Chris Simon's family releases statement about his cause of death

The NHL community suffered a tough loss on Monday, as it was confirmed that Chris Simon has passed away.

Simon played 782 games in the NHL, splitting his career between the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, and Minnesota Wild. Once his NHL career came to an end following the 2007-08 season, he spent five seasons in the KHL before retiring.

While Simon did have skill to his game — as proven by his 144 career goals and 305 career points, he was mainly regarded as an enforcer, racking up 1,824 penalty minutes in the NHL. There have been several stories about former fighters at the NHL level who have suffered from CTE and have had mental health struggles as a result, and Simon’s family believes that was the case for him as well.

“The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE which unfortunately resulted in his death,” a statement from Simon’s family, provided by his former agent Paul Theofanous, 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.”

Despite the struggles of many former enforcers, the NHL has continued to deny that fighting and CTE are linked. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli this morning, “I think the science is still lacking.”

Asked Bill Daly whether the #NHL’s viewpoint has changed with additional medical studies that show a definitive link between CTE and repeated blows to the head.

“No,” Daly said. “I think the science is still lacking.”

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 20, 2024

Commissioner Gary Bettman extended his condolences to Simon’s friends and family but said the league would wait to hear from medical experts before commenting on the matter of his passing.

“Chris’ passing is tragic, it’s sad,” Bettman said. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. And, you know, on all of these matters, we wait to see what the medical experts tell us. Having said that, I think it’s well documented with all of the progress that we’ve made over the last couple decades to make the game as safe as possible.”

Simon, who was just 52, leaves behind five children. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this extremely difficult time.

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