May 28, 2026 / 4:41 PM EDT
/ CBS/AP
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Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion whose hockey career was built on playing on the edge with ferocity and physicality, has died. He was 60.The NHL Alumni Association announced Lemieux's death in a post on social media. A cause of death was not immediately available, nor was it clear where Lemieux was when he died.Lemieux on Monday night was the Montreal Canadiens' torchbearer prior to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at Bell Centre."Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community," Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said. "A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He embodied the very essence of being a Montreal Canadiens player. Today we mourn the untimely passing of one of our champions. Our thoughts are with his family on this difficult day."As a player, Lemieux was a mix of skill and abrasiveness, not afraid to cross the line in the name of competition.
Claude Lemieux of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates with the Stanley Cup after winning game 4 against the Florida Panthers during the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs on June 10, 1996, at Miami Arena in Miami, Florida.
