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This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Claude Lemieux allegedly admitted to relapsing after 12 years of sobriety the day before his suicide, according to an incident report obtained by TMZ Sports.
The report said Lemieux’s family noticed a change in his behavior over the past year, leaving his wife, Deborah, to confront him.
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Claude Lemieux is honored during the Colorado Avalanche’s 30th anniversary celebrations for the 1995-96 season before the game against the Florida Panthers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on December 11, 2025. (Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
After he allegedly “admitted” that he had relapsed, Deborah told him to leave the house at 10:30 p.m. ET, according to the outlet. He was then found hanging in the family furniture store around five hours later by his son, Brendan.
Deborah had called Brendan after confronting her husband, and Brendan came to the residence to discuss how they could support Lemieux. Brendan then checked where his father was and saw that he was at the company. He then went there, spotted his father’s Ford truck in the parking lot and removed a gun that he knew Claude kept in the glove compartment because of the “emotional aspect of the situation.”
The report also states that a message was found on Lemieux’s phone.
PK Press Club Digital reached out to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office but did not immediately receive a response.
Lemieux broke into the league with the Montreal Canadiens and was part of their 1986 Stanley Cup-winning team.
Claude Lemieux made an appearance at the Bell Center in Montreal for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final just days before his death. (Photo by Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images)
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He won four Stanley Cups during his career and in 1995 and 1996 became the 10th player in NHL history to win two consecutive Stanley Cups with different teams, first with the New Jersey Devils, then with the Colorado Avalanche.
After the 1995 Stanley Cup Final, Lemieux was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. During his playoff career, Lemieux had 158 points (80G, 78A) in 234 games played.
Lemieux last played in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks and retired in 2009.
In total, he appeared in 1,215 NHL games for the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks.
He then became a player agent and, according to the North State Journal, represented Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen.
Claude Lemieux won four Stanley Cups during his career, including the first in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
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Lemieux’s death came just days after his appearance in the Eastern Conference final between the Hurricanes and the Canadiens. Andersen was in front of the Hurricanes’ posts, while Lemieux carried the ceremonial torch into the arena for the Canadiens before Game 3.
