Steve Chiasson

Steve Chiasson
Born (1967-04-14)14 April 1967
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Died 3 May 1999(1999-05-03) (aged 32)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Carolina Hurricanes
Hartford Whalers
Calgary Flames
Detroit Red Wings
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 50th overall, 1985
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 1986–1999

Steven Joseph Chiasson (April 14, 1967 – May 3, 1999) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman with the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes.

Chiasson died in an automobile accident on May 3, 1999.

NHL career

Chiasson was born in Barrie, Ontario, and raised in Peterborough, Ontario. Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1985, he was an offensive defenceman who displayed a lot of skill. During the 1992–93 NHL season Chiasson recorded a career-high 62 points and represented the Campbell Conference in the NHL All-Star Game. He was traded to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Mike Vernon in the 1994 off-season. Chiasson spent two and a half seasons with the Flames before being dealt to the Hartford Whalers in 1997 and continued with the team as they became the Carolina Hurricanes the following season. After spending most of the 1998–99 season on the injured list, Chiasson returned for the playoffs and scored a power play goal in Game 5 of their conference quarterfinal round with the Boston Bruins, which would end up being his last NHL goal.

Chiasson was also frequently a member of the Canadian national team, representing them in eight IIHF World Championships over the course of his career.

Fatal accident

On May 3, 1999, after the Hurricanes were eliminated from the playoffs in Boston and returned to Raleigh, Chiasson wrecked his pickup truck on the way home from a team party at the home of Gary Roberts and was killed on impact.[1] According to teammate Kevin Dineen,[2] Chiasson refused to call a taxi or accept a ride home, insisting on driving himself despite a blood alcohol content later found to be 0.27, over three times North Carolina's legal limit of 0.08. Chiasson was survived by his wife, Susan, and three young children: Michael, Ryan and Stephanie. There is a sculpture garden created in his honor with life-size bronze portraits of his children playing around a pond and a plaque in his memory in Millennium Park, Peterborough, Ontario, the town where he was raised. The Stanley Cup was brought to this spot on July 27, 2006, by former Flames teammate Cory Stillman, after Stillman won the Cup with the Hurricanes that season.[3][4]

Legacy

After his death, the Carolina Hurricanes established the Steve Chiasson Award to honor the player who best demonstrates leadership, perseverance, determination and dedication."[5]

No player has ever worn #3 for the Hurricanes again, though it has not been officially retired.[6]

Chiasson's older son, Michael is a defenseman for the University of Michigan men's hockey team and wears his late father's #3.[6] Chiasson's other son, Ryan, also wore #3 for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL during the 2013-2014 season.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Carolina's Chiasson Killed in Auto Accident". Washington Post. May 3, 1999. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  2. ↑ "Test shows Chiasson was driving drunk". The Augusta Chronicle. May 11, 1999. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  3. ↑ "Stanley Cup Journals: 17". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  4. ↑ "Stillman the more serious side of this week's trade". Ottawa Citizen. February 16, 2008. Archived from the original on 2015-12-27. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  5. ↑
  6. 1 2 "Steve Chiasson's son looks to honour late father, create own legacy in Hurricanes camp". Toronto Star. July 19, 2013. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
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