery on his face having his jaw wired shut for several weeks. This incident is generally believed to have sparked a bitter rivalry between the two teams. Unhappy with his actions, the NHL suspended him two games, despite outcry from some fans who felt that Lemieux deserved a harsher penalty. Red Wings player Dino Ciccarelli said after the series "I can't believe I shook this guy's friggin' hand after the game. That pisses me right off".

Tensions between the two teams would continue to rise, reaching a breaking point the next season. During a fight in the infamous Red Wings–Avalanche brawl, Wings forward Darren McCarty engaged Lemieux shortly after a fight started by Peter Forsberg with Igor Larionov had stopped play. Lemieux turtled on the ice, and was badly beaten before the officials could remove McCarty from him, who was assessed a double minor for roughing. Several fights erupted around the two as both teams, including the goalies, fought. In the next regular season game between the teams, Lemieux switched sides on the opening face off to line up across from McCarty. He challenged him face to face, and the two had their second fight.

International play

Medal record
Representing Canada
Ice hockey
World Cup
	1996 Canada
Canada Cup
	1987 Canada
World Junior Championships
	1985 Canada

Lemieux represented Canada three times in international competitions over the course of his career. He made his first international appearance as a member of the Canadian national junior team at the 1985 World Junior Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Lemieux finished the tournament with 3 goals and 2 assist in 6 games to help Canada win its second World Junior gold medal. Lemieux was also a member of the 1987 Canada Cup winning team where he tallied 2 points in 6 games. His final appearance in international play came when he was selected to the Team Canada roster for the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. With his chippy demeanor still intact, Lemieux picked up 19 penalty minutes in the eight games as Canada finished second.

Personal life

Lemieux was born in Buckingham, Quebec and now resides in Huntington Beach, California, after living in Toronto, Ontario for three years. He has a younger brother, Jocelyn Lemieux who also enjoyed a lengthy career in the NHL. He is, despite sharing the same last name, of no known relation to decorated former NHL player Mario Lemieux. He has two children from his first marriage; Christopher (born 1989) and Michael (born 1992), and two children with his current wife Deborah, son Brendan (born 1996) and daughter Claudia (born 1997). Brendan, who was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, is currently living in Winnipeg and playing for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL). Lemieux became a naturalized U.S. citizen on 26 June 2009.

Since his retirement from the NHL, Lemieux has often been a guest of TSN's Off the Record with Michael Landsberg, sharing his personal insight of his playing days in the NHL.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1981–82	Richelieu Riverains	QAAA		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	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		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
1993–94	New Jersey Devils	NHL		79	18	26	44	86		20	7	11	18	44
1994–95	New Jersey Devils	NHL		45	6	13	19	86		20	13	3	16	20
1995–96	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		79	39	32	71	117		19	5	7	12	55
1996–97	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		45	11	17	28	43		17	13	10	23	32
1997–98	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		78	26	27	53	115		7	3	3	6	8
1998–99	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		82	27	24	51	102		19	3	11	14	26
1999–2000	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		13	3	6	9	4		—	—	—	—	—
1999–2000	New Jersey Devils	NHL		70	17	21	38	86		23	4	6	10	28
2000–01	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		46	10	16	26	58		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		82	16	25	41	70		5	0	0	0	2
2002–03	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		36	6	8	14	30		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Dallas Stars	NHL		32	2	4	6	14		7	0	1	1	10
2003–04	EV Zug	NLA		7	2	3	5	4		5	1	3	4	8
2008–09	China Sharks	ALH		2	0	1	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Worcester Sharks	AHL		23	3	8	11	24		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	San Jose Sharks	NHL		18	0	1	1	21		1	0	0	0	0
NHL totals				1215	379	407	786	1777		234	80	78	158	529

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1985	Canada	WJC		6	3	2	5	6
1987	NHL All-Stars	RV-87		2	0	0	0	4
1987	Canada	CC		6	1	1	2	4
1996	Canada	WCH		8	1	1	2	19
Junior totals				6	3	2	5	6
Senior totals				16	2	2	4	27

Awards and achievements

• 4x Stanley Cup champion (1986, 1995, 1996, 2000)
• Conn Smythe Trophy winner (1995)
• QMJHL Playoff MVP (1985)
• QMJHL First All-Star Team (1985)
• QMJHL Second All-Star Team (1984)
• Inducted into Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame (2005)
• 9th all-time in Stanley Cup playoff goals with 80

Transactions

• June 8, 1983 – Montreal Canadiens' 2nd round draft choice (26th overall) in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.
• September 4, 1990 – Traded by the Montreal Canadiens to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Sylvain Turgeon.
• October 3, 1995 – Traded by the New Jersey Devils to the New York Islanders in exchange for Steve Thomas.
• October 3, 1995 – Traded by the New York Islanders to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Wendel Clark.
• November 3, 1999 – Traded by the Colorado Avalanche, along with Colorado's 1st round draft choice (David Hale) and 2nd round draft choice (Matt DeMarchi) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Brian Rolston and New Jersey's 2nd round draft choice (Martin Samuelsson) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
• December 5, 2000 – Signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes.
• January 16, 2003 – Traded by the Phoenix Coyotes to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Scott Pellerin and Dallas' 4th round draft choice (Kevin Porter) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
• December 29, 2008 – Signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks.

See also

• Notable families in the NHL

External links

• Claude Lemieux career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Claude Lemieux discusses his career at The Hockey Writers