In a tragic turn of events, the son of NHL legend Claude Lemieux discovered his father’s body at the family’s furniture business during a desperate search when Lemieux failed to return home on Wednesday night.
Claude Lemieux, known for winning the Stanley Cup four times and as one of hockey’s most infamous figures, passed away by suicide early Thursday morning, as reported by TMZ.
The news of Lemieux’s death was initially shared by the NHL Alumni Association on Thursday, though the cause was not specified. It was later revealed by TMZ that Lemieux was found by one of his adult sons, who suspected suicide.
Further details from the outlet indicate that Lemieux was discovered at the family-owned business in South Florida around 3 a.m. His son had grown worried after Lemieux didn’t return home and went to the business, where the tragic discovery was made.
According to West Palm Beach news station WPBF, Lemieux was found in a back area of the Andros Home warehouse, co-owned with his wife, Deborah.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Andros Home expressed, “With profound sadness, we share news of the unexpected passing of our co-founder Claude Lemieux. Claude was an extraordinary presence whose vision, generosity, and big heart influenced not only Andros but the many relationships and lives around him. Our immediate focus is supporting the Lemieux family during this difficult time. We appreciate everyone’s love and support.”
NHL icon Claude Lemieux, pictured on Monday, was found dead by one of his sons at the family’s furniture business in the early hours of Thursday morning, it has been revealed
Lemieux pictured with youngest son Brendan and his grandson. It is unclear if Brendan was the son who reportedly discovered his body
Lemieux is survived by Deborah and his four children; sons Christopher, 37, Michael, 34, and Brendan, 30, and daughter Claudia, 29. It is unclear which of his sons reportedly found him on Thursday morning.
Brendan, who played seven seasons in the NHL for five teams, currently plays in Switzerland with HC Davos. He and his dad are the only father-son duo in NHL history to be punished by the league for biting other players.
Lemieux’s sudden passing comes just three days after he served as the ceremonial ‘torch bearer’ for the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre before their Eastern Conference Final Game 3 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The native of Buckingham, Quebec, won four titles in his career that spanned from 1983 to 2009. His 80 playoff goals are ninth in NHL history and his 234 playoff games are sixth.
But Lemieux’s legacy is also affected by the 1,777 career penalty minutes he accumulated across 1,215 regular season games – wherein he garnered a reputation for being one of the most controversial players in NHL history.
While the four titles are perhaps his biggest accomplishment, he may be best remembered for a devastating hit he laid on Detroit Red Wings star Kris Draper that sparked a blood feud between Detroit and the Colorado Avalanche that lasted for years.
‘The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest big-game Players in hockey history,’ read a statement from commissioner Gary Bettman.
‘Lemieux forged his postseason reputation and won the Cup for the first time as a rookie in 1986, when he scored 10 goals in the Playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoffs MVP in 1995, scoring 13 goals in 20 postseason games with the New Jersey Devils. He was also an integral part of Cup-winning teams in Colorado in 1996 and back with New Jersey in 2000.
Lemieux is likely to be remembered as one of the most notorious players in NHL history
He won the 1986 Stanley Cup with the Canadiens as a rookie – his first of four titles
‘Overall, his teams reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 15 straight seasons; his 234 postseason games played rank sixth in NHL history; and his 80 career Playoff goals rank ninth. In recent years, as a player agent, he has represented some of the top stars in the NHL.
‘We send our deepest condolences to Claude’s wife, Deborah, and his four children, Brendan, Claudia, Michael and Christopher.’
Born in 1965, Lemieux played in the QMJHL for Trois-Rivieres before being drafted in the second round by his hometown Canadiens.
Lemieux made his NHL debut at 18 and was a major contributor to Montreal’s 1986 Stanley Cup-winning team.
He became the first rookie in NHL history to score a Game 7 overtime winner, eliminating the Hartford Whalers in the Prince of Wales Division Finals. In those same playoffs, he scored the only goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals as the Habs won that year’s title in five games over the Calgary Flames.
He was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 1990 and won his second Stanley Cup with the team in 1995 – scoring goals in Games 1 and 3 of a series sweep and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
Following that title-winning campaign, Lemieux was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for the 1995-96 season. It was in that year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs that Lemieux would lay the hit that defined his career.
In Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against Detroit, Lemieux laid a check on Red Wings forward Kris Draper from behind that broke his jaw, nose and cheekbone while also giving him a concussion.
The hit sparked a rivalry between the teams that lasted for years and carried over to the next season after the Avalanche eliminated the Red Wings in that game en route to winning the 1996 Stanley Cup – giving Lemieux his third title.
Lemieux won back-to-back titles when he took the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996
Even though the NHL suspended Lemieux for two games, fans in Detroit anticipated the chance for revenge in a March 26, 1997, game in Michigan that kicked off one of the most infamous brawls in NHL history.
In what was the third fight of the night, Red Wings enforcer Darren McCarty sent Lemieux to the ice with the first of what would be many devastating blows before officials separated the two.
By game’s end, the Red Wings won 6-5 in an overtime game that featured 18 fighting major penalties and 144 penalty minutes combined.
The two teams met again in the 1997 Western Conference Finals, where the teams fought more before the Red Wings beat Colorado in six games en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
would continue fighting for years until Lemieux was traded back to New Jersey in November of 1999, just in time to win his fourth Stanley Cup with the Devils that season.
He eventually played three seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes and part of one season with the Dallas Stars before retiring in 2003.
Lemieux made a career comeback in 2008, playing 18 games with the San Jose Sharks before retiring for good in 2009.
He is survived by his brother, Jocelyn Lemieux, who also enjoyed a lengthy career in the NHL.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
