Simon’s family says ex-enforcer died by suicide
Chris Simon’s family says the late NHL enforcer died by suicide.
And it “strongly believes” a progressive and fatal disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries is to blame.
Simon killed himself Monday night at age 52, his family confirmed in a statement provided by the player’s former agent, Paul Theofanous.
Once one of hockey’s most feared tough guys, the bruising forward from Wawa, Ont., compiled 1,824 penalty minutes — including more than 100 fights — in 782 games with seven NHL teams across 15 seasons.
Simon’s loved ones believe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) played a significant factor in his suicide.
“The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE, which unfortunately resulted in his death,” the statement read. “We are grieving with the loss of our son, brother, father, partner, teammate and friend.”
The family added it won’t be releasing further details at this time.
“The entire Wawa community is sharing in our grief,” the statement continued. “We appreciate everyone who shares in our tragic loss.”
CTE is associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries, including concussions and continued headshots.
Deaths by suicide and drug overdose are common among athletes in CTE cases.
The NHL has repeatedly downplayed any links between hockey and CTE.
A study of former NHLers published last year showed enforcers lived significantly shorter lives than their peers.
Researchers at New York’s Columbia University came to that conclusion after analyzing data from more than 6,000 players from 1967 through the spring of 2022.
The study found enforcers died on average a decade younger than comparable peers drafted at the same rank, similar height and weight, and at the same position.
The researchers did not find more deaths among the NHL enforcers than in the control group of players.
“However, being an enforcer was associated with dying approximately 10 years earlier and more frequently of suicide and drug overdose than matched controls,” the study read.
Two neurodegenerative disorder deaths, two drug overdoses, three suicides and four vehicular crashes were attributed to the 331 players identified as enforcers/fighters, compared to just one car-crash death among the age-matched control group.
Simon is the latest former NHL tough guy to die at a young age, joining the likes of Bob Probert, Derek Boogaard, Wade Belak and Rick Rypien. Probert and Boogaard were both confirmed to have CTE following their deaths.