I grew up watching Claude Lemieux play for the Avalanche. He was a talented player that had the ability to really get under the skin of opponents. He started one of the finest rivalries in hockey history. He won three Stanley Cups with three different teams, including with the Avs in their inaugural year. Now, at age 43, one of the biggest and most popular names in Colorado hockey is back, but this time it’s the Sharks that are putting a jersey on his back.
And it’s a good fit. By joining players like Thornton, Roenick, and others, his former (and hopefully still current) style of play will mesh nicely with the rest of the Sharks organization. I’m sure many, including me, are looking forward to seeing the reception he’ll get in Denver if he plays next Tuesday.
Detroit residents will have to wait until Feb 25th, however, to give Lemieux the welcome back he has coming in Hockeytown. Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press starts out his piece on Claude with this cheeky and telling line:
“Remember, turtles can live a very, very long time.”
Schrader’s quote, and the entire article for that matter, reads almost like a call to arms for Red Wings fans, reminding them of all the atrocities that Lemieux committed against Detroit players during his tenure with the Avalanche. It appears a 5 1/2 – year absence isn’t enough to bury the hatchet.
Lemieux seems unflappably determined to prove his critics wrong.
“The more I was told this was impossible, the more I wanted it. I still feel that way. This is just the first step to life back in the NHL.”
“I got into this with my eyes wide open, knowing that most folks out there would think that I’m out of my mind to attempt to do something like this.”
Just do your best not to prove those naysayers right, Claude. How disappointing would it be, if after a 5 1/2 year hiatus, a stint in China, and trash talk from all around the league (especially Detroit), you become the Favre-like figure of the NHL?