NHL legend Claude Lemieux died by suicide at a family-owned furniture business in Lake Park, Florida, on May 28, 2026, at age 60. Three days earlier, he carried the torch at Montreal’s Bell Centre before a Canadiens playoff game.
For three days, Claude Lemieux’s final public moment stayed fresh in hockey memory: he stood in Montreal and carried the torch before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes on May 25, 2026.
Then, on May 28, 2026, Palm Beach County’s system of officials confirmed what shocked the sport—Lemieux died by suicide. He was 60.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to Us Weekly that Lemieux died by suicide at a family-owned furniture business in Florida. The business is the Andros Home showroom on the 200 block of North Congress Avenue in Lake Park, Florida.
At 3:23 a.m. ET on May 28. 2026. a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said Lemieux was found dead inside the Andros Home showroom. “The business was secured for evidence preservation/investigation by VCD Homicide,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the victim was believed to be Claude Lemieux.
The medical examiner reported that Lemieux died by suicide and was found “in the rear warehouse by his son.” The account of how the day unfolded traces back to a family moment: his family reportedly became concerned when he didn’t return home. and one of his three adult sons checked on him. It has not been disclosed which son made the discovery.
Lemieux hailed from Buckingham, Quebec, and he spent the final years of his life living in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The NHL career Claude Lemieux left behind was built on intensity and postseason electricity. He played 21 seasons in the NHL from 1983 to 2009. suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens. New Jersey Devils. Colorado Avalanche. Phoenix Coyotes. Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks. He won four Stanley Cup championships.
In 1,215 regular season games, Lemieux tallied 379 goals and 407 assists, along with 1,777 penalty minutes. The NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Lemieux’s teams reached the playoffs for 15 straight seasons. Lemieux’s 234 postseason games rank sixth in league history, and his 80 career playoff goals rank ninth all time.
After retiring, Lemieux transitioned into a sports agent career. He represented top NHL talent including the Detroit Red Wings’ Moritz Seider, the Devils’ Timo Meier, the Boston Bruins’ Hampus Lindholm and Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen.
Outside hockey, his family was quick to speak—then careful, as their words carried both grief and the need to protect their own privacy while they navigated the shock.
Claude Lemieux is survived by his second wife, Deborah, whom he married in the Bahamas in the mid-1990s. He also had four children: sons Michael and Christopher from his first marriage, and son Brendan and daughter Claudia with Deborah.
Brendan was the first family member to publicly speak out. He shared a recent photo with his father and his son, Luc, on Instagram and wrote, “I love you dad! My son’s favorite person is going to watch from above for a while. We will see you.”
Later that same day, Claudia—who works as author Colleen Hoover’s assistant—broke her silence via an Instagram Story. “No words to express the level of devastation we feel,” she wrote. “I love you forever daddy. Forever your only girl.”
On May 30, 2026, the Lemieux family released a statement about what comes next. They confirmed they plan to donate his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank at the Boston University CTE Center for research into “the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts and traumatic brain injury.” The family described the donation as “a gift to science. to athletes and to future generations of families seeking answers.”.
They also said. “Claude dedicated his post-play career to helping the next generation.” By allowing his name to be connected to the research. they said. they hope his life can contribute to “greater understanding. more honest conversations. and better protection for athletes and families in the years ahead.”.
In the same statement, the family addressed speculation around the circumstances of Lemieux’s death. They asked for care and restraint: “Suicide is complex, and the family asks media and the public to discuss this loss with care, compassion and respect for those who lost him.”
A public memorial will be announced “at a later date,” according to the Lemieux family.
The grief is being felt across hockey, but the family is also making sure the conversation turns toward research and support—while giving space to the truth they believe should be handled with compassion.
Claude Lemieux NHL Stanley Cup champion death suicide Palm Beach County Medical Examiner Andros Home Lake Park Florida Bell Centre torchbearer Montreal Canadiens Carolina Hurricanes UNITE Brain Bank Boston University CTE Center
That’s just so sad. I can’t even imagine.
Wait he was found in a furniture showroom like… that’s weird. Why would he be there unless it was some accident? Not saying suicide isn’t possible, just the location sounds off to me.
Playing and carrying the torch like 3 days earlier and then this… that honestly feels like a mistake or something got mixed up. They said “believed to be Claude Lemieux” and then the examiner says suicide, so I’m like, how sure were they at first?
I read “VCD Homicide” and immediately my brain went to murder, not suicide. Like why homicide if it’s suicide? Then it says found in the rear warehouse by his son… that’s brutal. NHL guys always got money and all that, but then the article says furniture business in Florida?? I dunno, feels like the story doesn’t add up to me.