Claude Lemieux 'acknowledged' relapse after 12 years sober to concerned family hours before death: report

An incident report obtained by TMZ Sports said NHL legend Claude Lemieux acknowledged he had relapsed after 12 years of sobriety to concerned family. (This video contains AI-assisted content.)

This story discusses 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).

Claude Lemieux allegedly admitted to relapsing after 12 years of sobriety the night before he died by suicide, according to an incident report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The report said Lemieux's family had noticed a change in his behavior over the past year, leaving his wife, Deborah, to confront him.

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Claude Lemieux is honored at the Colorado Avalanche's 30th anniversary celebration of the 1995-1996 season before a game against the Florida Panthers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., Dec. 11, 2025. (Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

After he allegedly "acknowledged" that he had relapsed, Deborah told him to leave the home at 10:30 p.m. ET, according to the outlet. He then was found hanging in the family's furniture store roughly five hours later by his son, Brendan.

Deborah had called Brendan after confronting her husband, and Brendan went to the home to discuss how they could support Lemieux. Brendan then checked his father's location and saw he was at the business. He drove there, spotted his father's Ford truck in the parking lot and removed a gun he knew Claude kept in the glove box due to the "emotional aspect of the situation."

The report also said a message was found on Lemieux's phone.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office but did not immediately hear back.

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