Claude Lemieux, three-team Cup champion, dead at 60

Just three days ago, Lemieux appeared as the torchbearer for the Montreal Canadiens in their Game 3 Eastern Conference matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Lemieux died by suicide, TMZ reported.

He played 1,215 games across 21 seasons in the league, scoring 379 goals and 786 points. He played for six NHL franchises: the Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and San Jose Sharks.

His NHL breakout came with the Habs in the 1986 playoffs, where he led the team to the Stanley Cup, scoring ten goals and 16 points in the championship run. Prior to this, Lemieux had played in 19 NHL games, with two goals and six points.

The other three wins came with the Devils (1995), the Avalanche (1996), and the Devils again (2000). In his career, he played a total of 234 playoff games, recording 80 goals and 158 points.

In 1995’s championship, Claude Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy upon leading the playoffs with 13 goals and posting 16 points.

Post-retirement he worked as a player agent, and was the negotiator for 16 active contracts in the league, including Frederik Andersen, Rasmus Andersson, Timo Meier, and Moritz Seider.

The Sheet’s Greg Wyshynski discussed what it was like to grow up watching Lemieux as a Devils fan on Thursday’s episode.

Greg Wyshynski: He was the first name on the back of a jersey I ever got as a kid. The reason why I actually got it was 1995 when he led the playoffs in goals and won the Conn Smythe and the Devils’ first Stanley Cup.

When I was a kid… I learned about shadowing. I wasn’t an Oilers fan, I didn’t know who Esa Tikkanen was. So I learned about shadowing with Claude. I learned about the little dirty tricks that he pulled to get under players’ skin. But what I learned most about him as a young fan was he was special because it wasn’t simply his ability to goad players into penalties, or to make players mental because of the way that he was playing. He would then score on you, too.

The idea that he could do the things he did and then get the game-winning goal to give the Devils the win is something that I found to be immediately attractive. It’s not just that he was a troll – he was a successful troll.

2026 Stanley Cup final dates

The NHL announced the schedule for the 2026 Stanley Cup final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the winner of the Montreal Canadiens versus Carolina Hurricanes series.

There are two variations of the schedule, one for if the Eastern Conference final ends in five games, and the other if it ends in six or seven.

First, if the series ends in five games, the final will begin on June 2, with games occurring every other day for the first three games. Second, if the series ends in six or seven games, the final will begin on June 4, with a two day break between Game 2 and Game 3.

For both schedules, June 9, 11, 14, and 17 are designated dates, and in the second scheduled scenario, Game 7 would occur on June 20.

If Eastern Conference is over after Game 5

Game 1: Tuesday, June 2 at 6 p.m. MT

Game 2: Thursday, June 4 at 6 p.m. MT

Game 3: Saturday, June 6 at 6 p.m. MT

Game 4: Tuesday, June 9 at 6 p.m. MT

*Game 5: Thursday, June 11 at 6 p.m. MT

*Game 6: Sunday, June 14 at 6 p.m. MT

*Game 7: Wednesday, June 17 at 6 p.m. MT

If Eastern Conference is over after Game 6 or 7

Game 1: Thursday, June 4 at 6 p.m. MT

Game 2: Saturday, June 6 at 6 p.m. MT

Game 3: Tuesday, June 9 at 6 p.m. MT

Game 4: Thursday, June 11 at 6 p.m. MT

*Game 5: Sunday, June 14 at 6 p.m. MT

*Game 6: Wednesday, June 17 at 6 p.m. MT

*Game 7: Saturday, June 20 at 6 p.m. MT

“*” if necessary.

Game 5 between the Canadiens and Hurricanes takes place on Friday, May 29 at 6 p.m. MT.

Puck-moving defencemen for the Leafs to target

John Chayka and executive senior advisor Mats Sundin identified the Toronto Maple Leafs’ need for a puck-moving defenceman this off-season.

Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons presented the concept after their introductory press conference earlier this month – both of the new executives agreed.

“I think you’re completely right. It’s almost like the whole game is evolving to be faster,” Sundin said. “If you look at Anaheim, Edmonton had a tough time keeping up with their young guys… If there’s one thing that’s important in today’s hockey, it’s the skating, whether you’re a defenceman or a forward.”

Chayka echoed Sundin’s approval of the idea.

“I think it’s the right observation,” he said. “It’s my job to go out and try to find the right mix. What we don’t want to do is overcorrect and make mistakes and throw the baby out with the bathwater. We have a lot of really capable defenders that bring a lot to the team and a lot of good veteran presence, but certainly as I look at that mix, adding to the defence corps is a priority. I don’t have a crystal ball, we’ll see what the options are as they become available, but we plan on being aggressive there.”

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin broke down the available candidates into five categories, broken down below.

The “Win-Now Help” category consists of Vince Dunn, Adam Fox, Dougie Hamilton, and Jake Walman. All of which would come at a high cost, whether that’s through their trade value, or current salary, however, they would provide the Leafs with a much-needed offensive-minded defenceman who is capable of playing in the top four. These defencemen also have plenty of playoff experience with their respective teams.

Then there is the “Young Upside” category, which includes Jamie Drysdale, Mason Lohrei, Pavel Mintyukov, Simon Nemec, and Owen Zellweger. These five players are all young and unproven defencemen with low floors and high ceilings.

Third, he lists the “Big Swing” category that is dedicated to Brandt Clarke, who is going to be an RFA this summer. Larkin says the cost of Clarke would be high for the Leafs, but also lists him as the perfect target in terms of age (23) and skill. He says the Leafs would have to make a “core-altering move to land Clarke.”

“High-priced free agents” is the next category on Larkin’s list, and he has Rasmus Andersson and Darren Raddysh slated in it. Andersson is going to “command as much coin as any blue-liner on the market,” according to Larkin, and he warns about Andersson’s age creeping up into the thirties soon. Raddysh stepped up in Victor Hedman’s absence this season, and had career highs in goals (22) and points (70). However, as a 30-year-old defenceman, it could be a risk to award him a contract based on a late-bloomed career year.

Lastly, he has the stopgap free agents in Tony DeAngelo and John Klingberg. These two players would be temporary fixes for the Leafs, as they are both aging defencemen who have not stuck to a team in a long time.