Claude Lemieux: Former NHL Great Died by Hanging Himself Before He Was Found by One of His Sons in the Back Area of His Family’s Furniture Business

Former NHL star Claude Lemieux died by hanging, authorities told The New York Post on Friday. The 60-year-old New Jersey Devils legend and four-time Stanley Cup winner was found dead in the back area of his family’s furniture warehouse in Lake Park, Florida, around 3:32 a.m. Thursday, according to a report from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said one of his sons found him after he failed to return home that night. It was not immediately known which of his three sons — Brendan, Michael, or Christopher — found the body. Known for his physical and often controversial style of play, Lemieux became NHL’s most polarizing figures during his career.

Death of a Legend

Lemieux was found on Thursday morning at a family business in Florida, according to a TMZ report. The news came just days after Lemieux appeared at Montreal’s Bell Centre, where he carried the ceremonial torch before the Montreal Canadiens faced the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals on Monday.

Lemieux won the first of his four Stanley Cup titles with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986 before winning two more championships with the New Jersey Devils in 1995 and 2000, along with another title with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

Known as one of hockey’s most notorious agitators, Lemieux scored 379 goals and recorded 786 points across 1,215 NHL games. However, he was especially known for elevating his play in the postseason, where he tallied 80 goals and 158 points in 234 playoff appearances.

“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.”

A Legend Is Gone

After retiring from professional hockey, Lemieux went on to work as a player agent. He finished his NHL career with 80 playoff goals, which still ranks ninth all-time in league history.

The New Jersey Devils traded Lemieux to the Colorado Avalanche before the 1995-96 season, and he immediately won another Stanley Cup, giving him championships in back-to-back years.

Following his retirement after the 2002-03 season, Lemieux surprisingly returned to the NHL in 2008 at the age of 43, appearing in 18 games for the San Jose Sharks squad that captured the Presidents’ Trophy.

He later made one playoff appearance for San Jose before the team was eliminated in six games by the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks in the opening round.