Claude Lemieux Dies at 60 After Lake Park Attempt — How Did Claude Lemieux Kill Himself
Claude Lemieux died at age 60 after deputies responded to a suicide attempt at a furniture showroom in Lake Park, Florida. Readers searching how did claude lemieux kill himself are being pointed to the same early Thursday response that ended with the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office confirming his death.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said deputies went to the showroom early Thursday morning and secured the business for investigation. State records show the showroom is owned by Lemieux and his wife, Deborah.
Palm Beach County investigation
The medical examiner’s office declined to release records, citing a Florida statute that exempts suicide cases from public records requirements. That leaves the sheriff’s office response and the medical examiner’s confirmation as the public record of what happened at the Lake Park site.
Lemieux’s death ends the life of a player whose name carried unusual weight in hockey circles. He played 21 seasons with six teams, won four Stanley Cup titles, took the 1995 Conn Smythe Trophy and scored 80 playoff goals, which rank ninth in NHL history.
Claude Lemieux’s hockey record
He also finished with 158 playoff points, tied for 27th in NHL history, along with 1,215 regular-season games, 379 regular-season goals, 786 regular-season points, 1,777 regular-season penalty minutes and 529 playoff penalty minutes, which rank third in NHL history. His career included two Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils, one with the Colorado Avalanche and one with the Montreal Canadiens.
The 1996 Western Conference final remains part of that record. Lemieux checked Kris Draper from behind into the boards, breaking Draper’s jaw, nose and cheekbone, and Lemieux was suspended for the first two games of the ensuing Stanley Cup Final against Florida.
After his playing career ended in 2009, Lemieux became an NHL player agent. The news of his death drew statements from Geoff Molson, Joe Sakic and Gary Bettman, including Molson’s line, “Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community,” and Bettman’s description of Lemieux as “one of the greatest big-game players in hockey history.”
Sakic said, “He was a loyal friend who would do anything for his teammates and someone you could always count on,” and added, “Today is a very sad day for the Avalanche family and Claude will be greatly missed by all of us who had the privilege of knowing him.” For people who followed Lemieux through his later career, the next public step is the sheriff’s office and medical examiner’s handling of the Lake Park case file, not another game or a tribute on the ice.
