Steve Chiasson

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Position Defence
Shoots Left
Nickname(s) Chase
Height
Weight		 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
205 lb (93 kg/14 st 9 lb)
Nationality Flag of Canada Canada
Born 14 April 1967(1967-04-14),
Barrie, ON, CAN
Died 3 May 1999 (aged 32),
Flag of the United States Raleigh, NC, USA
NHL Draft 50th overall, 1985
Detroit Red Wings
Pro career 1986 – 1999

Steve Chiasson (April 14, 1967 in Barrie, Ontario, Canada – May 3, 1999 in Raleigh, North Carolina) was a defenseman with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers, and Carolina Hurricanes.

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[edit] NHL career

Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1985, he was an offensive defenseman who displayed a lot of skill. 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 an overtime goal in Game 2 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.

[edit] Fatal accident

After the Hurricanes were eliminated from the playoffs in Boston and returned to Raleigh, Chiasson wrecked his pickup on the way home from a team party at the home of Gary Roberts, killing himself instantly. According to teammate Kevin Dineen, 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 small statue and 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.[1]

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[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hockey Hall of Fame - Stanley Cup Journals: 17