Claude Lemieux

Claude Percy Lemieux (* July 16, 1965 in Buckingham, Quebec ) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player with U.S. citizenship. During his career, the right winger from 1983 until 2003 for the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars active in the National Hockey League. In autumn 2008, the striker returned to the spring of 2009 to the Hockey stage, as his San Jose Sharks offered a contract from the NHL.

Lemieux is one of only eight players in the history of the NHL, who won the Stanley Cup with three different teams. His brother Jocelyn Lemieux also played in the NHL.

• 2.1 International

• 3.1 International

Career

Lemieux played during his junior time first in the junior division club leagues in the province of Quebec at the Richelieu Riverains. For the 1982/83 season he moved to the higher class Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the Trois -Rivières Draveurs. DC in his rookie season, he made 66 points in only 62 games, but also 187 penalty minutes, attention. The following summer, the Montreal Canadiens selected him in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft in 1983 when a total of 26. He came right in the following season 1983/84 on his league debut when he completed eight games in which he also scored his first goal for the Canadiens. However, the majority of the playing time he spent still in the QMJHL, where he had moved to the Verdun Juniors. His 86 points scorer in 51 games earned him and the chance in the playoffs of the American Hockey League to recommend in two games for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs on for a place in the NHL squad Montréal's a nomination for the QMJHL Second All-Star Team. The 1984/85 season he also played in the junior class and played only one more game for the Canadiens in the NHL. In the Verdun Junior Canadiens jersey, for which he played now in the QMJHL, he once again managed to increase its yield point. In 52 matches he reached 124 points scorer who nominated him again - this time to the First All -Star team of the QMJHL - earned. Previously he had large parts of the season missed because he had prepared with the Canadian national junior team at the world championship.

For the 1985/86 season of the now 20 -year-old Lemieux joined the professional sector. First, he was in the farm team of the Montreal Canadiens, the Canadiens de Sherbrooke from the AHL, used, but also came in ten NHL games available for use. Nevertheless, he spent most of the season in the AHL, where he graduated from 58 games. The season 1985/86 should be the last minor league season to stay in the career of the right winger, as he could after the AHL season the stakes in the playoffs for the Canadiens ultimately work out a regular place and the season 1985 / 86 ended with the Stanley Cup win. In his first full year playing in the NHL Lemieux did impress with 53 points in 76 games. His achievements also earned him a nomination in the squad for the Rendez -vous '87 series of NHL All-Stars against the Soviet national team. After the first cup - winning Montréal since 1979, the striker still three more seasons remained loyal to the team.

Although many games because of a groin injury had in the 1989/90 season must expose the New Jersey Devils agreed in September 1990 to a transfer deal that Lemieux brought to the U.S. east coast in exchange for Sylvain Turgeon. After slight teething problems with the Devils in his first season he was promoted in the next two years to service providers, when he had two of his best career year with 68 respectively 81 scorer points. In the following two seasons Lemieuxs services subsided and only during the playoffs of the 1993/94 season, in which penetrated the Devils to the finals of the Eastern Conference, he let his grades flashed again. In the shortened by the lockout regular season game of the 1994/95 season he could not connect to the playoffs the previous season. However, the playoffs, he completed then outstanding and was instrumental in the first title win of the Devils. His 13 playoff goals - seven more than in the regular season - earned him both his personal second Stanley Cup win as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player of the playoffs.

Despite the profit of the prestigious trophy, the paths of Lemieux and the Devils parted. On 3 October 1995 he was given first Islanders for Steve Thomas on the New York, who transferred him on the same day for Wendel Clark to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche had only moved in the previous summer from Quebec City to Denver and tried to Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Patrick Roy to form a title contender. Lemieux found himself in the team right off the bat well and denied, as measured by its yield point, with 71 scorer points, the second best season of his career. In the first year he won with Colorado again the Stanley Cup, with Lemieux made ​​in the course of the playoffs for a negative peak when he injured Kris Draper of the Detroit Red Wings by an attack, so this by a lower jaw, cheekbone and broken nose and a concussion turned out long. Lemieux has been demonstrated for his offense with a two-match suspension. The revenge of the Red Wings game culminated in the following year in the so-called " Brawl in Hockeytown " on 26 March 1997 in a game the Avalanche in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena and was continued intensively until the new millennium. In contrast to his time in New Jersey Colorado Lemieux did not leave after winning the title, but still remained for three more seasons in the Rocky Mountains. It was at this time always a performer, but another Stanley Cup victory was denied him, although the team still was able to advance far in the playoffs twice.

Shortly after the start of the game year 1999/2000 changed Lemieux along with two draft rights to the first and second rounds of the NHL Entry Draft in 2000 for Brian Rolston and a first-round draft law, also in the Entry Draft 2000, back to the New Jersey Devils, as his contract at the end of the season ended and the management of the Avalanche are no chances of a contract extension figured. With the Devils, he finally secured at the end of his fourth Stanley Cup triumph. As already five years before the winger left the team and signed as a free agent contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. After initial problems, he found himself there, good one, but the team is not title contenders was in contrast to his previous stations. After two and a half years he therefore in the middle of the 2002/03 season for Scott Pellerin and a fourth- round draft law in the NHL Entry Draft in 2004 to the Dallas Stars. The stars went as best team in the Western Conference as one of the favorites in the playoff race, but had to in the second round surprisingly the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim defeated. After a long break, in which he was again as a free agent, he signed on 9 February 2004 a contract with the Swiss A-National division EV train for which he in the remainder of the 2003/04 season seven final rounds and five playoff games played. After he finished his career.

After the end of his active career, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the QMJHL in 2005 and assumed the office of president of the Phoenix RoadRunners of the ECHL. This he gave a total of three years in the late summer of 2008, however, when he announced to launch a comeback attempt. In preparation for the Arizona Sundogs he joined from the Central Hockey League. In November 2008, gave the now 43 -year-old finally his comeback when he signed a contract with the China Sharks sample from the Asia League Ice Hockey. For the partner of San Jose Sharks of the NHL Enforcer played two games before he returned to North America. A little later then submitted to it, the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League - also standing with San Jose in cooperation - a further sample contract for a maximum of 25 season games. After the striker had played 14 games by the end of December in which he had managed six points, the San Jose Sharks submitted to him ultimately a two-way contract with validity for the NHL and AHL. Thus, Lemieux became the team in Worcester for the rest of the season after reporting it from the waiver list - had chosen no other NHL team - on which he had to be placed routinely for 24 hours. On 20 January 2009, the winger was finally after almost six years of absence his comeback in NHL game in San Jose Sharks, who had called him the day before in the NHL squad, against the Vancouver Canucks. During the rest of the season Lemieux came in 18 games of the regular season and a playoff encounter used. He was able to record a Torvorbereitung. After he had offered a new contract, the Sharks gave the striker 8 July 2009 and renewed his final resignation.

In addition to his physical robustness Lemieux engaged his opponent with his often practiced "Trash Talk". He was also but also an excellent player who showed his qualities, especially in the playoffs. This is suggested that he scored more goals in three seasons in the playoffs than in the regular season and only eight players in the history of the NHL have scored more goals in the playoffs.

Internationally

At the international level Lemieux represented his home country of Canada three times and once the National Hockey League as part of the so-called Rendez -vous '87.

For the first time Lemieux joined the World Youth Championship 1985 in appearance, when he won the gold medal with the Canadian team. He himself contributed to in six tournament games three goals and two assists. In 1987 he took then, now playing at senior level, at two international comparisons in part. First, he played with the NHL All-Stars, the Rendez -vous '87 against the Soviet national team. In the two games he managed no goals and no involvement in such a. At the Canada Cup in 1987, he played back in the jersey of Canada, which he donned in six games. He scored one goal and set up another front. Winning the gold medal was also his first title win at the international level at senior level. The last time Lemieux played at the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 for his home country. There was enough, however, only to win the silver medal, as the Canadians were defeated in the final series twice the Americans.

Awards and achievements

Internationally

Career Stats

Internationally

Represented Canada at:

• U20 World Junior Championships 1985
• Canada Cup 1987
• World Cup of Hockey 1996

Represented National Hockey League at:

• Rendez -vous '87

( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )