The daughter of late NHL legend Claude Lemieux is reflecting on her father’s unexpected death last month.
“Almost three weeks without you,” Claudia Lemieux wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, June 16. “I still don’t have the words. It doesn’t feel real. I would give anything to have the chance to go back and tell you how much I love you. I miss you. Forever and always your only girl🪽.”
Claudia, 29, wrote her heartfelt note alongside a childhood photo of her sitting on her dad’s lap.
Claude died by suicide, a medical examiner determined, on May 28 in Florida at age 60. He played 21 seasons in the NHL, winning four Stanley Cup championships in his career. Claude retired in 2009 as one of the most celebrated playoff performers of all-time.
In addition to Claudia, he is survived by his wife, Deborah, and sons, Michael, Christopher and Brendan.
Two days after Claude’s death, his family released a statement calling him “more than a hero.”
“He was loving, loyal, funny, protective and generous,” the statement read. “He was stubborn, and he was completely devoted to the people he loved. He was adored by his family in turn.”
His family also acknowledged that Claude had died by suicide, announcing they would donate his brain to CTE research.
“Claude dedicated his post-play career to helping the next generation,” the statement said. “By allowing his name to be connected to this research, we hope his life can contribute to greater understanding, more honest conversations, and better protection for athletes and families in the years ahead.”
The family added, “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.”
Claude’s death came just days after he served as torch bearer for the Montreal Canadiens, one of his former teams, before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman honored Claude, as well as late Minnesota Wild reporter Jessi Pierce, before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals earlier this month.
“Claude Lemieux was one of the greatest big time game performers in the history of hockey,” he said in a press conference. “[The] Stanley Cup Final is where he shined the brightest. His flame extinguished far too soon last week. We are terribly saddened and we mourn his passing.”
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