Claude Lemieux’s death at the age of 60 was revealed to be by suicide, according to TMZ.
The NHL Alumni Association announced the four-time Stanley Cup-winning forward’s death on Thursday.
It came just days after he carried the torch in Montreal’s Bell Centre before the Canadiens took on the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals on Monday.
Lemieux won the first of his four Cups with the Habs in 1986, adding two more as a member of the Devils (1995, 2000) and a one with the Avalanche (1996).
A famed agitator, Lemieux posted 379 goals and 786 points in 1,215 NHL games, but picked up his game most in the postseason, notching 80 goals and 158 points in 234 playoff matches.
“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,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
“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 also was an integral part of Cup-winning teams in Colorado, in 1996, and back with New Jersey in 2000.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.
