Four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux died at 60, with Florida authorities reporting an apparent suicide after a family member found him before 3:30 a.m. in a rear warehouse at an Andros Home furniture showroom. His death has also prompted tributes fro
Claude Lemieux was found after he failed to return home, and by then, the details were already moving fast in Palm Beach County.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the death of the former NHL forward was reported as an apparent suicide in Florida. The body was found shortly before 3:30 a.m. on Thursday. May 28 in the rear warehouse of the Andros Home furniture showroom. according to reports published by the Palm Beach Post. part of the USA TODAY Network.
Sheriff’s investigators said they secured the store as detectives from PBSO’s Violent Crimes Division gathered evidence. The inquiry began after a family member discovered him and after he had not come back to his home.
Court and business records tied to Lemieux point to recent life in Palm Beach Gardens. Palm Beach County court records show he lived in an apartment in Palm Beach Gardens as recently as April 2025. State business records list Lemieux as the registered agent for Andros Home, which incorporated in 2022.
Even as investigators worked, questions about what becomes public quickly ran into legal limits.
The Palm County Medical Examiner’s Office told media outlets. in response to an open records request. that all public records requested for Claude Lemieux are exempt under SB 474 – FS 406.135. (2) (c). The state statute cited by the office was enacted in 2024 and exempts photos. videos. audio recordings. and autopsy reports related to suicide victims from general public records requests.
Lemieux’s hockey legacy, by contrast, is not in dispute. Known for his pesky play and clutch goals, he won his first Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1995 as the New Jersey Devils swept the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. Lemieux won his third championship with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and returned to the Devils for his fourth title in 2000.
Across 21 NHL seasons, he finished with 379 goals, 407 assists, and 1,777 penalty minutes in 1,215 games. In the postseason, he recorded 80 goals—including 19 game-winners—plus 78 assists and 529 penalty minutes in 234 playoff games. He led the playoffs in goals in 1995 and 1997, with 13 each time.
His death also drew political tributes from the highest level of U.S. government. U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media to honor Lemieux. referring to him as a “tremendous ‘TRUMP’ supporter.” The post described Lemieux as “a true Legend of the Game” and said Lemieux “has passed away.” Trump wrote that Lemieux was “a friend to the family” and “a tremendous ‘TRUMP’ supporter. ” noting that he won four Stanley Cups with three different teams: Montreal. New Jersey. and Colorado. Trump said Lemieux’s “80 Career Playoff Goals rank among the All Time Greats. ” and added: “Brendan. my thoughts are with you. Deborah. and the whole Lemieux family — You and your Dad were Warriors on the Ice. Claude will be missed by all who love Winning and Toughness.”.
The sequence of events around Lemieux’s final hours—his failure to return home. his discovery shortly before 3:30 a.m. and the store’s securing by investigators—has now been shaped further by the state’s 2024 privacy protections. With photos. videos. audio recordings. and autopsy reports tied to suicide victims exempt from general public records requests. the public record may remain incomplete even as the investigation proceeds.
Claude Lemieux was 60. Authorities and investigators continue work at the scene in Palm Beach County as the hockey world and beyond respond to the loss of a player whose postseason scoring and competitiveness helped define multiple title runs.
Claude Lemieux NHL Stanley Cup Palm Beach County apparent suicide Andros Home PBSO Violent Crimes Division Donald Trump tribute Conn Smythe Trophy
Wow 60 is way too young.
So they’re saying it was an apparent suicide but the family found him before 3:30? That’s really sad. I don’t get why they can’t release more though like what’s the point of “exempt” records.
Let me guess, the furniture store stuff is connected? Like he owned the place right? Registered agent and all that sounds like business drama or something. Also “apparent suicide” always feels like they’re already done investigating, which is messed up.
This is heartbreaking. I saw “SB 474” and thought it was like a new law that hides everything, which maybe it does? If autopsy photos and audio can’t be public then how are we supposed to trust the conclusion. And Palm Beach Gardens… feels so random like why there, why a warehouse behind a showroom??