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Former NHLer Chris Simon breathed his last on Monday at the age of 52 in his hometown of Wawa, Ontario.
In the statement released by Chris Simon's family through his former agent Paul Theofanous, they expressed their strong belief that Chris suffered significantly from CTE, which eventually led to his death:
"The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE, which unfortunately resulted in his death," the statement, provided by Simon's former agent, Paul Theofanous, on behalf of Simon's family, read.
"We are grieving with the loss of our son, brother, father, partner, teammate and friend. The entire Wawa community is sharing in our grief. We will not be releasing any further details at this time and ask for privacy during this very difficult time. We appreciate everyone who shares in our tragic loss."
CTE, which stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a progressive brain that can develop from multiple head injuries, like concussions.
Former teammates and fans turned to social media platforms, including X/Twitter, to offer their condolences and reminisce about Simon:
Simon was known for his physicality on the ice, and his impact on the sport will be cherished by fans for a long time.
Chris Simon played for multiple NHL teams
Simon used to play as a left winger and was drafted No. 25 overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1990 NHL draft.
However, he never played for the Flyers and made his NHL debut with the Quebec Nordiques in the 1992-93 season. The Nordiques later relocated to Denver, and Chirs Simon was part of the Colorado Avalanche's 1995-96 Stanley Cup-winning team.
After playing for four seasons with Quebec/Colorado, Simon joined the Washington Capitals, the team he played for the bulk of his career (seven seasons). The former NHLer also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders and the Minnesota Wild.
Chris Simon played for 15 seasons and 782 (305 points) games in the NHL before retiring in the 2007-08 season. He then moved to the KHL in Russia, where he played for five years.
