Remembering Claude Lemieux
5/28/202613 min
Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner, has died. Today, Mark Lazerus and Dan Robson remember the man and look back on his career as one of the NHL’s most prolific playoff performers.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
This episode was recorded at 3:15pm ET on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Hosts: Mark Lazerus and Dan Robson
Executive Producer: Chris Flannery
Producer: Jeff Domet
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMarc Lazarus· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Welcome to The Athletic Hockey Show. I'm Marc Lazarus. I'll be joined in a moment by Dan Robson. Uh, we have some sad news coming out of Florida today, where former NHL player Claude Lemieux died early Thursday morning. Lemieux was a larger-than-life figure in hockey, the central figure in the unrivaled rivalry between Colorado and Detroit in the late '90s. Four-time Stanley Cup champion with Montreal, New Jersey, and Colorado. Conn Smythe Trophy winner for the Devils in 1995. One of the great clutch performers in playoff history. He's ninth all-time with 80 career playoff goals, fifth all-time with 234 career playoff games, and of course, third all-time with 529 playoff penalty minutes. He was 60 years old, just a few days removed from serving as the ceremonial torchbearer in Montreal ahead of game three of the Eastern Conference Final. Uh, Claude Lemieux leaves behind his wife Deborah and his four children, Claudia, Michael, Christopher, and former NHL player Brendan. Now, I wanna say off the top here that parts of today's conversation will be difficult, possibly triggering for some people, so please use your discretion as we continue on. Uh, this is, I wanna get this right, this is from the latest story from The Athletic, uh, reporting team. Quote, "When asked about Lemieux's death, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office told The Athletic that deputies responded to a suicide attempt at a furniture showroom, which state records show is in Lake Park, Florida, and is owned by Lemieux and his wife Deborah. The sheriff's office secured the business for investigation. The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Lemieux's death but declined to release any records, citing a Florida statute exempting suicide