Steve Chiasson

Steven Joseph Chiasson
Born (1967-04-14)April 14, 1967
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Died May 3, 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 Detroit Red Wings
Calgary Flames
Hartford Whalers
Carolina Hurricanes
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, while driving under the influence, on May 3, 1999.

NHL career

Chiasson was born in Barrie, Ontario, and raised in Peterborough, Ontario. As a youth, he played in the 1980 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Peterborough.[1]

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.[citation needed]

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

Fatal accident

On May 3, 1999, after the Hurricanes were eliminated from the playoffs in Boston and returned to Raleigh, Chiasson crashed his pickup truck on the way home from a team party. Driving roughly 20 miles per hour (32 kilometers per hour) over the speed limit and not wearing a seatbelt, Chiasson was ejected from the vehicle after it rolled over and died instantly from his injuries.[2][3] 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.[4][5]

Legacy

After his death, the Carolina Hurricanes established the Steve Chiasson Award to honor the player who "best demonstrates leadership, perseverance, determination and dedication."[6]

No player has ever worn #3 for the Hurricanes again, though it has not been officially retired.[7]

Chiasson's older son, Michael played defence for the University of Michigan men's hockey team and wore his late father's #3.[7] Chiasson's other son, Ryan, also wore #3 for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL during the 2013–2014 season.[citation needed]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1983–84 Guelph Platers OHL 55 1 9 10 112 — — — — —
1984–85 Guelph Platers OHL 61 8 22 30 139 — — — — —
1985–86 Guelph Platers OHL 54 12 29 41 126 18 10 10 20 37
1986–87 Detroit Red Wings NHL 45 1 4 5 73 2 0 0 0 19
1987–88 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 23 6 11 17 58 — — — — —
1987–88 Detroit Red Wings NHL 29 2 9 11 57 9 2 2 4 31
1988–89 Detroit Red Wings NHL 65 12 35 47 149 5 2 1 3 6
1989–90 Detroit Red Wings NHL 67 14 28 42 114 — — — — —
1990–91 Detroit Red Wings NHL 42 3 17 20 80 5 3 1 4 19
1991–92 Detroit Red Wings NHL 62 10 24 34 136 11 1 5 6 12
1992–93 Detroit Red Wings NHL 79 12 50 62 155 7 2 2 4 19
1993–94 Detroit Red Wings NHL 82 13 33 46 122 7 2 3 5 2
1994–95 Calgary Flames NHL 45 2 23 25 39 7 1 2 3 9
1995–96 Calgary Flames NHL 76 8 25 33 62 4 2 1 3 0
1996–97 Calgary Flames NHL 47 5 11 16 32 — — — — —
1996–97 Hartford Whalers NHL 18 3 11 14 7 — — — — —
1997–98 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 66 7 27 34 65 — — — — —
1998–99 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 28 1 8 9 16 6 1 1 2 2
NHL totals 751 93 305 398 1,107 63 16 18 34 119

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1987 Canada WJC 6 2 2 4 21
1997 Canada WC 11 0 3 3 8

See also

References

  1. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  2. ^ Foreman Jr., Tom (May 3, 1999). "Carolina's Chiasson Killed in Auto Accident". Washington Post. The Associated Press. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  3. ^ Graff, Todd (1999-05-04). "OFFICER: ALCOHOL INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT\ STEVE CHIASSON'S BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL AT THE TIME OF HIS FATAL CAR ACCIDENT WILL NOT BE KNOWN FOR TWO TO THREE WEEKS". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  4. ^ "Stanley Cup Journals: 17". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  5. ^ "Stillman the more serious side of this week's trade". Ottawa Citizen. February 16, 2008. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  6. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  7. ^ a b "Steve Chiasson's son looks to honour late father, create own legacy in Hurricanes camp". Toronto Star. July 19, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2015.