Four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux has died at 60. The former Conn Smythe winner’s sudden passing follows an illustrious 21-season career defined by postseason brilliance and grit.
On Thursday afternoon, the NHL Alumni Association announced the passing of former NHL all-star and noted tough guy, Claude Lemieux.
A four-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner, Lemieux's death was sudden, with reports indicating local law enforcement were responding to an attempted suicide at a business owned by Lemieux and family.
Photo by Dick Raphael/USA Today Just two nights prior, Lemieux had carried in the torch for the Montreal Canadiens in advance of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
He was just 60 years old.
A Quebec product, Lemieux went on to win the Stanley Cup with his hometown Canadiens, as well as with the Colorado Avalanche and twice with the New Jersey Devils.
"He was loved by his wife and four children, and on behalf of the Lemieux family, we kindly ask that everyone respect their privacy during this difficult time. Memorial service details to follow," the NHL Alumni Association wrote on Thursday.
Lemieux put up 1,777 penalty minutes in his 21-season career, while also managing 379 goals and 786 points in his 1,215 total games played. He also operated at a strong .68 point-per-game rate in the postseason.
Lemieux's son, Brendan, spent four years with the Winnipeg Jets organization - suiting up for both the Manitoba Moose and the Jets. He later moved on to the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings, before ultimately travelling to Switzerland, where he spent the past two seasons playing for HC Davos.