One of the NHL’s great irritants in hockey history makes his return to the league on Tuesday night as Claude Lemieux will play for the San Jose Sharks against the Vancouver Canucks in his first NHL game since the 2002-03 season. San Jose is a -210 money line favorite on WagerWeb.com.
Lemieux was called up from the AHL on Monday after a 23-game stint in which he collected 11 points. He is expected to skate on San Jose’s fourth line tonight alongside Jody Shelley and Thomas Plihal.
“My goal was to play in the NHL but it’s more than getting in one game and showing up,” Lemieux said. “I want to contribute, play well and do what I can do.”
Of course, some hockey fans – especially those in Detroit – would call Lemieux one of the dirtiest players ever, but there’s no questioning that he’s a winner. Lemieux, who last played for Dallas in 2003, is remembered league-wide for mashing Detroit forward Kris Draper’s face into the boards while with Colorado in the ‘96 playoffs, which turned the Wings-Avalanche rivalry into the NHL’s most heated for years. Lemieux is one of just eight NHL players to win Stanley Cup championships with three teams — the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche.
“He has always been the type of player you didn’t want to see on the other team, but you loved to have in your dressing room,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “But this isn’t about his hockey history, but this is purely about where he is today.”
The Canucks, +175 on the WagerWeb.com money line, will be shorthanded tonight as winger Pavol Demitra will be out due to a strained groin suffered Sunday; he is third on the team with 25 points. But defenseman Sami Salo returns after missing 15 games with a fractured rib.
San Jose has won six straight in this series, by a combined score of 24-8. The Canucks, losers of five straight, were crushed 5-0 in their first visit to San Jose and then dropped a 4-2 decision 10 days ago.
Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo is expected to start his second game after missing almost two months with a groin injury. He made 23 saves through overtime in the loss to the Jackets on Sunday and has a 3.00 GAA in losing three straight to the Sharks.
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