Steve Chiasson, NHL defenseman, 32

["Deathwatch Central" <cdw@slick.org>]

http://cnnsi.com/hockey/nhl/1999/playoffs/eastern/news/1999/05/03/hurricanes
_chiasson/index.html

Chiasson killed in traffic accident

Police say evidence suggests drunken driving a possibility

Posted: Monday May 03, 1999 12:29 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Steve Chiasson was
killed early today when his pickup truck overturned hours after his team was
eliminated from the playoffs in Boston.

Chiasson, a 32-year-old native of Barrie, Ontario, died about 4:15 a.m. EDT
in the accident in north Raleigh, Trooper K.L. Horn of the State Highway
Patrol said.

"This is a tragedy that is impossible to put into words," said Jim
Rutherford, the Hurricanes' president and general manager

Horn said Chiasson was thrown from the pickup after it ran off the road and
flipped. Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Winstead said evidence at the scene and
interviews suggested Chiasson might have been drinking.

Hurricanes spokesman Chris Brown said the team's charter arrived at
Raleigh-Durham International Airport about 1 a.m. The players got in their
vehicles at the airport and left.

Brown said beer was among the beverages served on the plane, but he didn't
know if Chiasson had any alcohol.

The Hurricanes lost 2-0 to Boston in Game 6. On Friday night, Chiasson
scored the first goal in a 4-3 double-overtime loss to the Bruins.

"When you work together and been in our environment, you have a family,"
coach Paul Maurice said at a news conference. "There's no other way to put
it, and we lost a member of our family."

Chiasson spent eight years with the Detroit Red Wings, was traded to the
Calgary Flames in 1994 and in 1997 to what then was the Hartford Whalers.

He was drafted by Detroit in 1985 and played his first NHL game the
following year. In 1988-89, he led all Red Wings' defensemen with 47 points.
In 1989-90, he scored a career-high 14 goals and again led all Detroit
defensemen in scoring with 42 points.

Red Wings spokesman John Hahn said this morning that he had just heard of
Chiasson's death and the team had no immediate comment.

Chiasson played in his first NHL All-Star game in 1993. At Calgary, he was
rated second among Flames' defensemen in scoring in 1995-96 with 33 points
and notched his 300th NHL career point on Nov. 29, 1995.

Chiasson is survived by his wife, Susan, two sons and a daughter.



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