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The NHL and the sports world at large continue to mourn the loss of two-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux, who passed away on Thursday. He was 60 years old.
Lemieux’s death came as a surprise as he was carrying the torch at the Montreal Canadiens’ home stadium on Monday before the team’s Game 3 game against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final. Wearing his red and blue Canadiens sweater, No. 32, Lemieux smiled and carried a flame toward a dark rink.
Tributes poured in as news of Lemieux’s death spread, and his daughter was among those remembering one of hockey’s most respected and polarizing figures.
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Claude Lemieux made an appearance at Montreal’s Bell Center for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals just days before his death. (Photo by Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images)
After reposting a New Jersey Devils tribute to her father on Instagram Stories, Claudia Lemieux shared her own heartfelt message. “There are no words to express the level of devastation we feel. I will love you forever dad. Forever your only daughter.”
Claude Lemieux’s son, Brendan, also honored his father by sharing a photo of three generations of the family on social media.
Claude Lemieux, wearing number 22, scores for the Canada Legends against the USA Legends during the Legends Classic hockey game at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario on November 7, 2010. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
“I love you dad! My son’s favorite person is going to be looking down on you for a while. See you around,” he wrote alongside a red heart emoji. Brendan inherited his father’s passion for hockey and spent a decade in the NHL, most recently playing for Carolina during the 2023-24 season.
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Lemieux scored one of the most famous goals in Canadiens history as a rookie in 1986, sliding a backhander over the glove of Hartford goaltender Mike Liut and into the top corner in Game 7 of the second round.
Claude Lemieux is honored at the Colorado Avalanche’s 30th anniversary celebration of the 1995-1996 season before the game against the Florida Panthers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on December 11, 2025. (Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Lemieux grew up in Mont-Laurier, in western Quebec.
Former Canadiens center Doug Gilmour said Lemieux possessed the rare ability to frustrate his opponents while earning the respect of his teammates, a trait that stood out during the 1989 Stanley Cup Final.
“It was a pain to play against him, but you wanted him on your team.”
