In heartbreaking news from the world of ice hockey, which was announced on Thursday, May 28, Claude Lemieux passed away at the age of 60 in Florida. Shortly after learning about it, the Detroit Red Wings legend Darren McCarty paid a touching tribute to his long-time NHL rival turned friend on social media.

Woodward Sports Network took to their official X account to post the video of an emotional McCarty, who was paying tribute to fellow Canadian Lemieux.

"Sad day. Another brother gone,” remarked McCarty, 54, while remembering his friend Lemieux. “Rest in peace, Claude.”

At around the peak of their ice hockey careers in the late 1990s, Lemieux and McCarty had quite a heated rivalry, which led to multiple Stanley Cup titles for both. But they turned into best friends after retiring, celebrating each other’s birthdays, holding autograph sessions together, and raising funds for charity.

Moreover, McCarty also took to his official X account to share poignant words to let everyone know what Lemieux meant to him.

“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.”

“Godspeed my friend,” concluded McCarty, who is also a four-time Stanley Cup winner just like Lemieux.

Darren McCarty and Claude Lemieux were Part of “Fight Night at the Joe” in 1997

During Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals Series in 1996, Darren McCarty saw Claude Lemieux break multiple facial bones of his Detroit Red Wings teammate, Kris Draper, from the bench. It was a malicious check from behind from Lemieux on Draper on the ice at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI.

After securing the conference title in six games, Lemieux played a key role in helping the Colorado Avalanche sweep the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. This was also the third time in his NHL career that the Canadian won the coveted title.

Just a year later, when the Red Wings took on the Avalanche in their fourth 1996-97 regular season game, McCarty got his revenge on “Fight Night at the Joe.”

On March 26, 1997, he went on to cold-cock Lemieux before punching him down mercilessly and dragging him towards Draper on the bench before the refs got involved.

The epic regular season finale led to a stellar postseason for Detroit, which ended with a Stanley Cup victory for the first time in 42 years after sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers. With that, McCarty also ended the long wait in his NHL career to win the big one for the first time.

Do let us know what you make of Darren McCarty's and Claude Lemieux’s rivalry that eventually turned into friendship years ago.

Read more at NHL Fan Central!

Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Ankita Yadav