Claude Lemieux, former Canadien and four-time Stanley Cup champion, dead at 60

Claude Lemieux waves as he is introduced during a ceremony to honor members from the 1996 Stanley Cup Championship team of the Colorado Avalanche before an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)

Four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux has died at the age of 60, the NHL Alumni Association said Thursday.

Born in Buckingham, Que., Lemieux broke into the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens in 1983 and helped the club win the Stanley Cup in 1986.

The gritty winger later captured championships with the New Jersey Devils in 1995 and 2000, and the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1995 after recording 13 goals in 20 post-season games for New Jersey.

He was honoured at Montreal’s Bell Centre on Monday, carrying a ceremonial torch onto the ice before the Canadiens’ Game 3 playoff matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The cause of death was not released.

This report by The Canadian Press was first reported May 28, 2026.