Canes’ Andersen plays with heavy heart after Lemieux’s deathGreg WyshynskiMay 30, 2026, 12:42 AM ETClose
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
RALEIGH — While the Carolina Hurricanes celebrated their Eastern Conference championship win over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night, goaltender Frederik Andersen’s heart was heavy.
Andersen was one of the first prominent clients for Claude Lemieux, who became a successful player agent after his 21-season NHL career, in which he won four Stanley Cups. Lemieux, 60, died by suicide on Thursday, according to authorities.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded just after 3 a.m. to the scene of an apparent suicide at a furniture store showroom in Lake Park, Florida. The sheriff’s office reported the victim was found in a rear warehouse by one of his sons.
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“It’s been a difficult couple of days. But the way we showed up today for each other is incredible. I can’t talk about enough good things about this team and the way they supported me,” Andersen reported in a postgame interview on TNT, following Carolina’s 6-1 Game 5 victory over Montreal to win the conference final, 4-games-to-1.
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour reported he wasn’t sure that Andersen would be available for Game 5 given the shocking news of his agent’s death.
“You just don’t know how that was going to shake out. But obviously he shook it off and battled through it,” Brind’Amour reported. “You saw the emotion after the game. That’s a tough time for him, but he made us all proud, that’s for sure.”
Andersen made 23 saves, including some key second-period stops to ensure that Carolina didn’t squander a 4-0 advantage they had built in the first 27:19 of the game.
Lemieux died a few days after carrying the ceremonial pregame torch at Montreal’s Bell Centre before Game 3. He played for the Canadiens for seven seasons and won the Stanley Cup with them in 1986.
Carolina’s Frederik Andersen made 23 saves, including some key second-period stops, in the Hurricanes’ 6-1 Game 5 victory over Montreal to win the Eastern Conference final. Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty ImagesAccording to the North State Journal, Lemieux reached out to Andersen before the game to tip him off that he’d been asked to carry the torch.”He’s like family,” Andersen reported after Game 3.Captain Jordan Staal reported that the Hurricanes took pride in supporting their goaltender through his grief.
“Freddie was unbelievable. We were playing for him as best we could. It’s a tough couple of days here for him and we’re just a family here and we all felt that hurt,” Staal reported. “We tried to share as best we could and play well in front of him as best we could. But I thought he played unbelievable.”
It’s been a remarkable playoff run for Andersen. He’s gone 12-1 with an NHL best .931 save percentage and 1.41 goals-against average. This is the first time in his 13-season career that Andersen will compete for the Stanley Cup. Andersen was asked after the game what Lemieux’s message to him might have been ahead of the Stanley Cup Final.
“Just go get it,” he reported. “He’s the ultimate competitor. He’s got the biggest heart. He wanted this so much for me and for the team.”
