May 29, 2026, 1:20 p.m. ET
Brendan Lemieux, who followed his father into the NHL, posted a heartfelt message on social media after Claude Lemieux's death at age 60.
"I love you dad!" Brendan, 30, wrote on Instagram. "My son's favorite person is going to watch from above for a while. We will see you." He added a heart emoji.
In addition to being Claude's son, Brendan was represented by his father, who became a prominent player agent after his 21-season NHL career.
Brendan and Claude were taken in the second round of the NHL draft. Though he didn't match Claude's scoring numbers, Brendan was a gritty player and an agitator, like his father.
Both players were suspended multiple times, including for biting a player. They both fought a Tkachuk, Claude with Keith Tkachuk at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and Brendan in 2021 with Brady Tkachuk.
Brendan is currently playing in Switzerland. He played in the NHL from 2017-24, recording 36 goals, 38 assists and 548 penalty minutes in 307 games. He has 13 goals in 29 games with Davos this season.
Claude Lemieux cause of death
Claude Lemieux was found dead on Thursday, May 28, in the rear warehouse of a Florida furniture showroom for which he's the registered agent. reports the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office told USA TODAY Sports in response to an open records request that "all public records you have requested for Claude Lemieux are exempt from public records as specified under SB 474 - FS 406.135. (2) (c)."
The Florida statute cited by the medical examiner’s office was enacted in 2024 and exempts photos, videos, audio recordings and autopsy reports related to suicide victims from general public records requests.
Lemieux had taken part in a Montreal Canadiens' pregame torch ceremony the Monday before his death.
Contributing: Jesse Yomtov, Mark Giannotto, Palm Beach Post