Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Claude Lemieux’s brain is being donated to Boston University’s CTE Center to research the long-term effects of repetitive brain injuries, his family said Saturday in a statement released by daughter Claudia Lemieux Bishop.
Lemieux died by suicide at age 60 on Thursday, according to authorities, after earlier in the week serving as the Montreal Canadiens’ torchbearer before a playoff game.
He played nearly 1,500 NHL games with six teams from 1983 to 2009, and was known for his hard-hitting style and ability to perform in big games on the way to winning the Stanley Cup four times.
The family said it gave the CTE Center permission to publicly share any findings with Lemieux’s name, adding that no conclusions should be drawn regarding any diagnosis.
“Claude dedicated his post-playing career to helping the next generation,” the family said, referring to Lemieux becoming an agent.
“By allowing his name to be connected to this research, we hope his life can contribute to greater understanding, more honest conversations and better protection for athletes and families in the years ahead.”
Claude Lemieux’s brain is being donated to Boston University’s CTE Center to research the long-term effects of repetitive brain injuries, after authorities say the four-time Stanley Cup champion and former Montreal Canadien died by suicide at age 60 earlier this week. Dr. Charles Tator, the director of the Canadian Concussion Centre and a neurosurgery professor at the University of Toronto, describes what CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is and why it frequently affects athletes.
Numerous NHLers found to have CTE
CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive head injuries, often affecting athletes.
Stars like Bobby Hull and Henri Richard, as well as rougher players like Chris Simon, Bob Probert and Steve Montador, are among the other NHLers whose brains were donated for research and were found to have CTE.
Dr. Charles Tator, director of Canadian Concussion Centre and a neurosurgery professor at the University of Toronto, said CTE is a “rather tragic condition” that is commonly linked to depression and numerous other symptoms but cannot be definitively diagnosed until after death.
“We still can’t exactly be sure why they become depressed. Some become very anxious, some get PTSD, sleeplessness, pain exaggeration, but they’re subject to many symptoms,” Tator told CBC News Network.
He said researchers will look for how much degeneration there is in the brain’s nerve cells and supporting cells in order to determine whether Lemieux also suffered from CTE.
Because the condition currently has no known treatment, Tator said prevention is critical.
“Helmets do prevent some types of brain injuries, but they do not prevent concussion, they do not prevent CTE,” he said. “So we have to be smarter in hockey to do more to prevent hits to the head.”
Former NHL player Claude Lemieux’s death by suicide has reinvigorated a conversation about the toll of the sport and the need for more openness about athletes’ mental health. Lemieux’s family has donated his brain to be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
