Claude Lemieux's Brain to Be Donated for CTE Research, Family of NHL Legend Says

The family of NHL legend Claude Lemieux has agreed to donate his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University’s CTE Center for research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Lemieux, who passed away on Thursday at age 60, played 21 NHL seasons and won four Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, and New Jersey Devils. The donation was announced Saturday by the Lemieux family, who stated the decision was made to help advance research on the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts and traumatic brain injury. The UNITE Brain Bank, the world’s largest repository for traumatic brain injury and CTE research, has received over 1,700 brain donations since its inception. The center aims to develop a diagnostic test for CTE, which currently cannot be detected in living patients. Lemieux’s family emphasized that the donation is a gift to science and future generations, hoping his legacy will contribute to greater awareness and protection for athletes. They also requested sensitivity in discussions about his death, noting that suicide is a complex issue. Lemieux’s career spanned six NHL teams, including a late comeback at age 43 during the 2008-09 season. His final public appearance was at the Montreal Canadiens’ Bell Centre in May, where he carried the torch during the Eastern Conference Finals. The Carolina Hurricanes later paid tribute to him ahead of Game 5 of the conference finals. The UNITE Brain Bank, described as the largest tissue repository for traumatic brain injury research, will use Lemieux’s donation to study CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. The family has granted permission for the center to publicly associate Lemieux’s name with the research findings.