Former teammate and NHL legend Martin Brodeur pays emotional tribute to Claude Lemieux
The tributes for Claude Lemieux keep arriving from every corner of the hockey world.
Martin Brodeur added his voice on Thursday with a deeply personal post on X. "The hockey world lost a true warrior," the Hall of Fame goaltender wrote.
The two won the Stanley Cup together in New Jersey in 1995. They won it again in 2000. Two championships in the same room. A bond that lasted long after both players hung up the skates.
"Claude was one of the best teammates I ever played with," Brodeur said. "We shared so many unforgettable moments and memories together, and I'll always be grateful for that."
That's the second former-teammate Hall of Famer to pay tribute publicly within 24 hours. Patrick Roy spoke earlier. Now Brodeur. Two of the greatest goaltenders in history, both anchored by Lemieux in front of them on Cup-winning runs.
The Devils dynasty doesn't happen without him. The Conn Smythe Trophy in 1995 made it official. Lemieux was the playoff engine that drove that organization to a championship neither side saw coming.
What the Brodeur tribute tells us about the man behind the persona
Players who shared a room with Lemieux always described him differently than the players who faced him. The intensity didn't carry into the locker room. The competitive fire stayed on the ice where it belonged.
Brodeur's word choice matters. "Warrior" wasn't a throwaway compliment. The two went to war together more than once across two decades of Devils hockey.
Lemieux won four Stanley Cups across three franchises. Montreal in 1986. New Jersey in 1995. Colorado in 1996. New Jersey again in 2000. Four rings. Three cities. Same player.
His career spanned 21 NHL seasons. 1,215 regular-season games. 379 goals. 234 playoff appearances. Numbers that put him in serious Hall of Fame conversations.
Honestly, players like Lemieux don't get fully appreciated until they're gone. The villains of one era become the legends of the next. The hockey community is learning that lesson in real time this week.
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Brodeur closed his post with a simple line. "Rest in peace, Claude." That's all the words really need to be.
Darren McCarty, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. Three completely different relationships with the same man. Three tributes that all land at the same emotional weight.
The Lemieux family is going through unimaginable grief this week. The hockey world is grieving with them in the only way it knows how. Through stories. Through memories. Through honest words from the players who knew him best.
Rest in peace, Claude. The game won't forget.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 27, 2026
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| Shayne Gostisbehere | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jackson Blake | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| K'Andre Miller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| William Carrier | - | - | - | |
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