Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Anderson made a statement on the death of his former player agent, Claude Lemieux.

Lemieux, the four-time NHL Stanley Cup winner, passed away last week at the age of 60. His cause of death was officially ruled a suicide.

Frederik Andersen Makes Statement on Claude Lemieux

Andersen was mentored by Lemieux for over 15 years, and the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner had been his agent since 2015 until his death.

Following Lemieux’s tragic death, Andersen released a lengthy statement about his longtime mentor. Andersen will not make a further comment about Lemieux’s death during the Stanley Cup Finals, according to the Hurricanes.

“Claude made an unimaginable impact on me during the more than 15 years that he was a part of my life. I almost feel sorry for people who didn’t have an opportunity to get to know him beyond his achievements and impact on the ice. As phenomenal as his hockey career was, he was an even better human being. From day one, he made me feel like I was a part of his family – treating me with care, compassion, loyalty and love as if I was his own son. He had a similar effect on members of my own family, leaving a lasting impression on every life that he touched. I cannot imagine the pain Claude was in, and I pray that he is in a better place now. My thoughts are with Deborah, Brendan, Claudia and the entire Lemieux family as we grieve together. Claude’s spirit will remain in my heart, always,” Andersen said in his statement.

Frederik Anderson Carrying Heavy Heart Into Stanley Cup Finals

Andersen and the Hurricanes begin their Stanley Cup Finals matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. According to the betting odds, the Hurricanes are the betting favorites to capture the second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

This should be a phenomenal matchup between two teams that are red hot right now, entering the finals.

The Hurricanes are coming off a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Golden Knights swept the Colorado Avalanche 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals. Both teams have a ton of momentum right now, and this should be a terrific series between the two best teams in the NHL during this year’s postseason.

The Hurricanes were the much better team during the regular season, earning them home-ice advantage in this series. Because they have home-ice advantage in a seven-game series, they are the betting favorites according to the sportsbooks. But Vegas has looked incredible as of late, so you can’t count them out of winning this series, as it’s going to be a close one either way.

With Andersen carrying a heavy heart and looking to do Lemieux proud, look for him to steal the show and stand on his head for the Hurricanes in this series as the club looks to win its first Stanley Cup since 2006, when they beat the Edmonton Oilers.