RIP Pepe

Very sad to learn of Claude Lemieux's passing.  He was a tough SOB on the ice, but very different off the ice.  The Devils and Avs and Wings battles back in the 90's are forever ingrained in my noggin as some of the greatest games played.  He was a real asshole on the ice, as many remember the hit on draper in 96 was one of the dirtiest plays I have ever witnessed, but my biggest memory of him was he scored the Game Winner against my beloved Whalers in 86 in Game 7 of OT.  Public enemy #1 in Hartford after that.

No one will ever know why he took his own life.  Having dealt with an attempted suicide by my own son, and also with my wife/family having to deal with her brother taking his own life at 26 years young, suicide is something that tears families and lives apart from the guilt, and it can almost always be prevented.  It just takes a few minutes to ask "how are you doing"?  and keep asking.  Mental illness has gotten really bad with the onset of Social Media and the lunacy of our political environment here in the States. 

Suicide is preventable.  My son is about to graduate with his degree in Psychology after battling inner demons for 10+ years and he starts his first job next week helping Foster kids with mental health issues.  I am so proud of how far he has come from that day we had him committed to a mental ward for 7 days due to his suicide attempt.  He was able to find a great therapist who helped him with coping mechanisms for his OCD complex, and he literally took back control of his own mind.  It was very hard on our whole family, but he managed to finally find help and is now ready to help others. 

My condolences to the Lemieux family.  Absolutely sickening to hear that his own child had to discover him dead from suicide.  No one should ever have to experience that.  Talk.  Ask.  Engage.  You never know what a loved one is going thru if you don't...