Lyle Odelein

Odelein finished his NHL career with 182 fights and his 2,316 career penalty minutes place him 29th all-time.

In March 2018, Odelein was hospitalized and diagnosed with Critical Illness Polyneuropathy, after falling into a coma and paralysis. Odelein underwent a heart valve, liver and kidney transplant at Allegheny General Hospital in Pennsylvania. He was released from a rehabilitation facility in July 2018 and walking unaided by September 2018.

His next opportunity came from the Florida Panthers who offered him a try out that proved successful and led to a $650,000 one-year contract. For the first—and only—time in his career, Odelein stayed healthy for the full season and played in all 82-games for the Panthers. The Panthers' general manager Rick Dudley expressed interest in retaining Odelein when his contract expired, however, a lockout that erased the 2004-05 NHL season, and a changing of the guard in Florida that saw Dudley replaced by Mike Keenan, spelled the end of Odelein in Florida.

His final NHL stint came with the Pittsburgh Penguins when he inked a one-year, $500,000 deal on September 2, 2005. However, he managed just 27 games before injuring his knee, gaining just a single assist, and retired from professional hockey.

Odelein's tenure with the Coyotes was short as he was claimed in the expansion draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 23, 2000. He was later named the first captain of the Blue Jackets before their inaugural season in 2000–01.

Prior to the 1996–97 season, Odelein was traded by the Canadiens to the New Jersey Devils for Stéphane Richer on August 22, 1996. In the 1999–2000 season, his fourth with the Devils, Odelein was traded by the Devils to the Phoenix Coyotes for Deron Quint and a third round selection on March 7, 2000.

The 1993–94 NHL season marked Odelein's career highlight. He scored 11 goals, 29 assists and 40 points, all career highs, scoring 24 of those points in 26 games in February and March that season. As well, he scored a hat trick against the St. Louis Blues and goalie Jim Hrivnak on March 9, 1994. His 5 assists on February 2, 1994, against the Hartford Whalers, tied a single-game record for a Canadiens defenseman held by Doug Harvey, which was also tied in 2004 by Sheldon Souray.

Odelein won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

His first NHL goal was a highlight-reel end-to-end rush against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ed Belfour on December 19, 1991.

Odelein played junior hockey for the Moose Jaw Warriors before being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the seventh round (141st overall) in 1986.

Lyle Theodore Odelein (born July 21, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for eight National Hockey League (NHL) teams in 16 seasons, and was the inaugural captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets.