Lyle Odelein, first Blue Jackets captain, dies at 58

Lyle Odelein, the first captain in Columbus Blue Jackets history, died Friday, Oct. 2. He was 58.

Odelein played 16 NHL seasons, from 1989 to 2006, and appeared in 1,056 regular-season games as a defenceman. Montreal drafted him in the seventh round (No. 141) in 1986, and he spent seven seasons with the Canadiens.

He won the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993, recording six points (one goal, five assists) in 20 playoff games.

Over his career he scored 50 goals and 202 assists for 252 points in the regular season, and added 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 86 playoff games. His NHL stops included the Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Columbus claimed Odelein from the Coyotes in the 2000 Expansion Draft, ahead of the franchise's first NHL season. The club named him its first captain before the 2000-01 season, and he held the role for two seasons before he was traded to the Blackhawks.

The Blue Jackets honoured Odelein with a moment of silence and a pregame tribute before hosting the Utah Mammoth on Saturday, Oct. 3. The club remembered his role as its first captain and his participation in its 25th anniversary celebrations.