Claude Lemieux's final public appearance at the Bell Centre is now being replayed across the hockey world after the four-time Stanley Cup champion died at age 60 on 28 May.
Just days before his death, Lemieux walked onto the ice as the Montreal Canadiens' ceremonial torchbearer ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Wearing a Canadiens jersey and raising the flaming torch before a roaring crowd, the former NHL star looked energetic and emotional – a moment fans are now calling heartbreaking in hindsight.
