Former National Hockey League defenseman Lyle Odelein of Quill Lake, Saskatchewan passed away on Friday at the age of 58 according to nhl.com on Saturday. The cause of death was a heart attack according to Prince Albert Now.
Odelein played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League with eight different franchises from 1990 to 2006. He was with the Montreal Canadiens for seven seasons from 1990 to 1996, the New Jersey Devils for four seasons from 1996 to 2000, the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000, the Columbus Blue Jackets for two seasons from 2000 to 2002, the Chicago Blackhawks for two seasons from 2002 to 2003, the Dallas Stars in 2003, the Florida Panthers from 2003 to 2004, and the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2005 to 2006.
In 1056 NHL regular season games, Odelein had 50 goals and 202 assists for 252 points. He was a +29 with 2316 penalty minutes, 70 power-play points, five shorthanded points, five game-winning goals, and 1123 shots on goal.
Odelein won a Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1993. This was the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup. In the 1993 postseason, Odelein had one goal and five assists for six points in 20 games. He was a +9 with 30 penalty minutes, and 20 shots on goal. The goal came in game two of the 1993 Adams Division Finals on May 8, 1993. Odelein’s goal tied the game at one in a 4-3 Canadiens overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres with two minutes and 5 seconds left in the first period. It was an all-Canadian goal as Paul DiPietro of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and Vincent Damphousse of Montreal, Quebec had the assists.
Odelein played his junior career with the Moose Jaw Warriors and in the American Hockey League with the Sherbrooke Canadiens. He was the Canadiens’s seventh round pick, 141st overall, in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. Odelein was the first ever captain of the Blue Jackets.
