On Tuesday, we learned former NHL player Chris Simon took his own life at the age of 52, and his family made it very clear they believe the enforcer’s death was linked to CTE stemming from what he was subjected to during his lengthy career as a pro hockey player.
Most hockey fans would tell you fighting still has a place in the sport despite its controversial nature, and while donnybrooks are still alive and well in the NHL, the league has taken steps to address the potential pitfalls of throwing hands with another player to settle some differences.
There was once a time when it was possible for a player to earn a spot on an NHL roster based almost entirely on what they were able to do with their fists. Nowadays, however, enforcers are an endangered species slowly inching toward the point of extinction thanks in no small part to the alarming number of cautionary tales concerning former tough guys who had their past catch up to them.
In 2023, Columbia University published a study that suggested being an NHL enforcer can decrease your life expectancy by ten years compared to players who took a less physical approach to the game thanks to the disproportionate number of people who fell victim to “suicide and drug overdose.”
A number of players who fell into that category have spoken out about the physical and mental toll it ended up taking on them in the long run, and we sadly have another cautionary tale in the wake of the death of Chris Simon after he committed suicide this week.
Simon played for eight different NHL teams during a career that spanned 15 seasons and 782 games where he racked up 1,824 penalty minutes while getting into 101 fights (his tenure also included eight different suspensions for various incidents on the ice).
According to ESPN, Simon’s family issued a statement following his death asserting it was caused by the trauma he was subjected to while playing hockey, saying it “strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE which unfortunately resulted in his death.”
Simon had previously filed for bankruptcy in 2017 thanks in part to his inability to hold a steady job after hockey due to CTE, an issue that was compounded by “depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and arthritis to his shoulder, hand, knees, back and neck.”
The post Family Of Former NHL Enforcer Chris Simon Blames CTE For Suicide appeared first on BroBible.
