Posted on 05/28/2026 1:44:28 PM PDT by JSM_Liberty
Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the fiercest playoff performers in NHL history, has died, the NHL Alumni Association said Thursday. He was 60.
Lemieux played 21 years in the NHL, winning the 1995 Conn Smythe Trophy and the four Cups — two with the New Jersey Devils and one each with the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens. His 80 playoff goals rank ninth in NHL history and his 158 points are tied for 27th. Lemieux played 1,215 regular-season games, scoring 379 goals and 786 points and amassing 1,777 penalty minutes. “Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community,” Geoff Molson, owner and CEO of Groupe CHI, said in a statement. He later added, “A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He embodied the very essence of being a Montreal Canadiens player.”
When asked about Lemieux’s death, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office told The Athletic that deputies responded early Thursday morning to a suicide attempt at a furniture showroom, which state records show is in Lake Park, Fla., and is owned by Lemieux and his wife, Deborah. The Sheriff’s Office secured the business for investigation. The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Lemieux’s death but declined to release any records, citing a Florida statute exempting suicide cases from public records requirements.
Lemieux embraced the role of a physical agitator throughout much of his career. His 529 penalty minutes in the playoffs rank third in league history, and he infamously checked Kris Draper from behind into the boards during the 1996 Western Conference final, breaking Draper’s jaw, nose and cheekbone. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
He seemed a tormented guy.
1) clot shot, or
2) knew too much on the Clintons, or
3) told one of his fellow Canadians that the US men's hockey team was the best.
Suicide, dam%!
He was “fierce” until Darren McCarty sorted him out
CTE?
(let me know if you want on or off)
RIP
I’m thinking the opposite. I crossed paths with him once at a chance encounter after he retired, and he honestly seemed like the most normal and well-adjusted person I had ever met.
One of my favorite players ... Pulled through in the clutch ...
I feel sad when I hear of anyone suiciding themselves, even if due to unendurable & unsolvable pain.
Robin Williams, for another...I know nothing of his particular issues.
Was he Mario’s brother?
No relation to Mario. He did have a brother Jocelyn who played in the NHL for a while.
Thought I just saw him a couple days ago being introduced to the crowd at the Stanley Cup playoffs.
I always assumed he was his brother. Weird I never knew the reality even being a NJ Devils fan
Enjoyed watching him play.
RIP.
Rest In Peace, Claude.
You’re thinking of Luigi.
Darren McCarty’s statement on Claude’s passing.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rjZnfnXQG28
More than any other sport, there is true brotherhood amongst hockey players.
Nope. Common name in Quebec.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.