As tributes continue to pour in for former Montreal Canadiens player Claude Lemieux following his sudden passing on Thursday, one of the more unexpected ones came from south of the border.
U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social Thursday night to remember Lemieux, calling the four-time Stanley Cup champion a friend and a “tremendous TRUMP supporter.” Trump praised Lemieux as “a true Legend of the Game, and one of the fiercest competitors Hockey has ever seen,” and directed his condolences personally to Lemieux’s son Brendan, writing “you and your Dad were Warriors on the Ice.”
He highlighted Lemieux’s 80 career playoff goals as ranking among the all-time greats and name-checked all three of his championship organizations, Montreal, New Jersey and Colorado. Trump closed the post by writing that “Claude will be missed by all who love Winning and Toughness,” signing off with his name and a MAGA hashtag.
Brendan himself posted a tribute on Instagram Thursday, sharing a photo of himself on the ice alongside his father and his young son. “I love you dad,” he wrote.
“My son’s favorite person is going to watch from above for a while. We will see you.” The post drew nearly 90,000 likes and a wave of condolences from across the hockey world, including messages from Michael Bublé and Candace Bure, wife of ex-Habs player Valeri Bure. The Canadiens’ own vice president of communication Chantal Machabee, was among those who liked the post.
Lemieux passed away at 60 on Thursday. The NHL Alumni Association broke the news around 1 p.m. ET, and TMZ Sports has reported his death was by suicide. He is survived by his wife Deborah and four children.
Lemieux had made his final public appearance just days earlier, carrying the pre-game torch into the Bell Centre ahead of the Canadiens’ Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.