NHL and Avalanche great Joe Sakic joined the hockey world in mourning the death of four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux, who reportedly took his own life on Thursday. 

Sakic was teammates with Lemieux for parts of five seasons in Colorado from 1995-96 to early in the 1999-2000 season, when Lemieux was traded to the Devils

The two won a Stanley Cup together in 1996. The Avs legend described Lemieux as a “fierce competitor and a champion.”

“We are devastated to learn of Claude’s passing,” Sakic said in a statement released through the Avalanche. “‘Pepe’ was a terrific hockey player, a fierce competitor and a champion in every way. He was also a loyal friend who would do anything for his teammates and someone you could always count on. Most importantly he was a wonderful family man and there is nothing he enjoyed more than spending time with his grandchildren.

“Today is a very sad day for the Avalanche family and Claude will be greatly missed by all of us who had the privilege of knowing him. On behalf of the entire Avalanche organization, we send our love and prayers to Deborah and the Lemieux family. Gone but never forgotten. Rest in peace my friend.”

Lemieux played 21 years in the NHL, spending time with the Canadiens, Devils, Avalanche, Coyotes, Stars and Sharks. 

He won his first of four Cups in 1986 with the Canadiens and helped the Devils win the franchise’s first championship in 1995. 

Lemieux arrived in Colorado before the start of the 1995-96 season via trade and became the 10th player in NHL history to win back-to-back Stanley Cups when he lifted hockey’s greatest prize again in 1996.

His fourth came during his second stint with the Devils in 2000. 

The hockey agitator recorded 379 goals and 407 assists in 1,215 regular-season games, and had 158 points in 234 playoff games during his memorable career. 

According to multiple reports, Lemieux died by suicide and was discovered in a furniture store that the ex-NHL player and his wife owned in Lake Park, Fla. 

Deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suicide attempt at the showroom and the business was secured in order for an investigation to be conducted, authorities office told The Athletic. 

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office did not release any records to the outlet due to a Florida statute that exempts suicide cases from public record requirements.

One of Claude Lemieux’s longtime rivals had touching words for the four-time Stanley Cup winner, who died by suicide at the age of 60.

“This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold,” former Red Wings forward Darren McCarty wrote on X. “My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on.”

McCarty and Lemieux are central figures to the Avalanche-Red Wings rivalry of the late 1990s, with Lemieux infamously injuring Detroit’s Kris Draper with a vicious check from behind in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Final, breaking multiple bones in Draper’s face and requiring reconstructive surgery.

McCarty and his teammates watched Lemieux raise the Stanley Cup — the third of his career — that spring. The following season, in their fourth matchup of 1996-97 and what would later become known as “Fight Night at the Joe,” the McCarty cold-cocked Lemieux and proceeded to rain down punches on him as he lay on the ice at Joe Louis Arena, and later dragged him to where Draper stood on the Red Wings bench.

The game — the regular season finale — served as a rallying point for Detroit, which went on to win the first of back-to-back Cups.

Any ill will between the pair dissipated over the years, with McCarty and Lemieux becoming friends and using their feud to fundraise for charity.

“As I’ve said and will always call it as I see it,” McCarty opined on X, “‘If your on the ICE with Claude Lemieux and your turn your back. YOU Are an IDIOT. But off the ICE I’ll turn mine.'”

Lemieux’s death was announced Thursday, with TMZ reporting the Devils icon was found after committing suicide by one of his adult sons in the family’s furniture store in Florida.

It came days after he returned to Montreal, where he won his first Stanley Cup in 1986 with the Canadiens, to amp up the crowd ahead of the franchise’s Game 3 against the Hurricanes on Monday.

“If you are struggling at all please reach out and talk to someone,” McCarty wrote.

“Godspeed my friend.”

One of Claude Lemieux’s longtime rivals had touching words for the four-time Stanley Cup winner, who died by suicide at the age of 60.

“This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold,” former Red Wings forward Darren McCarty wrote on X. “My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on.”

McCarty and Lemieux are central figures to the Avalanche-Red Wings rivalry of the late 1990s, with Lemieux infamously injuring Detroit’s Kris Draper with a vicious check from behind in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Final, breaking multiple bones in Draper’s face and requiring reconstructive surgery.

McCarty and his teammates watched Lemieux raise the Stanley Cup — the third of his career — that spring. The following season, in their fourth matchup of 1996-97 and what would later become known as “Fight Night at the Joe,” the McCarty cold-cocked Lemieux and proceeded to rain down punches on him as he lay on the ice at Joe Louis Arena, and later dragged him to where Draper stood on the Red Wings bench.

The game — the regular season finale — served as a rallying point for Detroit, which went on to win the first of back-to-back Cups.

Any ill will between the pair dissipated over the years, with McCarty and Lemieux becoming friends and using their feud to fundraise for charity.

“As I’ve said and will always call it as I see it,” McCarty opined on X, “‘If your on the ICE with Claude Lemieux and your turn your back. YOU Are an IDIOT. But off the ICE I’ll turn mine.'”

Lemieux’s death was announced Thursday, with TMZ reporting the Devils icon was found after committing suicide by one of his adult sons in the family’s furniture store in Florida.

It came days after he returned to Montreal, where he won his first Stanley Cup in 1986 with the Canadiens, to amp up the crowd ahead of the franchise’s Game 3 against the Hurricanes on Monday.

“If you are struggling at all please reach out and talk to someone,” McCarty wrote.

“Godspeed my friend.”

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

The entire hockey community was stunned at the news of the tragic passing of four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux at the age of 60 on Thursday. 

Lemieux, who won the Stanley Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils and once each with the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens, was one of the central figures in the iconic rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Avalanche starting in 1996. 

While Lemieux was a fierce rival of the Red Wings during that time, he and Darren McCarty mended fences and routinely held joint autograph sessions with one another.

McCarty himself reacted to the tragic news on Thursday with a touching tribute on social media. 

"Just heard the news on Claude Lemieux," McCarty wrote on X. "This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on. As I’ve said and will always call it as I see it 'If your on the ICE with Claude Lemieux and your turn your back. YOU Are an IDIOT. But off the ICE I’ll turn mine' And please. If you are struggling at all please reach out and talk to someone Godspeed my friend." 

Just heard the news on #ClaudeLemieux
This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on. As I’ve said and will always call it as I…

— Darren McCarty (@DarrenMcCarty4) May 28, 2026

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Amidst an outpouring of tributes from around the NHL as well as Lemieux former teams, the Red Wings posted a memorial tribute for him. 

"The Detroit Red Wings extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and former teammates of Claude Lemieux," the club wrote on X. "Claude was a fierce competitor on the ice who, especially in the playoffs, consistently elevated his play during the game's biggest moments. Our thoughts are with his wife, Deborah, and his four children." 

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, who faced Lemieux dozens of times in regular season and playoff competition, also released a statement. 

"In his post-playing career as an agent, I got to know Claude on a more personal level and quickly grew to respect his professionalism in our interactions," Yzerman's statement read. "Even more fondly, I will remember and miss the deeper conversations we had beyond the game. 

After retiring from the game, Lemieux became an NHLPA-certified player agent, and among his clients was Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider. 

During his NHL career, Lemieux skated in 1,215 regular season games, scoring 379 goals with 407 assists.

He also contributed 80 goals and 78 assists in 234 career playoff games, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1995 after helping the Devils sweep the Red Wings in that year's Stanley Cup Final. 

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The Anaheim Ducks saw their season end two weeks ago, on May 14, after losing their second-round series to the now Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games.

The Ducks saw their first success in a very long time, making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2018 and winning a series for the first time since 2017. 

On their roster, they have an interesting blend of youth and veterans up and down the lineup, and general manager Pat Verbeek will have a handful of key decisions to make between now and when the 2026-27 season begins in the fall. 

Lessons the Anaheim Ducks can Learn from the Success of the Vegas Golden Knights

Anaheim Ducks Offseason Dilemma: Right Shot Defensemen

With the Stanley Cup Final matchup nearly decided, the 2026 NHL Draft one month away, and free agency to shortly follow, rumors, ruminations, and rumblings regarding offseason transactions are dominating an increasing percentage of the NHL news cycle. 

With a pivotal offseason now underway and after announcing themselves as a young, contending team, the Ducks are no exception to the rumor mill at this moment. 

Here’s what’s being said about the Ducks by various NHL insiders:

John Carlson

The Ducks acquired veteran defenseman John Carlson (36) from the Washington Capitals on the eve of the 2026 NHL trade deadline in exchange for a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick. 

Verbeek stated that the intention was to give his club the best chance of making a playoff run in 2026 and to potentially re-sign Carlson when the season concluded. Carlson will see his current contract, which carries an AAV of $8 million, expire on July 1 if an extension is not agreed upon.

The day following their exit from the playoffs, SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman took to his “32 Thoughts” podcast to state, “If Carlson wants to come back, and he seemed like a really good fit, it’s going to have to be on Anaheim’s terms.”

When asked if he’d have interest in returning to the Ducks on a new contract during his exit interview, Carlson said he’s “open, for sure. There’s no bones about that.”

Ducks X Blues

The St. Louis Blues are coming off of one of a dissapointing season, tallying 86 points and finishing 22nd in the overall NHL standings. They were active at the 2026 trade deadline and parted with veteran defenseman Justin Faulk, but reportedly had several more irons in the fire throughout the first half of the 2025-26 season as they look to infuse more youth into their organization. 

Now that the offseason is upon us, the Blues are expected to resume talks involving some of their veteran players, and the Ducks are a name that continues to be attached to St. Louis. 

“Maybe the Blues will revisit some of the conversations that they had with Buffalo around the trade deadline,” TSN’s Darren Dreger said on the “Hockey Sense” podcast. “There was something big brewing with the Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues around that same time. There was something big brewing, and the pieces just didn’t fall into place.”

The names from the Blues roster that continue to surface are center Robert Thomas (26), forward Jordan Kyrou (28), and right-shot defenseman Colton Parayko (33). 

With three veteran right-shot defensemen about to see their contracts expire (Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, Radko Gudas), the Ducks are in dire need of help on their blueline, specifically a need for a long-term partner for star Jackson LaCombe. 

They have needs, or potentially wants, to add in regards to their forward group as well, so Thomas and Kyrou could be options. However, focus seems to be on Parayko early in the offseason. 

“Parayko is interesting because I know they’re going to revisit that in this offseason out there in St Louis, and he wants to stay out West,” The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta said on “Leafs Morning Take." “There was a playoff team that had interested him. I think Anaheim was one of the teams that had interest in Colton Parayko, and I think those discussions are going to be revisited in the summer.”

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported that, after he rejected a trade to the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline, Parayko was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Ducks or the Los Angeles Kings. 

Parayko has four years remaining on his deal that carries an AAV of $6.5 million.

Mason McTavish

McTavish (23) signed a six-year contract extension roughly halfway through the Ducks’ 2025 training camp, seemingly solidifying his role as the team’s second-line center of the present and future. However, a disappointing season, a move to the wing, a couple of healthy scratches down the stretch of the regular season, and a couple more in the playoffs have caused some to question his future in the Ducks’ organization and have caused opposing GMs to call Verbeek, inquiring about the former third overall pick.

Pierre LeBrun from The Athletic mentioned McTavish, the Ducks, and the potential of a superstar on the move in his latest “Rumblings” column, stating the NHL landscape is ripe for massive trades over the summer.

“One player who fits that criteria is 23-year-old forward Mason McTavish, which is a little obvious after he was scratched for two playoff games,” LeBrun wrote. “I have zero evidence to suggest the Anaheim Ducks are the ones picking up the phone and calling teams about him. But I know for a fact that several teams have inquired about him.”

He went on to speculate on the Ducks’ potential to add a seismic piece over the offseason.

“If Auston Matthews watches the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason play out over the next five or six weeks and decides he’s not sure they are still a contender and says he’s open to a move, I would venture to guess Anaheim would be on his list of seven or eight potential desired landing spots,” LeBrun continued. “And the Ducks would have the pieces to make it work in a larger package.

“All things being equal, I think it’s more likely No. 34 stays in Toronto for at least another season, but it’s just an example for the kind of scenario that the Ducks could potentially see come their way.”

McTavish was also featured on Chris Johnston’s NHL offseason trade board for The Athletic on Thursday, coming in at #4 on his list of 25 names that could be on the move this summer.

“While there is no real sense of urgency here from the Ducks’ end of things, that hasn’t stopped other teams from trying,” Johnston stated.

Jay Woodcroft

The Anaheim Ducks hired Jay Woodcroft to run their forward group and power play during the NHL’s free agency period before the 2025-26 season. The former Edmonton Oilers head coach was one of the more popular names during the 2025 head coach hiring carousel, and his name has popped up again this year. 

There are head coaching vacancies with the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks, with the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights situations still very much up in the air. 

Victory+’s Frank Seravalli confirmed via Twitter on Wednesday that Woodcroft interviewed with the Kings last week and has an interview scheduled with the Maple Leafs for this week. 

“Handicapped as ‘one of the front runners’ for the Toronto job. Either spot, solid bet to be an NHL HC again next season,” Seravalli stated on Woodcroft’s future. 

Leo Carlsson Contract Extension

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan suggested in her most recent article that the first two selections of the 2023 NHL Draft, Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson, project to set the market for a slew of young players who will soon see the expiration of their ELCs. 

“Whichever side (Bedard or Carlsson) moves first could help define the next tier of superstar contracts,” Kaplan wrote. “If one signs first, that deal immediately becomes a benchmark, not only on AAV, but structure, term, bonuses, and how aggressively teams are willing to pay elite young centers entering their prime. Many around the league are expecting Bedard to go first; there seems to be no rush on Carlsson and the Ducks' side when I checked in this week.”

Carlsson has established himself as the Ducks’ franchise player and found his first taste of sustained success in the NHL in 2025-26, scoring 67 points (29-38=67) in 70 regular season games and adding 11 (4-7=11) in 12 playoff games. 

Joel Quenneville

In his previous “Rumblings” column from Tuesday, LeBrun ran through a list of NHL head coaches with one year remaining on their current contracts.

Among those names was Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, who was hired on May 8, 2025, and led the team to their most successful season in nearly a decade. Though an extension may seem a foregone conclusion, LeBrun wrote, “Quenneville had a very successful first season and was a good fit in Anaheim. But he turns 68 in September, so I’m not sure what the rush would be to extend.”

Hometown Remix

Last, but not least, it’s been all but confirmed that the NHL and Fanatics will launch a league-wide alternate jersey program, similar to the NHL’s formerly successful “Reverse Retro” campaigns.

Rumors and leaks have enticed interested fanbases, as it’s being reported as comparable to MLB’s “City Connect” and the NBA’s “City Edition” programs.

Some information, like each team’s base jersey color, has seemingly leaked, along with various tidbits and even potential leaks for the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers.

As far as the Ducks are concerned, it appears their “Hometown Remix” base jersey color will be green like the original “District 5” jerseys from Disney’s first “Mighty Ducks” motion picture.

DJ Bean from the “What Chaos” podcast claims to have seen the Ducks jersey and has stated that it will feature the Ducks’ current branding, logo, lettering, etc., in the green, yellow, and purple “District 5” colors.

It sounds as if Fanatics will simply take the Ducks current home jersey template and swap out the coloring accordingly.

Anaheim Ducks Offseason Dilemma: Second Line Center

3 Ducks Prospects to Play in 2026 Memorial Cup

Anaheim Ducks Offseason Dilemma: Frank Vatrano

Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky has taken a major step in the right direction this season. In 82 regular-season games for the Canadiens this year, the 6-foot-3 winger set new career highs with 30 goals, 43 assists, and 73 points. With this, the 2022 first-overall has cemented himself as a legitimate NHL star.

Now, due to his strong regular-season, Slafkovsky has landed himself some major praise.

The Hockey News recently revealed that Slafkovsky was given the No. 94 spot on their top 100 NHL players rankings for the 2025-26 season. 

When looking at the campaign Slafkovsky put together for the Canadiens, it is easy to understand why he has been named among the top players in the NHL this season by The Hockey News. It was a special year for the young forward, and he was one of the Canadiens' biggest difference-makers because of it. 

With the Canadiens being down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Final to the Carolina Hurricanes, Slafkovsky will be looking to heat back up for the Habs as they try to keep their playoff run alive. In 18 games so far this post-season, Slafkovsky has six goals, six assists, and 12 points. 

The Winnipeg Jets are hoping to pull off a quick retool and climb back into Stanley Cup contention after a difficult 2025-26 campaign.

Winnipeg finished 26th in the NHL standings with 82 points this season, a stunning drop for a franchise that captured the Presidents' Trophy just one year earlier. Now, with the NHL Draft approaching in June, the Jets face a major decision: keep their first-round pick or trade it for immediate roster help.

An unfavorable lottery outcome, combined with a surprising jump from a division rival, pushed Winnipeg down the draft board. The Toronto Maple Leafs vaulted ahead to secure the first overall selection, leaving the Jets with the eighth overall pick. 

It marks general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s highest draft selection since 2020, when he chose Cole Perfetti 10th overall, and his first top-10 pick since selecting Patrik Laine second overall in 2016. If Cheveldayoff decides to keep the pick, Winnipeg will have several intriguing prospects to consider.

One player drawing significant attention at the eighth overall spot is Windsor Spitfires winger Ethan Belchetz, who projects as a potential NHL-ready scorer. However, another prospect may offer an even higher ceiling while also filling one of hockey’s most valuable positions.

Swedish forward Viggo Björck has emerged as one of the most exciting players available in the 2026 draft class.

Fresh off his 18th birthday, Björck stands at five-foot-10 and 172 pounds. While he can shift to the wing when needed, he primarily plays center, a position NHL teams covet more than ever in today’s game. Scouts have been impressed by the maturity and composure he brings to the middle of the ice against elite competition.

Björck boosted his profile significantly at the World Junior Championship in January, recording three goals and six assists for nine points in seven games as Sweden captured its first gold medal at the tournament since 2012. He was later named one of Sweden’s top three players at the event.

His strong international play has continued at the IIHF World Championship, where he has spent time on Sweden’s top line against some of the best players in the world. Björck has skated alongside fellow 2026 draft prospect Ivar Stenberg, considered by many to be the strongest challenger to projected first-overall pick Gavin McKenna.

He has also shared the ice with Detroit Red Wings star Lucas Raymond and has looked comfortable against top-level professional competition, a rare feat for a teenager. He was again named one of Sweden’s top three players at the event with his two linemates. 

Despite concerns from some scouts about his profile, Björck has consistently proven his ability to compete at a high level. His hockey IQ, defensive awareness, and relentless work ethic have made him one of the safest projections among top forwards in the class.

Viggo Björck 🚨 #SHL#difhockey#nhldraft2026
🎥 TV4 Play pic.twitter.com/LITCMeXd0i

— SwehockeyGIFs (@swehockeygifs) September 25, 2025

The Athletic’s Corey Pronman projects Björck as a future top-six NHL center who can contribute on both the power play and penalty kill. Even if he falls short of that ceiling, Pronman believes Björck’s two-way reliability gives him the tools to become an effective middle-six center and top penalty killer at the NHL level.

Björck’s draft stock has continued to rise throughout the season. The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari ranked him as high as third overall, while TSN’s Craig Button placed him fourth. Other respected evaluators, including TSN’s Craig Peters, Daily Faceoff, and Sportsnet analysts Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala, all ranked Björck among the top eight prospects in the draft.

Most projections have Björck coming off the board somewhere in the middle portion of the lottery, meaning there is a realistic chance he could still be available when Winnipeg selects eighth overall. If he is, the Jets may not want to overthink the decision.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Martin St. Louis finds himself in a difficult situation. 

The Montreal Canadiens are down 3-1 in their Eastern Conference Final Series against the Carolina Hurricanes, on the brink of elimination. 

While St. Louis has never been in this position as a head coach, he’s overcome a 3-1 deficit three times over the course of his 16-year NHL career as a player. 

Two of those miraculous comebacks came with the New York Rangers in 2014 and 2015. 

In 2014, down 3-1 in the second round to the Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis decided to join his team for Game 5 just three days after the sudden passing of his mother. 

The Rangers were able to climb their way back in the series, winning three consecutive games. 

That second-round comeback was headlined by St. Louis’s emotional Game 6 goal, which happened to fall on Mother’s Day. 

The Blueshirts would go on to reach the Stanley Cup Final, but ultimately lost at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings. 

One year later, in 2015, the Rangers found themselves in an identical position, down 3-1 in their second-round series against the Washington Capitals. 

Winning two out of the next three games in overtime, the Rangers overcame a 3-1 series deficit to reach the Eastern Conference Final. 

Now, St. Louis is using his past experiences with the Rangers to inspire his young Canadiens team, conveying the message that no matter how difficult it will be to come back from their 3-1 series hole, it’s possible.

“He’s done it twice,” Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobeš said of St. Louis’s past experiences coming back from a 3-1 series deficit. “If Marty can do it, we can do it.”

From his days as a player to now as a coach, St. Louis is keeping the same mindset in this situation. 

“It’s just not worrying about the hole. It’s just winning a game, one game. You can’t look at the mountain, you just gotta look at what’s in front of you and stay present,” St. Louis said.

On Thursday afternoon, the NHL Alumni Association announced the passing of former NHL all-star and noted tough guy, Claude Lemieux.

A four-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner, Lemieux's death was sudden, with reports indicating local law enforcement were responding to an attempted suicide at a business owned by Lemieux and family.

Just two nights prior, Lemieux had carried in the torch for the Montreal Canadiens in advance of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

He was just 60 years old.

A Quebec product, Lemieux went on to win the Stanley Cup with his hometown Canadiens, as well as with the Colorado Avalanche and twice with the New Jersey Devils.

"He was loved by his wife and four children, and on behalf of the Lemieux family, we kindly ask that everyone respect their privacy during this difficult time. Memorial service details to follow," the NHL Alumni Association wrote on Thursday.

Lemieux put up 1,777 penalty minutes in his 21-season career, while also managing 379 goals and 786 points in his 1,215 total games played. He also operated at a strong .68 point-per-game rate in the postseason. 

Lemieux's son, Brendan, spent four years with the Winnipeg Jets organization - suiting up for both the Manitoba Moose and the Jets. He later moved on to the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings, before ultimately travelling to Switzerland, where he spent the past two seasons playing for HC Davos. 

Claude Lemieux’s death came just days after he was back in the NHL spotlight.

The four-time Stanley Cup winner died at 60 years old, the league’s Alumni Association announced Thursday, after Lemieux was just at his former home arena — the Bell Centre in Montreal — on Monday night.

Lemieux carried out the ceremonial torch for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Canadiens and the Hurricanes.

He carried the torch through a tunnel of excited fans, who were cheering and filming him on his walk. Upon reaching the inside of the arena, he raised the torch and pumped his fist as fans roared for their former winger of seven years.

The death was ruled a suicide, as reported by TMZ after Lemieux was found at a family business Thursday morning in Florida.

Lemieux, a Quebec native, was drafted by the Canadiens in 1983 and spent the first seven seasons of his career in Montreal.

He won his first Cup with the Canadiens in 1986 before adding three more with the Devils (twice) and Avalanche.

“Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community. I wish to express my most sincere and deepest condolences to Claude’s family and loved ones,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. “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.”

Lemieux also spent time with the Coyotes, Stars and Sharks.

He retired in 2009 for a second time following a comeback season with San Jose at 43 years old.

Montreal went on to lose 3-2 during an overtime period. They also lost Wednesday’s Game 4, 4-0.

With their backs against the wall, the Canadiens head to Carolina for Game 5 and if they force a Game 6, they will be back at Bell Centre for what would undoubtedly be an emotional scene.

The last time the Canadiens were in the Stanley Cup Final was in 2021, when they lost to the Lightning in five games. They last won the Cup in ’93.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly and left winger Matthew Knies have been linked to trade rumors for quite some time now.

The Toronto Maple Leafs duo were recently included in an off-season trade board by The Athletic's Chris Johnston. In this trade board, Rielly was listed at No. 5, while Knies was slotted in at No. 12.

It's true, Rielly has a no-move clause on his contract, and Knies is one of the young stars who should help propel the Maple Leafs back into contention after a fallen season this past campaign. However, there are reasons as to why these two have been consistently linked to trade rumors.

Rielly, 32, is the longest-tenured member of the current Maple Leafs roster. He's gearing up for his 14th NHL season and is 49 appearances away from reaching the 1,000-game plateau.

Rielly would be the sixth player in Maple Leafs history to play 1,000 games for the franchise, and would surpass Mats Sundin on the list of games played in his next 30 regular-season games with Toronto.

However, despite the aforementioned no-move clause on his eight-year, $7.5-million-per-year contract, there is a real possibility that the veteran defenseman doesn't make it to the 2026-27 season with Toronto.

The Pros And Cons Of Maple Leafs Trading Either Joseph Woll Or Anthony StolarzThe Toronto Maple Leafs could have a surplus in the crease next season. If GM John Chayka considered it, what are the pros and cons of trading away either Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz?

"(Rielly) has previously been unwilling to consider waiving his no-movement clause but has since softened on that stance," Johnston wrote. "He still controls the process because of that mechanism in his contract, but a fresh start is looking increasingly likely."

Though Rielly and the Maple Leafs have been attached for the duration of his NHL career, there is an understanding that it could be beneficial for both sides to start fresh.

He hasn't performed up to expectations in the past two seasons. Rielly is coming off a 36-point campaign after playing 78 games for the Leafs, which is his lowest point total since the 2020-21 season, when he played just 55 games.

He also notched the second-worst plus-minus rating of his entire career (minus-18), and that includes the Maple Leafs' ugly years between 2013-14 and 2015-16.

Maple Leafs Reportedly Listening To Calls On No. 1 Pick, But Likelyhood Of Moving It Is SlimWhile new Maple Leafs GM John Chayka is taking calls on the No. 1 draft pick, moving it would require an overwhelming offer.

As for Knies, he's been a real bright spot for the Maple Leafs as a young player who's been able to have an impact in the NHL. The 23-year-old is coming off another solid season, scoring 23 goals, as well as a career-high of 43 assists and 66 points.

In addition to his play on the ice, Knies is on a fair contract, earning $7.75 million through the 2030-31 campaign.

So why would Toronto consider moving off a young star like Knies, who can be a part of the solution in getting the Leafs back in the Stanley Cup playoffs?

It started at the NHL trade deadline back in March, when the rumblings of Knies potentially being moved came through. 

"(The Maple Leafs) felt he could bring back a bonanza of assets to reboot a program short on prospects and draft picks," Johnston said.

There's a real argument that Knies is the most valuable asset in the Maple Leafs' organization in terms of what Toronto can receive in a trade. In fact, it wasn't long ago that Johnston also reported that someone who works for an NHL team said they'd be willing to give up more assets for Knies than Auston Matthews.

What The Maple Leafs Reportedly Wanted For Matthew Knies At Trade DeadlineKypreos reports that the Maple Leafs were looking for three different packages when it came to Knies.

In a system that doesn't have several outstanding prospects and assets to dispense, Toronto's front office might have to consider sacrificing its young star to stock the cupboards further.

Though the trade deadline incident was under Brad Treliving, current GM John Chayka has alerted the rest of the league that he's willing to have conversations about any player on the roster, except for Matthews.

Not to mention, on a team that has plenty of players with trade protection and clauses, Knies' contract doesn't include any of that language until 2030-31, when he has a 10-team no-trade list, according to puckpedia.com.

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Now that the Stanley Cup Final round is just around the calendar – likely Vegas vs. Canes – it's fun to wonder how your Beloved Blueshirts would have fared had they made the postseason.

Eastern Conference teams that beat out New York for a playoff berth include Montreal, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Boston, Philly and Ottawa.

Of the group The Maven considers Buffalo and Montreal the best of the bunch. I expected Buffalo to be better but the Habs have turned out to be the surprise team of the lower end.

It's easy to say that the Rangers should have made the playoffs instead of Pittsburgh but in the end, the Penguins had the leadership of Sidney Crosby and a brilliant new coach. 

You can "If" all you want but, in the end had Sully's team made it to the first playoff round, the Rangers would have been in and out of the playoffs faster than the Avs went in and then out of the third round!

We are now a few days removed from the Colorado Avalanche being eliminated via sweep from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After reading through a catalog of blame game articles and social posts, I’ve decided to make an entry of a different sort.

I’m not here to blame any one individual for what happened during Colorado’s cataclysmic meltdown that saw a team that was 8-1 through two rounds of playoff hockey waste eight days and leave the bracket with an 8-5 record.

I’m more curious about how it happened and why.

The Avalanche and their fans got handshakes and heartbreak rather than the glitz and glory of another cup run, but what led to this collapse?

Cognitive Dissonance

If you ask me, it boils down to saying what you do, and doing what you say, and how the Avalanche as a whole has failed to live up to their systems-first messaging.

We are beaten over the head with “next man up” and “Buy into the system and the system will take care of itself”, but have seen management leverage young talent for “the perfect fit,” the coaching staff lean on and deploy top groups more than ever and when not even fully healthy, all while some top players refuse to embody the message in the most crucial moments.

Now consider that the bottom of the Avalanche forward group, which embodied the system and approach, was clearly the most effective group, yet still sat and watched an uncomfortable, hobbled Nate MacKinnon and Cale Makar attempt to wince their way to a comeback in the closing seconds of games three and four.

I’ll be super clear on one thing. I’m not suggesting you bench either Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar, but rather that you reward the guys who are buying in and give yourself the best shot of winning by doing so.

Problems Perculate on the Power Play

You know where I see contradiction most obviously? How Colorado approaches the power play.

Anyone who has followed the Avalanche season from start to finish knows that the power play was a hot-button topic all season after the Avalanche and their failure to execute on the man advantage last postseason dominated offseason narratives.

The power play struggled again throughout the regular season and into the postseason.

Adjustments were made to try to enable the highly talented top group, but in general, the Avalanche’s power play, with world-class talent, was nowhere near as effective as it should have been.

None of those adjustments panned out, yet it was still the first unit that consistently held the majority of the advantage. The second power play group that has a few players you just had to trade for hardly ever saw a look at more than 30 seconds of a power play. Most of the time, it takes 5-10 seconds just to enter and cycle. So basically, the second group constantly got one crack at making a difference, even when the top group clearly wasn’t.

Working Up the Leaderboard

Now that I’ve laid it out, I want to talk a bit about the power dynamic in Colorado, as I see leadership from players all the way up to management having a hand in the separation between philosophy and practice.

Let’s start with Captain Gabe Landeskog, who definitely bought into the system and was among Colorado’s most effective postseason players for two consecutive seasons now. Gabe no doubt has a unique perspective given his storied return to hockey, and was obviously in various shades of disappointment/frustration throughout the Vegas series.

When Jared Bednar was first brought on, here’s what Landeskog had to say about Bednar’s approach: “He wants to play fast. He wants to play quick and play in the O-zone and get on the forecheck. With our speed up front, I think it will benefit us. Spending less time in the D-zone will be something we’ll all be looking to do. The systems are going to work to our advantage.”

Based on Landeskog’s performance, he clearly appreciates Bednar’s strategy, and on paper, all of what he saw does fit this Avalanche squad. But what happens when your top guys try to red-cape it when the going gets tough?

Gabe is doing plenty, as far as I’m concerned, by leading by example and by saying what needs to be said. With that, I turn to the head coach and how he could empower Landeskog and get the top guys to hold the big picture dear, no matter how competitive and capable they are, or how much adversity they face.

Playoff hockey is like playing a game of stygian chicken, and Vegas never, not once, thought about changing course. They were going to go for a head-on collision or force the Avs to veer out of desperation.

The Avalanche did veer off course, playing like an insecure club without any answers for what was being thrown at them.

Vegas clogged the middle of the ice, stayed home, capitalized on Colorado’s mistakes, and said, “We can do this all night.”

Colorado responded by being perfectly content with the fool’s gold of perimeter looks, time and time again.

The message was “we gotta keep playing our game,” but in my opinion, they stopped playing Avalanche hockey in game two of the Western Conference Final.

Does the undeniable shelf life of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar as Avalanche mainstays require that Jared Bednar cater to them to a fault for survival? Would he be let go quickly if he stood his ground or made more public statements about the specifics of his displeasure?

Did we see a passive-aggressive version of that with the “It’s up to Cale” phiasco? It’s impossible to say for sure, as vagueness is among the most-used tools in Bednar’s press bag.

If Bednar isn’t comfortable sticking to his guns to foster a pleased elite core, that presents a real problem.

The Great Divide

You don’t need to be a part of an NHL hockey team to know what a lack of accountability or consistency can do to a team. In business, if one employee sees another employee afforded benefits despite poor performance, it can be demoralizing. Moreover, if the message is “do your job,” but some are enabled not to do so, the whole group begins to lose respect for the process and leadership.

No one goes above and beyond for a boss who seems to do things that contradict his message.

The lack of accountability may lead to some division in the room, though I have no insight into that. On the surface, everything seems peachy (outside of disappointment), but that’s rarely the case when a team implodes like this.

I could apply this thinking to Jared Bednar as it pertains to his stars, but I really don’t think he, at his core, believes in catering to superstars over the team. If his actions contradict that, I have to look further up the leadership ladder to find a reason why, and I think I have one.

Starts at the Top

We can’t say GM Chris MacFarland caters to superstars if he traded one, right?

Well, from my vantage, MacFarland has officially leveraged every shred of futures for the Avalanche in hopes of getting at least one more cup from the current core, and it’s all been for naught.

After dealing more picks for specific roles, the Avalanche are both without hardware or a clear path into the future.

If your coach says it doesn’t matter who plays and that it’s about the system, wouldn’t it be better to develop more young guns and play the long game?

We have examples of exactly that already working in Colorado.

Logan O’Connor, Sam Malinski, and others have survived being traded long enough to develop into effective NHL players, with LOC being a huge part of the team’s identity. Or at least that’s what we are told.

This whole article is riddled with hindsight and recency biases, but let’s take a look at some of the deals I view as challenging the idea that anyone can fill the roles in this system.

MacFarland leveraged Alex Newhook for Mikael Gulyayev, Ross Colton, and Gianni Fairbrother back in 2023, as Newhook was asked to fill in at 2C along with J.T. Compher when Kadri couldn’t be retained after a cup win.

Because he was unable to do so immediately and the pressure of a win-now window, Colorado elected to swap Newhook’s budding talent for a bona fide Stanley Cup Champion talent in Ross Colton. Rosco was good, but he was also scratched to start the playoffs, and Newhook has 10 points and has been Montreal’s clutchest player of the postseason in the here and now.

That youthful scoring touch and gamer mentality would have been nice this year, and, to be fair, Newhook showed he had it in 2022; otherwise, we wouldn’t have thought he could be a 2C for a competitor for three months.

Management also infamously swapped Bowen Byram in a one-for-one for Casey Mittlestadt, who lands pretty high on the list of biggest trade flops ever.

He now plays for the Bruins, as he was traded for Charlie Coyle ahead of last year’s playoff disappointment.

Charlie Coyle was subsequently traded with a throw-in of Miles Wood for Gavin Brindley (nice) and a couple of picks.

So, inevitably, Bowen Byram is traded for a young player with potential, but one that’s likely 2 to 3 years away (at the time of the trade) from being an NHL mainstay.

What was Bo up to this year?

Oh, just playing a pivotal role in getting the Buffalo Sabres back to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, and posting seven points in 13 playoff games including a franchise-tying record four goals from a defenseman.

I reiterate that I know I have the benefit of hindsight here. Still, the justification for leveraging Colorado’s fleeting surplus of back-end talent and young, not-quite-there forwards is that winning now matters. The Avalanche haven’t won anything beyond the regular season during this window. That’s a fact.

The Way Forward

This article sucks. It’s just me saying the easiest thing you can easily say about a team that didn’t live up to the hype, but it’s the hype I blame.

My colleague Ezra Parter at the Mile High Hockey Lab coined our catchphrase: “Hockey is random and difficult,” and I think it’s a bit of wisdom that the Avalanche should take into the thought process from top to bottom.

We officially know you can build a stacked roster, but you have enough small vulnerabilities that allow a team to dismantle the NHL’s scoringest regular-season team. Bednar himself said it takes some luck, but what it really takes is resolve and patience. Luck makes its appearance inside that mindset more often than not, but remember, luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

I see a way forward for this Avalanche team, but it’s going to hurt. Believe it or not, this loss may be just what the now-mature core needs to recommit to the process.

The Avalanche organization can’t buy the hype and has to get back to its philosophical foundations. They aren’t a team looking to change the culture and become competitive, as they were back in 2022. Now they are a high-flying, heavily decorated group of individuals set on living up to expectations.

I say get back to the mindset of never being bigger than the game, or the process, or your team. You win as a team, and you lose as a team. When you leave the team behind, losing happens much more often and quickly.