{"id":55393,"date":"2026-05-29T16:32:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/55393\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T16:32:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:32:25","slug":"polarizing-nhl-champion-claude-lemieux-was-one-of-hockeys-most-complex-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/55393\/","title":{"rendered":"Polarizing NHL champion Claude Lemieux was one of hockey\u2019s most complex winners"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning, all, I\u2019m Max Bultman<\/a>, once again filling in for James Mirtle, who is covering the Eastern Conference final. The Stanley Cup Final is nearly set, but the hockey world is in mourning after the sad news of Claude Lemieux\u2019s death<\/a>. We\u2019ll cover that before taking a look at the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Claude Lemieux with the Devils in 1991. (Steve Crandall \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc94 In MemoriamClaude Lemieux dies at 60<\/p>\n

Claude Lemieux, whose death was announced Thursday, was one of the great playoff performers in the history of the sport. A four-time Stanley Cup champion<\/a> with three different franchises \u2014 two with the New Jersey Devils and one each with the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens \u2014 he won the 1995 Conn Smythe Trophy with the Devils and ranks ninth all-time with 80 postseason goals. In a league where coming up clutch is everything, that stat says it all.<\/p>\n

His reputation as an agitator was similarly well-earned, most famously through his 1996 hit<\/a> on Kris Draper that shattered Draper\u2019s face and helped spark an era-defining rivalry between the Avalanche and Red Wings. But polarizing as he was, Lemieux was a true hockey lifer.<\/p>\n

When his playing days ended, Lemieux made the transition to a successful player agent, and, devastatingly, just this week, he carried the torch into Bell Centre for Game 3 between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes:<\/p>\n

As Dan Robson\u2019s touching remembrance<\/a> notes, \u201cpest,\u201d \u201cagitator\u201d and \u201cdirty\u201d were among the many words used to describe Lemieux. But there was so much more: \u201cwinner,\u201d of course, and, in the words of Brendan Shanahan, \u201ca big crier. A big softie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSort of hidden behind that reputation on the ice, he was a very sweet and sensitive man,\u201d said Shanahan, who played with Lemieux in New Jersey before being on the opposite side of the Red Wings-Avs rivalry.<\/p>\n

Lemieux is survived by his wife, Deborah, and his four children: Brendan (who played seven years in the NHL and who is named after<\/a> Brendan Shanahan), Michael, Christopher and Claudia.<\/p>\n

May he rest in peace.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Minas Panagiotakis \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Narrowing FieldEye of the Hurricane<\/p>\n

After a rocky start to the Eastern Conference final, Carolina is back to looking like, well, Carolina. The Hurricanes steamrolled the Montreal Canadiens, 4-0, in Game 4 of the series on Wednesday, taking a 3-1 lead, pushing Montreal to the brink and moving to 11-1 in this postseason.<\/p>\n

The Canadiens fell in overtime in Games 2 and 3, and despite lopsided shot counts in both, Game 4 was the first time Carolina really ran away with one. Is that a sign that the Hurricanes are fully hitting their stride as a smothering<\/a>, 200-foot force that has learned the right lessons<\/a> from past shortcomings? Or is Montreal wearing down after two grueling series in the first two rounds? Or is it a simple gap in the rosters? Probably all of the above.<\/p>\n

Despite all of that, this series isn\u2019t over yet, and Montreal has shown an ability to respond to adversity all year. Before this current string of three straight Hurricanes victories, the Canadiens hadn\u2019t lost consecutive games since mid-March. And the only time they lost more than two in a row came all the way back in November \u2014 when they lost five straight (one by shootout).<\/p>\n

Can the Canadiens rally one last time and get this series back to Montreal for a Game 6? They\u2019re led by a coach who has been in this spot as a player and who knows what it takes<\/a> to come back in a series. It\u2019s all about handling the pressure<\/a> now.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Canes will be looking to close this out and get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 \u2014 when they last won it all.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Ethan Miller \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Vegas, baby<\/p>\n

That escalated quickly.<\/p>\n

Even with injuries to the Colorado Avalanche\u2019s star players, Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, seeing the Vegas Golden Knights dispatch the Presidents\u2019 Trophy winners via a sweep was a stunning result out west.<\/p>\n

But seeing Vegas succeed? That\u2019s certainly nothing new. The Golden Knights have been as consistent a winner as any team in the league during their short franchise history, and as Jesse Granger writes, doubt them at your own peril<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, Vegas has taken a particularly notable route to the Stanley Cup Final. As Jesse noted on \u201cThe Athletic Hockey Show\u201d this week, the Golden Knights spent more time trailing this season than any team besides the last-place Vancouver Canucks. They fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on March 29, just eight games before the playoffs began. And yet, here they are.<\/p>\n

The coach who replaced Cassidy, John Tortorella, has proven to be the right man for the moment in Vegas, intentionally making only small changes<\/a> that led to massive results.<\/p>\n

Now? Vegas looks every bit like the serious Cup threat it was pegged as entering the season. In Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, the Golden Knights have three of the best two-way forwards in the league, and it showed in the way they shut down the Avalanche.<\/p>\n

Just last week, only one member<\/a> of our staff (out of 29!) picked Vegas to advance from the West. While we wait to see who the Golden Knights will face, here\u2019s guessing that number will be quite a bit higher when we make our Cup picks.<\/p>\n

That said, things aren\u2019t going as smoothly for Vegas off the ice, and Cassidy took to the airwaves Thursday to express his frustration over not yet being granted permission by the Golden Knights to interview with other teams. Awkward<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Candice Ward \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udca1 Trivia Time<\/p>\n

Although a sweep<\/a> was a surprising way for the Presidents\u2019 Trophy-winning Avalanche to go out, history still tends to favor the field over the regular season\u2019s top team.<\/p>\n

In fact, since the trophy was introduced in 1985-86, Presidents\u2019 Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup only eight times.<\/p>\n

How many can you name?<\/p>\n

Hint: One team has done it twice.<\/p>\n

(P.S.: Want more trivia from The Athletic? Look no further<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies and Rangers center Vincent Trocheck. (Claus Andersen and Sarah Stier \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Swap Season\ud83d\udea8 Trade board alert<\/p>\n

Chris Johnston\u2019s first offseason trade board came out this week, and in a year light on premium free agents, at least the (potential) trade market has some star power!<\/p>\n

The board has a bit of everything: multiple top-five selections in the upcoming June draft, recent high picks who could be in line for a fresh start, playoff-tested veterans, goalies, goalie prospects \u2014 plus a couple of outright stars.<\/p>\n

Whatever your team is looking for this offseason, there\u2019s someone (or something) on there that will turn your head.<\/p>\n

This is the good stuff<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Coast to Coast<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd2a If you\u2019re a fan of noted Red Light author Sean McIndoe, and you should be<\/a>, you know he thrives on weird reader ideas that anyone else would instantly delete and report as spam. The one he tackles in today\u2019s mailbag is not to be missed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc40 Pierre LeBrun has more on the potentially spicy trade market this summer in his latest rumblings column<\/a>, including the latest on Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid\u2019s futures.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd3 It\u2019s been six years since the New York Rangers held a lottery pick. They desperately need the help, of course, and Vincent Z. Mercogliano is having a field day<\/a> with the possibilities at No. 5 and beyond.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd2 Scott Wheeler, Corey Pronman and I came out with a twist<\/a> on an NHL mock draft this week, putting ourselves in the GMs\u2019 shoes and making the picks based on our own lists and views on team needs.<\/p>\n

\u260e\ufe0f The PWHL is expanding in a big way, with four new teams next season in Detroit, Hamilton, San Jose and Las Vegas. Hailey Salvian explains the roster selection process for the new teams. Be warned: It\u2019s complicated<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\uddd0 Harman Dayal examines four fascinating restricted free agent dilemmas that teams will face this offseason. If contract extension talks go sideways with these players, it could open the door to a trade<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd01 Speaking of trades, the Chicago Blackhawks are open for business<\/a> with their No. 4 draft pick.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf0 Just minutes before this email went out, the IIHF began to open the door to Russia\u2019s potential return to international competition. More details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udee1 Mark Recchi played for seven teams in his 22-year NHL career. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017. These are the four best leaders<\/a> he played with.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Patrick Kane in 2013. (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Trivia Answer<\/p>\n

The eight times a team has won the Stanley Cup in the same year it won the Presidents\u2019 Trophy:<\/p>\n

Edmonton Oilers (1987)
\nCalgary Flames (1989)
\nNew York Rangers (1994)
\nDallas Stars (1999)
\nColorado Avalanche (2001)
\nDetroit Red Wings (2002)
\nDetroit Red Wings (2008)
\nChicago Blackhawks (2013)<\/p>\n

That, of course, means no team has accomplished this feat in 13 years \u2014 by far the longest stretch since the award\u2019s inception.<\/p>\n

Maybe next year?<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb Love Red Light? Check out The Athletic\u2019s other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. Good morning, all,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":55394,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[53,3154,182,31852,31851,31821,31822,5020,31853],"class_list":["post-55393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anthropic","tag-anthropic","tag-anthropic-claude","tag-claude","tag-colorado-avalanche","tag-dallas-stars","tag-montreal-canadiens","tag-new-jersey-devils","tag-nhl","tag-san-jose-sharks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}