Gone too soon: Remembering Claude Lemieux, who leaves behind a championship legacy
This story originally appeared in the Globe’s Sunday Hockey Notes. Read the rest here.
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Sad, stunning news Thursday with the passing of Claude Lemieux, the four-time Cup winner who crafted a career as the NHL’s all-time most effective and prolific pest.
Originally a Canadiens draft pick, Lemieux was 60 years old and died by suicide.
As a player, Lemieux was a surly, controversial agitator and often smashed through the accepted margins of physical play, particularly in the postseason. Early in his four-plus-season tenure with the Avalanche, the winger’s menacing hit from behind on Kris Draper in the 1996 Western Conference finals left the Red Wings forward with multiple facial fractures and sparked an ugly, bloody era of feuding between the franchises.
For all his tactical, calculated nastiness, Lemieux rarely answered with his fists when opponents challenged him for his antics. Rather, he typically turtled in those situations, which only provoked more ire from infuriated opponents.
“Pepe,” as he was known, had it down to a T: strike the match, light the inferno, and cover up on all fours as the house he set afire burned to the ground.
“Obviously, I feel terrible for the family,” said Bruins president Cam Neely, who had his share of on-ice tête-á-têtes with the irascible Lemieux. “I don’t know what was going on, but feel terrible for the family. It’s awful, just awful. You know — [a] competitor, and I hated playing against him. But obviously, his career speaks for itself, especially playoff hockey.”
Most of all, reflected Neely, “It’s just really sad and you just ask yourself, ‘Why?’, And probably just never get any answers.”
Lemieux won his first Cup with the Canadiens, as a 20-year-old rookie in 1986, his second with the Devils in ‘95, and his third the following year with the Avalanche. Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello brought Lemieux back to Exit 16W early in the 1999-2000 season, setting the stage that spring for Cup win No. 4. Lemieux was voted the Conn Smythe (MVP) winner in the ‘95 playoffs and finished with 234 career playoff games, good for No. 5 all-time and the equivalent of nearly three regular seasons.
He was last seen in a rink Monday when the Canadiens chose him to be their honored torch bearer prior to Game 3 vs. the Hurricanes. Stoic, with torch lifted high in his right hand, he looked proud, confident, and fit as he strode in among the delirious crowd at Centre Bell.
That final image of Lemieux in that moment made Thursday’s news all the more jarring.
Perhaps Lemieux’s most memorable moment on Causeway Street came March 2, 1995, Devils vs. Bruins, in what was the last season of play at the old Garden.
Only 3:29 into the first period, with the Bruins holding a 1-0 lead, Lemieux smacked his stick blade across Neely’s face. Inadvertent? Well … it was always hard to tell with Lemieux.
Neely, a man of little room for nuance, immediately took after Lemieux, who artfully ducked a menacing left hook the envy of Marvin Hagler. Lemieux then turtled, causing the irate Neely to drag him face-first, on his knees, toward the corner and then bash his face up against the Boston Globe banner ad on the dasher wall. One press box wag that night noted Neely gave Lemieux a nose for news.
“Good copy for you, right?” said Neely, reminded of the impromptu Lemieux-Globe encounter.
The penalties, once meted out, spoke to a classic confrontation with Lemieux. He was sent off for two minutes for high-sticking, while Neely was sent off to the showers with 17 minutes in penalties for instigating, fighting, and a game misconduct.
“You know, to this day, I’m still [ticked off] I got kicked out of that game,” said Neely. “Like, looking back, was that necessary, to get kicked out?
The Bruins, with the 29-year-old Neely gone, rolled to an easy 7-2 win. Adam Oates (1-4–5) and Bryan Smolinski (3-1–4) led the way. They really didn’t need their Hall of Famer-to-be right winger.
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“I suppose that’s true,” said Neely. “But it got the building rocking.”
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