New information has come out about the personal struggles that may have contributed to former NHL star Claude Lemieux's death. His close friends say the four-time Stanley Cup winner had been dealing with deep emotional pain for many years.

NOTE: This story revolves around suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

One thing that hurt Lemieux was not being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. His close friend and longtime hockey writer, Rejean Tremblay, said Lemieux never fully accepted that disappointment.

“He always lived this as an injustice, a heavy burden to bear,” Tremblay said. “The sense of rejection ran deeper than one might have imagined. He took it very hard.”

Tremblay said Lemieux was very sensitive to rejection. He remembered that in 1985, after Lemieux was sent to the minor leagues, he became so upset that he smashed his car’s windshield and drove from Montreal to Sherbrooke with the damaged car.

Lemieux’s friends also think a very emotional moment earlier this week may have brought back old memories. He returned to Bell Centre on Monday to carry the ceremonial torch before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. More than 21,000 fans gave him a huge ovation.

“It’s possible that surge of love, that wave of love on Monday evening, triggered an emotion that was too intense,” Tremblay said. “It might have reawakened old pains, old suffering.”

This new development has left the hockey world wondering what might have happened that could have led Claude Lemieux to take his own life.

Family struggles and depression added to Lemieux's emotional burden

People close to Claude Lemieux say another major source of pain was his broken relationship with his children. Sources say he did not speak with them for nearly 10 years, and that situation deeply affected him for a long time.

“It hurt him tremendously,” Tremblay said.

Family members said Claude Lemieux had been dealing with depression before his death. However, they did not think he was planning to take his own life.

“They didn’t expect that at all, they never saw it coming,” family friend Colombe Lacroix told the Post. “He’s been going through a difficult time, he was depressed.”

Lemieux died at the age of 60. During his long NHL career, he helped the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche win four Stanley Cups. He was also one of the NHL’s top playoff scorers.

Lacroix said the tragedy shocked everyone close to him. She said, “Everyone is devastated.” She also said Claude’s son, Brendan, was heartbroken after finding his father.

During what became his final trip to Montreal, Lemieux spent time with his parents and saw them for the last time. He also brought his two oldest sons, Michael and Christopher, with him.

Now, those moments feel even more meaningful as family and friends try to understand the sudden loss of one of hockey’s greatest playoff players.

Read more at the NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason