Claude Lemieux carried an injustice he never got over

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a translated version of an article shared on our French-language site Habsolument Fan by staff writer Marco Normandin.

The sudden death of Claude Lemieux , four-time Stanley Cup champion, shook the hockey world. But beyond the shock, the accounts of those close to him paint a portrait of a wounded man, consumed by a long-standing sense of rejection.

The former NHL player was found dead on Thursday, May 28, by one of his three sons. He was 60 years old. His death has been confirmed as a suicide.

A deeper feeling of rejection than we thought

Réjean Tremblay , a Montreal hockey columnist and friend of Lemieux for three decades, told the New York Post and Jeff Fillion in a recent interview that the hockey legend had long lived with what he considered a profound injustice. According to Tremblay, Lemieux never accepted not being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame after his retirement in 2009. He described a man extremely sensitive to rejection, for whom this exclusion was an unbearable burden.

Tremblay claims that this wound was much deeper than anyone could have imagined from the outside. Lemieux reportedly took it very hard, as a personal affront that he was never able to overcome despite the years.

Colombe Lacroix , widow of Pierre Lacroix and a close friend of the player who was with the family the day he died, revealed that Lemieux was going through a particularly difficult time and suffering from depression. According to her, neither the family nor close friends expected such an outcome. She described a devastated family, completely shaken by this loss.

A final wave of love that could have rekindled old pain

Just three days before his death, Lemieux made a moving appearance during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, May 25. He served as a torchbearer, having worn the Canadiens jersey from 1983 to 1990.

According to Tremblay, who cites other friends of the player, this immense wave of affection received that evening could have triggered an emotion that was too intense, awakening old sufferings and buried pains.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman paid tribute to Lemieux, describing him as one of the greatest clutch players in hockey history. In 21 NHL seasons, from 1983 to 2009, Lemieux won four Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He is survived by his wife Deborah , his daughter Claudia , and his sons Brendan , Christopher , and Michael .

His son, Brendan Lemieux , a former NHL player, broke his silence on Instagram with a poignant message: He declared his love for his father and revealed that he was his own son Luc 's favorite person . For her part, Colombe Lacroix also shared a touching memory of her last meeting with Lemieux, expressing her regret that he left us far too soon.

If you or someone you know is going through a difficult time or is in crisis, help is available. In Canada, call 988 or 1-866-APPELLE.