{"id":25608,"date":"2025-04-20T16:28:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T16:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=25608"},"modified":"2025-04-20T16:28:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T16:28:21","slug":"heartbreaking-discovery-made-by-family-of-nhl-star-chris-simon-after-his-tragic-suicide-at-52","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=25608","title":{"rendered":"Heartbreaking discovery made by family of NHL star Chris Simon after his tragic suicide at 52"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.<\/em><\/p>\n

The family of NHL player Chris Simon have revealed a sad detail which was discovered posthumously after he died by suicide last year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Simon was 52 when he was found dead in his hometown of Wawa,\u00a0Ontario<\/a>\u00a0on March 18, 2024, a spokesperson for the NHL confirmed at the time.<\/p>\n

He was a longtime player in the National Hockey League (NHL<\/a>) and had a 15-year career as an enforcer on the ice.<\/p>\n

Beloved by many, his family paid tribute to their \u2018gentle, loving man\u2019 while confirming a sad health condition he was diagnosed with after his\u00a0brain<\/a>\u00a0was sent for testing.<\/p>\n

Before his death, Simon\u2019s family believed that something was happening to him, as he began to decline.<\/p>\n

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\"Chris\"Chris<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Chris Simon died last year by suicide (Yury Kuzmin\/KHL Photo Agency via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/div>\n

They shared that they had previously believed Simon suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a \u2018brain disorder likely caused by repeated head injuries\u2019,\u00a0as per<\/a>\u00a0the Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n

The website states that the disorder: \u201cCauses the death of nerve cells in the brain, known as degeneration. CTE gets worse over time. The only way to definitively diagnosis CTE is after death during an autopsy of the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family shared that they had long believed that Simon had CTE, but without being able to know for sure, it was only after his death that they were able to finally receive confirmation.<\/p>\n

The answer was provided this week when the family released Simon’s brain tissue analysis with the Concussion Legacy Foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cChris was suffering tremendously from CTE,\u201d the family said in a statement.<\/p>\n

They added: \u201cWe saw him declining but did not know where to turn to for help. Chris\u2019 short term memory issues were ongoing for many years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also learned that he had lost most of his hearing, had daily headaches, light sensitivity, paranoia, was easily frustrated with tasks, had extreme anxiety, difficulty navigating in a vehicle, apathy- lack of feeling and emotion, impulsivity, distancing himself from those who meant the most to him, had executive dysfunction \u2013 meaning he couldn\u2019t plan or problem solve and he had suicidal thoughts at times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stating that he had \u2018distanced himself from his family and friends the last three years of his life\u2019, Simon\u2019s condition was hard on everyone involved.<\/p>\n

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\"Simon's\"Simon's<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Simon’s brain testing showed that he suffered from CTE (Getty Stock Images)<\/cite><\/div>\n

Because of his behavior, they shared that \u2018the Chris we knew had been gone for quite some time\u2019 and now, they have come to terms that he may have begun to suffer from CTE in his \u2018late 20s to early 30s\u2019.<\/p>\n

As per Mayo Clinic\u2019s information, CTE symptoms may appear in two forms.<\/p>\n

One between the late 20s and early 30s, which might show mental health and behavioral issues which can include\u00a0depression<\/a>, anxiety, impulsive behavior, and aggression.<\/p>\n

Then second form can appear around age 60 which can include memory and thinking problem issues that are likely to progress to dementia.<\/p>\n

The brain analysis conducted on Simon was from the UNITE Brain Bank at the Boston University CTE Center, where his brain was donated.<\/p>\n

It was there that he was diagnosed with stage three CTE. Currently, there are four stages.<\/p>\n

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\"Chris\"Chris<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Chris Simon (left) and Alexei Yashin at the KHL All Star Game in 2011, Russia (Valery Levitin\/KHL Photo Agency via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/div>\n

Dr Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and also the director of the Boston University CTE Center and UNITE Brain Bank said as per the DailyMail: \u201cMr. Simon had severe CTE pathology in areas of the brain involved with cognition and mood regulation, and it is likely CTE contributed to his memory problems, depression, and apathy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Center also conducted a\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0which found that amateur\u00a0athletes<\/a>\u00a0that died before 30 comprised 71.4 per cent of those diagnosed with CTE.<\/p>\n

Through his struggles at the end of his life, his family remember the good times.<\/p>\n

They shared that before they \u2018lost\u2019 him to CTE, he was \u2018a very gentle, loving man whose family meant the world to him\u2019.<\/p>\n

As for other hockey players who have also been diagnosed with CTE after death, the list includes Bobby Hull, Ralph Backstrom, Stan Mikita, Bob Probert, and Derek Boogaard.<\/p>\n

If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through\u00a0<\/em>Mental Health America<\/em><\/a>. Call or text 988 or chat\u00a0<\/em>988lifeline.org<\/em><\/a>. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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