Brendan Lemieux shares heartbreaking response after father Claude's incident report is released
· Yahoo Sports
Visit een-wit.pl for more information.
The release of the official incident report detailing Claude Lemieux's final hours had already shaken the hockey community on Thursday. But late that night, the former NHL star's son Brendan Lemieux took to Instagram with a message that Sportsnet journalist Eric Engels quickly described as a "must-read."
Brendan, who played in the NHL himself, shared the story around 10pmET on July 16. Engels flagged the Instagram statement on social media shortly after it went live, drawing immediate attention from fans and media alike.
The post arrived just hours after authorities had publicly released the details surrounding Claude Lemieux's death on May 28 at the age of 60.
Those details revealed the agonizing sequence of events Brendan himself lived through on the night his father died.
However, Brendan maintains in his statement that, media outlets shared several intimate details and some include complete fabrications. He asked for the hockey community to refrain from engaging in rumours and speculative stories and thanks the community for all the love and support. The post is heartbreaking, yet Brendan wants his father to be celebrated.
According to the incident report that was shared by several media outlets and blogs, the Lemieux family had noticed concerning changes in Claude's behavior over the preceding year. They feared the four-time Stanley Cup champion may have relapsed after 12 years of sobriety.
On the evening of May 27, Claude's wife Deborah confronted him directly about those concerns. The report states Claude acknowledged the relapse, and Deborah asked him to leave the family home around 10:30 PM.
Deborah then called Brendan, and the two discussed how to best support Claude through the crisis. Later that night, Brendan tracked his father's phone location to the family business, drove there, and found Claude's truck in the parking lot.
Aware that his father kept a firearm in the vehicle's glove compartment, and deeply concerned given the emotional gravity of the situation, Brendan removed the weapon and secured it in his own car before entering the building.
When Brendan went inside the warehouse, he found his father and called 911 at 3:24 AM. Claude was pronounced dead minutes later.
Investigators noted a cellphone near Claude's body with a message displayed on it. A bag of THC edibles was also found at the scene, though the toxicology report returned negative results for all substances tested.
This is the last time I will share the report looking to support Brendan in his statement.
Claude Lemieux, who won championships with Montreal, New Jersey, Colorado, and remains one of the most decorated playoff performers in NHL history, is survived by Deborah and his four children.
For now, the hockey world continues to rally around the Lemieux family as they navigate their grief under an increasingly public spotlight. Brendan's decision to speak out in the wake of the report's release signals a family determined to process their loss on their own terms.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.