Lemieux children mourn four-time Cup winner days after his final public appearance

Lemieux children mourn four-time Cup winner days after his final public appearance

Claude Lemieux, one of the most decorated and combative forwards of his NHL generation, died Thursday at the age of 60, days after carrying the torch at the Montreal Canadiens’ Bell Centre ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. He wore his familiar No. 32 Canadiens sweater for the ceremony, smiling as he carried the flame across the darkened rink – an appearance that made his death all the more unexpected.

His daughter, Claudia Lemieux, posted a tribute on social media shortly after news spread. “No words to express the level of devastation we feel. I love you forever daddy. Forever your only girl,” she wrote. His son Brendan, who himself spent roughly a decade in the NHL and played for Carolina during the 2023-24 season, shared a three-generation family photograph and wrote: “I love you dad! My son’s favorite person is going to watch from above for a while. We will see you.” The New Jersey Devils were among the organizations to issue formal tributes, which Claudia reposted.

Lemieux won four Stanley Cups across his career – with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986, the New Jersey Devils in 1995 and 2000, and the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. His 1986 championship came in his rookie season, when a backhander over Hartford goaltender Mike Liut in Game 7 of the second round became one of the most celebrated goals in Canadiens history. He was known throughout the league as a player who drew the ire of opponents while remaining invaluable to teammates – a quality former center Doug Gilmour captured bluntly in a tribute: “He was a pain in the a– to play against, but you wanted him on your team.” Lemieux grew up in Mont-Laurier in western Quebec.

The Canadiens, who were competing in the Eastern Conference Final at the time of Lemieux’s death, faced a series already underway against the Hurricanes. No cause of death was disclosed in the available reporting.