Unexpected gesture as Hurricanes fans honour Claude Lemieux with spontaneous Game 5 tribute

Something absolutely magical just happened at PNC Arena.

While a moment of silence appeared to be planned to honor Claude Lemieux before the crucial Game 5 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes (which was already a very classy gesture), one spectator broke the silence by starting to shout.

And it quickly turned into a moment of applause and celebration to honor the memory of Claude Lemieux.

Honestly, we didn’t hate it.

Anthony Martineau of TVA Sports shared the scene:

The Canadiens’ official account also shared the touching gesture from the Carolina organization.

Hurricanes fans turned the moment of silence into a celebration, according to many observers

A beautiful moment, and one so well deserved for Claude Lemieux!

According to many, the Hurricanes organization had planned an official moment of silence before the game.

It was an absolutely classy initiative for a hockey legend who wore the jersey of several NHL teams during his career, including, of course, the Montreal Canadiens.

And while spectators stood to observe the moment of reflection, something unexpected happened.

A fan in the stands suddenly began shouting Claude Lemieux’s name.

A few others quickly followed. And we all know what happened next!

This kind of spontaneous gesture very likely reflects what Lemieux himself would have wanted.

The Hurricanes fans clearly understood that.

Now it remains to be seen whether the Canadiens can mount a comeback after falling behind 3-0 in the first period at PNC Arena.

And whether the team can begin a historic comeback to honor the memory of Claude Lemieux, who was part of the 2000 Devils, the only team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a Conference Final.