Nice NHL Claude Lemieuxthe son Brendan he broke his silence following the death of his father by suicide at the age of 60.
“I love you dad!” Brendan, 30, wrote on Instagram on Thursday, May 28. “The person my son loves will be looking up for a while. See you ♥️.” The message was accompanied by a recent photo of Brendan, his father and Brendan's son, Luc, who was born in March 2025.
Brendan played seven seasons in the NHL from 2017 to 2024 with the Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes.
Us Weekly It was reported Thursday, that the four-time Stanley Cup champion was found dead by his oldest son in a Florida grocery store around 3:00 a.m. His family was reportedly worried when Lemieux did not return home and sent one of his three sons to look for him.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's office confirmed Lemieux's death Us following a statement from the NHL Alumni Association. The hockey star is survived by his wife, Deborah, daughter Claudia, and sons Christopher and Michael.
Lemieux's death came just three days after he served as referee in Game 3 of the NHL's Eastern Conference Finals between the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes in Montreal on Monday, May 25.
Lemieux played 21 seasons in the NHL, most famously with the Canadiens from 1983 to 1990. He had memorable stints with the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche before retiring from professional hockey in 2009.
Upon his death, the owner of the Canadiens Geoff Molson described Thursday as “a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community.”
“I wish to extend my sincere and deepest condolences to Claude's family and loved ones,” added Molson, 54. “A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion at the big time, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He epitomized the value of being a Montreal Canadiens player. Today we mourn the untimely passing of one of our champions. Our thoughts are with his family on this difficult day.”
The NHL's statement said in part, “He was loved by his wife and four children, and on behalf of the Lemieux family, we kindly ask that everyone respect his privacy during this difficult time.”
Claude Lemieux in 2015.
Elsa/Getty ImagesLemieux's death had a huge impact on his home country of Canada. Premier of Quebec Christine Fréchette described Lemieux's death as a “great loss” and acknowledged his status as a Canadian hero.
“Claude Lemieux, he was my generation,” Fréchette, 55, wrote of X. “An amazing figure in our hockey, a player with a heart in his belly. His death seems so sudden, just days after I saw him proudly carrying the torch at the Bell Center. My thoughts are with his loved ones.”
In addition to his NHL legacy, Lemieux later became a prominent sports agent who represented hockey stars such as the Detroit Red Wings'. Moritz Seiderdevils' Timo Meierthe boston bruins' Hampus Lindholm and the goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes Frederik Andersen.
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