Lyle Odelein, the inaugural captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets and a former Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens, died at the age of 58.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Odelein died of a heart attack on Friday.
The Blue Jackets honored Odelein on Saturday night with a video presentation and moment of silence. The former NHL defenseman served as their captain during the 2000-01 season after being claimed in the expansion draft from the then-Phoenix Coyotes.
“On the ice, Lyle was a fierce competitor and Stanley Cup champion,” the Blue Jackets wrote in a statement. “Off the ice, he was warm, kind and quick with a smile and kind word.”
Odelein played for eight different teams during his 16-year NHL career before announcing his retirement after the 2005-06 season.
He was selected by the Canadiens in the seventh round of the 1986 NHL Draft and helped Montreal capture the Stanley Cup in 1992-93. He totaled 252 points (50 goals, 202 assists) and 2,316 penalty minutes in 1,056 career games with the Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
