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Former Rangers and Islanders forward Chris Simon committed suicide, his family said in a statement to ESPN.
He was 52 years old.
The 15-year NHL veteran’s family believes he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that worsens over time.
“The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand that Chris struggled immensely with CTE, which unfortunately resulted in his death,” a statement from Simon’s former agent, Paul Theofanous, said Wednesday morning.
“We are grieving the loss of our son, brother, father, partner, teammate and friend. The entire Wawa community shares our pain. We will not be publishing any further details at this time and ask for privacy during this very difficult time. “We appreciate everyone who shares in our tragic loss.”
Simon was known for his physical play, participating in 101 fights and totaling 1,824 penalty minutes during his career.
The NHL suspended him eight different times, for a total of 65 games.
The Islanders, with whom Simon played for two seasons, released a statement to X on Tuesday after his death.
“The New York Islanders offer their condolences to the family and friends of former Islanders forward Chris Simon,” the team wrote, along with a photo of Simon in an Islanders uniform. “Chris played two seasons with the Islanders (2006-07 and 2007-08). “He epitomized what it means to be an Islander, someone who wore his heart on his sleeve both on the ice and in the community.”
Simon was selected 25th overall in the 1990 NHL Draft and reached the Stanley Cup Final three times, winning it all in 1996 with the Avalanche.
He scored a goal and two assists in the ’96 playoffs en route to winning the title.
“Friends… today is a sad day… Chris Simon was definitely an intimidating guy on the ice… a great player too…” former teammate Mike Commodore wrote in X. “We spent a lot of time together during Flames 04 as we both lived in the hotel…he couldn’t have been nicer to me. RIP Chris. We will miss you”.
He finished his career with 144 goals and 161 assists before playing his final NHL game in 2008.
The league also issued a statement following his death.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Chris Simon, who played in more than 800 NHL games over 15 seasons,” the NHL said in a statement. “A fierce competitor and teammate, Simon won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996 and reached the 1998 Stanley Cup Final with Washington, as well as the 2004 Stanley Cup Final with Calgary.
“Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and former teammates.”
If you are having suicidal thoughts, you can call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or visit Suicide PreventionLifeline.org.