Lyle Odelein Passes Away At 58

Earlier today, King Jemison of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced that former defenseman Lyle Odelein passed away from a heart attack on Friday night. He was 58. Odelein played 16 NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Odelein’s professional career began in 1986, when the Canadiens selected him with the 141st overall pick (then in the seventh round) from the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He didn’t debut with Montreal until the 1989-90 season, though he spent much of the year with the AHL’s Sherbrooke Canadiens. However, beginning in the 1990-91 campaign, Odelein became a full-time defenseman in the NHL and never looked back.

Even by historical standards, Odelein was an enforcer. Legendary Canadiens coach Jacques Lemaire helped Odelein become a much more competent defenseman, which helped extend his career. However, Odelein was never afraid to draw on his roots to get under the opponent’s skin.

Many of the most remarkable moments of Odelein’s career took place in Montreal. He helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1993 over the Los Angeles Kings, and had his best single-season performance a year later. Throughout the 1993-94 campaign, Odelein scored 11 goals and 40 points in 79 games with a +8 rating, while also accruing 276 PIMs.

Unfortunately, Odelein’s tenure in Quebec didn’t last much longer. The Canadiens traded Odelein to the Devils ahead of the 1996-97 campaign for Stéphane Richer. He spent four quality years with the Devils before being traded to the Phoenix Coyotes at the deadline. Unfortunately for Odelein, New Jersey would go on to win the Stanley Cup a few months later.

Odelein’s time with New Jersey marked the last period of stability in his professional playing career. Over the next five seasons, Odelein played for five different clubs before returning after the 2005-06 season. However, his one notable achievement during this stretch was becoming the first Blue Jackets captain in team history.

After it was all said and done, Odelein finished his playing career with 50 goals and 252 points in 1,056 games with a +29 rating, including a whopping 2,316 PIMs. We at PHR extend our condolences to Odelein’s family, friends, and former teammates.