Something still troubles Claude Lemieux’s former teammates after his tragic death

More than thirty members of the 1986 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens gathered at the Serge Savard Invitational golf tournament earlier this week. But the celebration marking the 40th anniversary of that legendary championship took on a profoundly different tone in the wake of Claude Lemieux's death.

Lemieux took his own life on May 28, just three days after he had proudly carried the torch at the Bell Centre before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. The contrast between that joyous public moment and the tragedy that followed left his former teammates reeling.

Stéphane Richer, whose career path had been intertwined with Lemieux's since their early days, spoke with visible sadness at the Le Mirage Golf Club. He emphasized to RDS that he was not interested in searching for explanations, calling out those who spread rumors. "It doesn't help to dig for the why. I think it's cruel when people try to start rumors. We don't need that."

Former general manager Serge Savard, who had known Lemieux since the forward was just 15 years old, echoed the sense of disbelief.

"I was in shock because he didn't seem troubled at all. He appeared to be in incredible shape," Savard said. "But we don't truly know everyone in their private life. We don't know everything going on inside someone's head."

Savard also paid tribute to Lemieux's playoff brilliance, noting that his postseason statistics rivaled those of all-time greats like Maurice Richard and Gordie Howe.

Jean Perron, the head coach of that 1986 squad, remembered Lemieux as unpredictable but indispensable when it mattered most. Perron also raised pointed questions about the NHL's concussion protocols, suggesting that Lemieux's history of head injuries may have played a role.

"I think the NHL is not strict enough with its concussion protocol," Perron said.

Larry Robinson admitted he initially thought the news was a hoax when he first saw it on social media.

"I'd already had my own death announced a few times on social media," Robinson said. "But then I got a call confirming it, and it hit me like a brick to the face."

Robinson, who also coached alongside Lemieux during the 1995 Devils' Stanley Cup run, remembered him with a bittersweet chuckle. "He was the same damn Claude. It's so sad, especially for his family. Nobody should have to live through that."

Perhaps the most telling detail about the depth of grief came from the group's private dinner the night before. Despite being reunited to honor their shared history, the former teammates chose to focus on happier memories.

Meanwhile, the hockey world continues to process the loss of one of the most fiercely competitive playoff performers the sport has ever known, while his former brothers in arms grapple quietly with an absence that no celebration can fill.