Many hockey fans have wondered if Alex Chiasson and Steve Chiasson are related to each other, as they share the same surname and play the same sport. However, the answer is no. Alex and Steve are not related by blood or by marriage. They are just two hockey players who happen to have the same last name.
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Who is Alex Chiasson?
Alex Chiasson is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the NHL for the Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Chiasson won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Capitals in 2018
Chiasson was born in Montreal, Quebec, on October 1, 1990. He grew up in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec, and began skating at age 4. He played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Rive-Nord, Montreal. He moved to the United States to study at Northwood School in Lake Placid, New York, where he learned English and improved his hockey skills. He played for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL for the 2008–09 season, where he led the team in scoring and was selected for the USHL All-Star Game. He was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the second round (38th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
Chiasson enrolled at Boston University in 2009, where he played for three seasons and led his team in scoring in 2010–11. He signed a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars organization in 2012 and made his NHL debut in 2013. He scored his first NHL goal on April 5, 2013, against Viktor Fasth of the Anaheim Ducks. He was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2014 as part of a package for Jason Spezza. He spent two seasons with the Senators before signing with the Calgary Flames as a free agent in 2016. He played one season with the Flames before joining the Washington Capitals on a professional tryout contract in 2017. He earned a one-year contract with the Capitals and helped them win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2018. He signed a two-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers in 2018 and had a career-high 22 goals and 38 points in 2018–19. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 2021 and then claimed off waivers by the Detroit Red Wings later that year. He became an unrestricted free agent after the 2020–21 season
Chiasson is known for his size, strength, versatility and work ethic. He can play on both wings and on different lines. He is also a good teammate and leader who has overcome adversity and challenges throughout his career.
Who is Steve Chiasson?
Steve Chiasson was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes from 1986 to 1999. He also represented Canada in eight IIHF World Championships over his career. Chiasson died in an automobile accident on May 3, 1999, at age 32
Chiasson was born in Barrie, Ontario, on April 14, 1967. He grew up in Peterborough, Ontario, where he played minor hockey and participated in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from Peterborough. He was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round (50th overall) of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in 1986 and played for nine seasons with the Red Wings. He was an offensive defenceman who recorded a career-high 62 points and represented the Campbell Conference in the NHL All-Star Game in 1992–93. He was traded to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Mike Vernon in 1994 and spent two and a half seasons with them before being dealt to the Hartford Whalers in 1997. He continued with the team as they became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1998–99. He missed most of that season due to injuries but returned for the playoffs and scored a power play goal in Game 5 of their conference quarterfinal series against the Boston Bruins, which would be his last NHL goal
Chiasson was a skilled and reliable defenceman who could contribute offensively and defensively. He was also a respected and well-liked teammate and person who was involved in various charitable causes.
The Tragic End of Steve Chiasson
On May 3, 1999, after the Hurricanes were eliminated from the playoffs in Boston and returned to Raleigh, Chiasson wrecked his pickup truck on the way home from a team party and was killed on impact. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.27, more than three times the legal limit. He was survived by his wife, Susan, and three young children: Michael, Ryan and Stephanie
Chiasson’s death shocked and saddened the hockey world and his family and friends. The Carolina Hurricanes established the Steve Chiasson Award to honor the player who “best demonstrates leadership, perseverance, determination and dedication.” No player has ever worn #3 for the Hurricanes again, though it has not been officially retired. There is a sculpture garden created in his honor with life-size bronze portraits of his children playing around a pond and a plaque in his memory in Millennium Park, Peterborough, Ontario, the town where he was raised. The Stanley Cup was brought to this spot on July 27, 2006, by former Flames teammate Cory Stillman, after Stillman won the Cup with the Hurricanes that season
Chiasson’s older son, Michael, played defence for the University of Michigan men’s hockey team and wore his late father’s #3. Chiasson’s other son, Ryan, also wore #3 for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL during the 2013–2014 season
Conclusion
Alex Chiasson and Steve Chiasson are not related to each other. They are two different hockey players who have had different careers and lives. Alex is still active in the NHL as a free agent, while Steve passed away in 1999 in a tragic accident. They both share a passion for hockey and a common surname, but that is where their similarities end.
