Forever Your Only Girl: Claude Lemieux Daughter Claudia Pays Heartbreaking Tribute to Her Father
Three days after her father carried the pregame torch at the Bell Centre, Claudia Lemieux Bishop posted five words on Instagram that said everything. "Forever your only girl."
The tributes began arriving within hours of the NHL Alumni Association's announcement on Thursday. But it was the ones from Claude Lemieux's own children that stopped people. His daughter Claudia, his son Brendan, and his son Christopher all posted publicly in the hours after the news broke, each in their own way, each with the same devastation underneath the words.
Claudia Lemieux Bishop posted on her Instagram story: "No words to express the level of devastation we feel. I love you daddy. Forever your only girl."
That line circulated widely throughout Thursday, shared by fans and former players alike, because it said in eleven words what paragraphs could not.
How the Family Has Responded
Brendan Lemieux, who followed his father into professional hockey and currently plays for HC Davos in Switzerland, posted a photograph of Claude holding his young grandson on the ice. His caption read: "I love you dad! My son's favourite person is going to watch from above for a while. We will see you." He had previously described his father as his biggest role model and the main inspiration behind his own decision to pursue hockey professionally.
His brother Christopher also posted, writing "I'll miss you dad," with Brendan responding "I love you" and Claudia adding "I love you so much" in the comments beneath it.
The NHL Alumni Association, which broke the news of Claude's passing, asked the public to respect the family's privacy. "He was loved by his wife and four children," their statement read. Claude is survived by his wife Deborah and their four children.
The Final Public Appearance
What has made the grief feel sharper for those following this story is the timing of what came before it. Three days before the announcement, Claude Lemieux was at the Bell Centre in Montreal, carrying the pregame torch before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes. He looked well. The crowd that recognised him had no reason to think it would be the last time he appeared in public.
He was 60 years old.