Former NHL enforcer Chris Simon has died at age 52
Simon died Monday night in his hometown of Wawa, Ontario, a spokesperson for the NHL Players’ Association who has been in touch with the late forward’s agent, said Tuesday.
Simon died by suicide, his family said Wednesday.
Simon’s family blamed his death on CTE, the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, in a statement released through agent Paul Theofanous. “We will not be releasing any further details at this time and ask for privacy during this very difficult time,” the family wrote. “We appreciate everyone who shares in our tragic loss.”
There’s no way to confirm CTE while a person is alive, though doctors can identify suspected cases based on symptoms and neurological exams.
Simon played 857 regular-season and playoff games over 15 NHL seasons from 1993-2008. Over his career, he fought more than 100 times and racked up 1,824 penalty minutes to rank 67th in league history.
“For a big tough player, he was also a very kind, caring individual who was always respectful and grateful for advice,” former agent Larry Kelly said in a text message to The Associated Press.
