OVERDOSE KILLED EX-PLAYER SVATOS
Former Avalanche winger Marek Svatos had codeine, morphine and an anti-anxiety medication in his system when he died of combined drug intoxication last month, the Douglas County Coroner’s Office said Monday.
Svatos, 34, of Kosice, Slovakia, was living in Lone Tree when he died Nov. 5.
He had a history of heroin use and had gone through drug rehabilitation, according to the coroner’s report. He also had suspected depression, prior suicidal thoughts and “recent life stressors.”
“Drug paraphernalia was found at the scene,” the report said.
Blood panels found traces of codeine, morphine and the antianxiety medication Xanax.
A seventh-round Avalanche draft choice in 2001, he scored 96 goals for Colorado in an injury-plagued stay from 2003-10.
He also played briefly for Nashville and Ottawa in 2010-11, his final NHL season.
In addition, he was with two teams in the Kontinental Hockey League, including the Slovakia-based Bratislava Slovan, and finished his professional career with his hometown team, Kosice, in the Slovak pro league in 2013-14.