NHL legend Claude Lemieux penned emotional notes to his family before taking his own life at the age of 60, it has been revealed.
The four-time Stanley Cup champion was found dead by one of his sons at his family furniture company warehouse in Palm Beach County in May. Officials say Lemieux died by hanging.
It has now emerged that the former Montreal Canadiens star left multiple individual messages for his family members on the notes app of his phone before his passing, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office incident report obtained by The California Post.
He reportedly left a post-it note on the phone containing instructions on how to access the notes, writing in black marker: ‘Look inside phone notes 1965.’
When officials reportedly accessed the app they found ‘multiple notes that were individualized.’
‘The notes were heartfelt in nature,’ the report stated, ‘reflected sorrow for his decision, and were consistent with that of a suicide note.’
Claude Lemieux was found dead by his family after taking his own life in May
The NHL legend, pictured with his son Brendan, left personalized notes for his family
Along with the phone, officials also reportedly discovered an opened bag of ‘bedtime gummies’ near Lemieux’s body.
However, authorities stated that a ‘toxicology report listed “negative” for all analytes.’
Lemieux’s passing came just hours after he was confronted by his wife about a potential relapse in his sobriety.
His family reportedly expressed concerns about the hockey icon’s behavior in the build up to his death.
One of his sons, Brendan, 30, who discovered his father’s body, reportedly told officials that the family had noticed a change in Lemieux’s behavior over the past year.
The change reportedly triggered concerns that Lemieux had relapsed following 12 years of sobriety, leading his wife, Deborah, to confront the former Montreal Canadiens star.
Deborah is said to have challenged her husband about her concerns over his sobriety, which Lemieux ‘acknowledged,’ on May 27.
She then asked him to leave the home at around 10:30pm that evening, before calling Brendan.
Lemieux was confronted by his wife, Deborah, about his sobriety struggles before his death
Brendan arrived at the home to discuss how the family could support Lemieux moving forward with Deborah before driving over to the family business, where he had located his father through tracking his phone location.
Upon arriving at the warehouse, Brendan discovered his dad’s Ford truck in the parking lot. He removed the firearm he knew Lemieux kept in the glove compartment and stashed it in his own vehicle due to the ’emotional aspect of the situation.’
He then proceeded to enter the warehouse and located his father upon which he called 911. Lemieux was pronounced dead minutes later at around 3:24am.
The former winger is survived by his wife Deborah and his four children – daughter Claudia, 29, and sons Christopher, 37, Michael, 34, and Brendan.
Lemieux’s sudden passing came just three days after he served as the ceremonial ‘torch bearer’ for the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre before their Eastern Conference Final Game 3 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The native of Buckingham, Quebec, won four titles in his career that spanned from 1983 to 2009. His 80 playoff goals are ninth in NHL history and his 234 playoff games are sixth.
But Lemieux will also be remembered as one of the most infamous players in NHL history. He amassed 1,777 career penalty minutes across 1,215 regular season games.
Despite winning four titles, he may be best remembered for a devastating hit he laid on Detroit Red Wings star Kris Draper that sparked a blood feud between Detroit and the Colorado Avalanche that lasted for years.
Lemieux in 1991 during a game against the Minnesota North Stars
Lemieux won four Stanley Cups with three different teams over his illustrious career
Brendan, who played seven seasons in the NHL for five teams, honored his dad last month with a picture on social media showing three generations of the Lemieux family.
‘I love you dad! My son’s favorite person is going to watch from above for a while. We will see you,’ he wrote alongside the photo.
Christopher, meanwhile, said: ‘Sometimes life has a brutal way of reminding you to appreciate what you have before it becomes a memory… I’ll miss you dad.’
Daughter Claudia was also among those who lifted the lid on the devastating impact that Lemieux’s death had on the family.
Writing on social media, she said: ‘No words to express the level of devastation we feel. I love you forever daddy. Forever your only girl.’
Her husband, Hunter Bishop, added his own tribute which read: ‘Rest in peace to a truly amazing man. Words can’t even begin to describe how much you meant to everyone. Love you big man.’
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
