Brendan Lemieux Bio
Brendan Lemieux, born on March 15, 1996, in Denver, Colorado, is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for HC Davos of the Swiss National League (NL). Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing around 215 pounds, he is recognized as a physical, agitator-style forward whose approach mirrors the playing identity made famous by his father. Selected 31st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Lemieux has spent time with the Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, and Carolina Hurricanes before continuing his career in Europe. His journey through junior, professional, and international hockey reflects a player who has built a reputation on energy, physicality, and competitiveness.
Early Life and Background
Brendan Lemieux was born in Denver, Colorado, on March 15, 1996, while his father Claude Lemieux was playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was named after his father’s former teammate with the New Jersey Devils, Brendan Shanahan. As the oldest son of Claude and his second wife Deborah, Brendan grew up in a deeply hockey-oriented household and was a childhood friend of Wayne Gretzky’s children. He was a competitive child who began playing both ice hockey and baseball at a young age.
Claude Lemieux initially tried to steer his son away from hockey, worried that it would be difficult for a second-generation player to follow such a successful father. That concern was especially significant given Claude’s reputation as a pest and enforcer. Brendan eventually won his father over with his early skill and passion for the sport. He went on to participate in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in both 2008 and 2009 with the Lemieux Academy team based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Brendan Lemieux later played minor ice hockey with the Toronto Red Wings of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), where his father served as one of his coaches. He also attended The Hill Academy, an Ontario-based independent school designed for student athletes. Although the Lemieux family is of Canadian heritage, Brendan is an American citizen, and he holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.
Path to Hockey
Brendan Lemieux originally agreed to spend two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League before attending the University of North Dakota to play college hockey. Those plans changed in 2012 when the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) selected him in the fourth round, 69th overall, of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. He left Green Bay after only 11 games to pursue a junior career in the OHL. He made an immediate impact with the Colts, though he also received an eight-game suspension in December 2012 for an illegal check on Roland McKeown of the Kingston Frontenacs.
Heading into his draft year, Brendan Lemieux was promoted to a top-six role with Barrie and recorded his first OHL hat-trick on November 13, 2013, in a 7–1 win over the Sudbury Wolves. He and Aaron Ekblad represented the Colts at the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Lemieux’s strong second season made him one of the most closely watched prospects heading into the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, where he was the first pick of the second round, taken 31st overall by the Buffalo Sabres. Although he practiced with Buffalo during training camp, he was returned to junior for further development.
On February 11, 2015, Brendan Lemieux was part of a major trade that sent him, Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia, and a first-round pick to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, and Jason Kasdorf. The move reunited him with former Barrie teammate and mentor Mark Scheifele. After scoring 41 goals and 60 points in 57 regular season OHL games, Lemieux signed a three-year, $3.375 million entry-level contract with the Jets on July 3, 2015. He finished his junior career in Windsor after a midseason trade in 2015–16, capped by reaching 100 career OHL goals.
Brendan Lemieux Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
Brendan Lemieux began his professional career with the Manitoba Moose, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. After missing training camp due to a lower-body injury, he played 61 games for the Moose in his first full professional season, recording 12 goals, 19 points, and 130 penalty minutes. He also appeared in eight games of the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs, where he tallied three goals, five points, and 22 penalty minutes.
Following a strong start to the 2017–18 AHL season, Brendan Lemieux received his first NHL call-up on October 17, 2017, replacing an injured Adam Lowry on the Winnipeg Jets roster. He made his NHL debut on October 20, 2017, and scored his first NHL goal on October 30 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 7–1 win. He also recorded his first NHL fight three days later against the Dallas Stars. After splitting the year between the NHL and AHL, he finished the campaign with one NHL point and 19 goals and 43 points in 51 AHL games.
Winnipeg Jets Breakthrough (2018–2019)
Brendan Lemieux made the Jets’ opening night roster for the 2018–19 season, but he began the year as a healthy scratch. In November 2018, he received his first NHL suspension for an illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck. He scored his first goal of the season on November 24 and played primarily on Winnipeg’s fourth line with Andrew Copp and Mason Appleton. He finished the partial Jets season with nine goals and two assists in 44 games before being traded.
On February 25, 2019, Brendan Lemieux was traded to the New York Rangers, along with a 2019 first-round pick and a conditional 2022 fourth-round pick, in exchange for Kevin Hayes. He scored his first Rangers goal in his second game and later produced his first Gordie Howe hat trick on March 11, 2019, in a loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Between Winnipeg and New York, he totaled 12 goals, five assists, and 108 penalty minutes in 63 regular season games.
New York Rangers Era (2019–2021)
As a restricted free agent, Brendan Lemieux signed a one-year, $925,000 deal with the Rangers on September 11, 2019. He became the oldest player on New York’s third line, skating alongside Filip Chytil and 18-year-old Kaapo Kakko during the 2019–20 season. Lemieux frequently defended his younger linemates, often fighting opponents who targeted Kakko. He suffered a fractured hand on December 27, 2019, against the Carolina Hurricanes and missed nine games.
On November 6, 2020, Brendan Lemieux signed a two-year, $3.1 million contract extension with the Rangers. His production declined during the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, and he managed only seven points and 65 penalty minutes in 31 games. On March 29, 2021, the Rangers traded him to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2021 fourth-round pick. After clearing COVID-19 protocols, Lemieux joined the Kings and played 18 games to close the season, recording two goals, four points, and 14 penalty minutes.
Los Angeles Kings Era (2021–2023)
After returning from another stint in COVID-19 protocols to begin the 2021–22 season, Brendan Lemieux became a regular on the Kings’ lower offensive lines. On November 27, 2021, he was involved in a highly publicized incident in which Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk accused him of biting his hand hard enough to draw blood during a scrum. Lemieux was ejected and received a five-game suspension. The Department of Player Safety concluded that Lemieux and his father Claude became the first father-son duo in NHL history to each be suspended for biting.
On July 13, 2022, the Los Angeles Kings re-signed Brendan Lemieux to a one-year, $1.35 million contract for the 2022–23 season. On March 3, 2023, the Kings traded him and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Zack MacEwen. His time in Philadelphia was brief, and he later joined the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent on July 11, 2023, signing a one-year, $800,000 contract for the 2023–24 season.
Carolina Hurricanes Era (2023–2024)
Brendan Lemieux played out the 2023–24 season with the Carolina Hurricanes and signed a one-year, $775,000 extension with the team on March 11, 2024. He appeared in limited NHL action through the opening months of the 2024–25 season and was held pointless in 12 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves. On December 6, 2024, at his request, the Hurricanes placed him on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, opening the door for a move overseas.
On December 9, 2024, Brendan Lemieux signed a three-year contract with Swiss club HC Davos of the National League. The move brought his NHL chapter to a close and marked a new beginning in one of Europe’s most competitive professional leagues. His HC Davos era officially began with the signing and continues through the 2025 season and beyond.
Driving Style and Strengths
Brendan Lemieux has modeled his game after his father Claude, embracing the role of a physical agitator whose primary objective is to make life difficult for opposing players. He has described the pest-like element of his style as natural, noting that he puts little effort into annoying opponents because that side of the game simply comes naturally to him. During the 2019–20 season, Lemieux took only seven penalties while drawing 19 from opponents, illustrating how his agitation consistently tilts games in his team’s favor through power plays and momentum swings.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Brendan Lemieux’s most memorable moments is his first NHL goal, scored on October 30, 2017, against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 7–1 Jets victory. His first Gordie Howe hat trick on March 11, 2019, while with the New York Rangers, highlighted his all-around impact. He and his father Claude also share a unique place in league history as the first father-son duo to each be suspended for biting, an unwanted but notable NHL record set during the 2021–22 season.
Brendan Lemieux Career Wins
Brendan Lemieux has accumulated a series of meaningful achievements across junior, professional, and international hockey. While goals and points have been a smaller part of his professional profile, his value to winning teams has consistently come through physical play, energy, and specialty-team contributions. His career journey includes a major junior scoring title, an international gold medal, and key contributions to multiple NHL playoff pushes.
Ontario Hockey League Highlights
Brendan Lemieux scored 106 goals, 189 assists, and 295 points across four OHL seasons with the Barrie Colts and Windsor Spitfires. He set a Windsor franchise record with 25 power play goals in 2014–15, surpassing the previous mark held by Ryan Hamilton. He also reached his 100th OHL goal on January 24, 2016, in a 5–3 win over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, cementing his standing as one of the league’s most dangerous power forwards during his draft year.
Other Wins and Performances
In addition to his junior accolades, Brendan Lemieux won a gold medal with Canada at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, scoring a goal in the championship game against the United States. He has also been part of multiple NHL playoff runs, including the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs with the Manitoba Moose and the 2020 Stanley Cup qualifiers with the New York Rangers. His reputation as a player who elevates his team’s intensity has followed him from junior hockey to the NHL and now to HC Davos.
Brendan Lemieux Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Brendan Lemieux comes from one of hockey’s most recognizable families. His father, Claude Lemieux, was a four-time Stanley Cup champion who built his NHL reputation as a pest and agitator, a role Brendan has openly tried to emulate. Brendan is also the nephew of former NHL player Jocelyn Lemieux, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1986. Both Brendan and Claude share the nickname “Pepe,” a playful nod to their surname and the cartoon character Pepé Le Pew.
Personal Life
Brendan Lemieux has a younger sister, Claudia, and two half-siblings from his father’s first marriage. Although the Lemieux family is of Canadian heritage, Brendan was born in the United States and holds dual citizenship in both countries. His personal life remains largely private, and he continues to carry his father’s influence into every stage of his hockey career.
2025 Season Performance
Brendan Lemieux’s 2025 campaign centers on his adjustment to European hockey with HC Davos after signing a three-year contract with the club in December 2024. The Swiss National League offers a new challenge, and Lemieux’s physical, agitator-first identity is expected to remain a key part of his role. Early-season form will determine how quickly he adapts to the league’s style of play and international officiating differences.
For HC Davos, Brendan Lemieux provides veteran leadership and a power-forward presence that complements the team’s existing core. His specialty-team experience, particularly on the power play where he set an OHL franchise record, remains an asset that could translate well to European play. His track record of disrupting opponents should help drive momentum during key stretches of the 2025 schedule.
Looking ahead, Brendan Lemieux’s 2025 outlook includes continued role expansion within HC Davos and the possibility of contributing to the club’s pursuit of postseason success in the National League. While his offensive numbers have historically been modest, his leadership, physicality, and winning mentality are the foundation of his game. The 2025 season represents an opportunity to redefine his career on an international stage.