Former NHLer Lyle Odelein Dies Tragically At Just 58 Years Old.

The hockey world has been left reeling on Saturday after some truly terrible news.

The tragic news that beloved former National Hockey League defenseman Lyle Odelein had passed away was reported on Saturday and that awful news has since been confirmed by several of the teams Odelein played for throughout his NHL career.

Odelein was just 58 years old.

It is always terrible to lose a member of our beloved hockey community but the loss of Odelein at such a young age is especially heartbreaking. Reports indicate that it was very unexpected with Odelein passing away of a heart attack.

The Canadian defenseman defied the odds by even making the NHL after being selected in the 7th round (141st overall) of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. Odeline would not only go on to have a remarkable 1056 game career, but also became a Stanley Cup champion with the Canadiens in 1993.

Odelein was primarily regarded as a physical stay-at-home type of defenseman throughout his career and his 184 career fights and 2,316 career penalty minutes speak to the kind of menace he could be out on the ice.

After his time with the Canadiens Odelein would play for several other organizations and remained a respected defenseman throughout his NHL career. He would play for the New Jersey Devils, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins, even being named the first captain in the history of the Blue Jackets organization.

The world really lost a special one today. My most sincere condolences go out to all those impacted by this terrible news.