Claude Lemieux's Friend Speaks Out On His Tragic Death at 60

A close friend of longtime NHL star Claude Lemieux is speaking out on his death this week.

Lemieux, one of the best players in NHL history, died this week. He was just 60 years old. TMZ Sports reported that Lemieux died from suicide. He was reportedly found at his office by his son.

"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.

"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.

"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."

Réjean Tremblay, Montreal hockey columnist and friend who knew Lemieux for 30 years, spoke out following his close friend's death.

Lemieux carried an "injustice" with him prior to his death at 60.

Close friend speaks out on his death

"He always lived this as an injustice, a heavy burden to bear," Tremblay told The New York Post in an interview published on Saturday, May 30, saying that the former NHL star was "deeply sensitive to rejection" and never got over the fact that he wasn't inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame following his 2009 retirement.

"The sense of rejection ran deeper than one might have imagined," Tremblay further claimed. "He took it very hard."

Lemieux had just appeared at a game earlier in the week.

"It's possible that surge of love, that wave of love on Monday evening, triggered an emotion that was too intense," Tremblay said. "It might have reawakened old pains, old suffering."

Our thoughts continue to be with friends and family members of the late NHL star.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 10:01 AM.