For research
Family donates brain of dead ice hockey star
May 31, 2026 – 10:03 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Last Thursday, Claude Lemieux took his own life. Now the family has announced that the former ice hockey star’s brain will be donated.
The family of late NHL star Claude Lemieux has donated his brain to the Boston University CTE Center. The long-term consequences of repeated brain injuries are examined there. The results may be published with his name mentioned.
Claudia Lemieux Bishop announced the decision on Instagram. CTE – chronic traumatic encephalopathy – is a degenerative brain disease. It occurs as a result of frequent head trauma and can only be diagnosed after death. It has already been proven in more than 300 former NFL football players. The disease can change behavior and personality.
Lemieux took his own life last Thursday. He was 60 years old.
“Better protection for athletes”
In her statement, Claudia Lemieux Bishop wrote: “Claude dedicated his time after his playing career to supporting the next generation. We hope that his life can contribute to deeper understanding, more open conversations and better protection for athletes and their families in the years to come.”
After his playing career, Lemieux worked as a player agent. The German national player Moritz Seider was one of his clients. The Canadian native won the Stanley Cup four times: in 1986 with the Montreal Canadiens, in 1995 and 2000 with the New Jersey Devils and in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche.
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