it has been confirmed that Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien (formerly of the Vancouver Canucks) died today. apparently he has long been dealing with depression, and his death is believed to be a suicide. he is the 2nd hockey player known for his fighting ability to pass away this summer, along with Derek Boogaard.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/...en-dead-at-27/
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=373855



he also infamously had an incident with a fan in Minnesota last season.

Man - I was at the game when he went after the fan. What is going on here...

Here's a post BTN did awhile back about his fighting style with a lot of videos: http://www.arcticicehockey.com/2009/...02/rick-rypien.

RIP

Thoughts and prayers going out to Rypien's family, horrible news.

I feel like a douchebag for discussing this so soon, but since this is why the discussion was moved here, I do feel like it's important to point out that both of the passings (Boogaard/Rypien) involve guys that had some serious off-ice issues. Basically, I honestly don't know how much fighting has to do with this. I mean, does anyone else here know where I'm coming from with this? I don't feel like these demons are created through the fisticuffs exclusively, and for that matter, I'm not sure how big of a role the fighting plays at all.

Stu Grimson became a lawyer after he retired. Ken Baumgartner finished his MBA at Harvard. On the contrary, I think guys like John Kordic and Steve Durbano would've remained headcases with or without pro hockey fighting in their lives. Aren't these situations far more correlated to the person rather than the profession? Or am I way off here and the profession changes the person? I dunno.

What I do know is that this is another sad story and it's a damn shame.

I'm sure both Boogaard and Rypian had previous issues with mental health problems that played a large role in their deaths. However, there have been links to former NFL players with head injuries and and depression/other mental illnesses.

i don't think this one has to do with his on-ice role. rip rypien, i liked you.

This one hit close to home. I always loved Rypien. He was a finesse tough guy, not the biggest guy but had a deadly fast left.

Geddy: I hear where you are coming from. It's probably a coincidence. I doubt tough guys are the only ones battling through alcoholism, pain killers, other addictions and depression.

Hockey is one of the few North American sports where it's common for the kid to leave his home at an early age, someone help me out, 15? 16? I cannot imagine growing up without my parents and brothers in my every day life and in some strangers house with a bunch of other young boys.

I'll admit I broke down pretty hard when my cousin texted me. We've had countless discussions like, "Who would win? Gino or Rypper?" I was thrilled to hear he was signed by the Jets, a team that could use some gritty sandpaper on their 4th.

I'm still pretty rattled. Rogers Arena is running a memorial for him today, lots of photos on facebook and twitter.

16 is probably the average age for the guys that make it to the show, though it's not uncommon for them to leave home as early as 14.

Yeah, it always occurred to me how young they are when heading away from their family. But so many players I've met in their 20s are really good guys who don't seem worse off for it in many ways. And lots of kids who go to private boarding schools or even military schools do okay too.

I also know many players who are pretty tight with their families despite the distance (or maybe because of it?). When I covered college hockey it wasn't uncommon to hear of some player whose dad or parents would make it to practically every game...driving 9 hours each way to do so, etc etc.

And lots of Toronto kids might not have to go far to play juniors and might not even live with a host family.

Wade Belak has been found dead in his condo.

http://t.co/hwfu2j2

Came in here to post this after seeing it on twitter. Sad, sad off season.

Ugh seeing this get bumped, I got worried another player passed away. This really sucks. Wade always seemed like a genuine nice guy.

I will always have love for Belak after the whole Cam Jansen/Tomas Kaberle deal. RIP Wade.

Jesus wtf is going on this year?

serial killer imo

Wow saw him so many times on OTR and seemed like a nice guy all there?

Appeared multiple times on the Edge (Toronto radio station). Always a good interview, very happy, seemed to be enjoying himself. Did not see this one coming.

Jesus man wtf is happening? Crazy series of events.

Reported now to be a suicide

welp......

Figured I'd bump this thread because of this three part New York Times article about Boogaard. It chronicles his entire life basically and it's one of the best pieces of sports journalism I've ever read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/sp...to-brawl.html?

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=423043

the family are now suing the NHL over Boogaard's death

"To distill this to one sentence," William Gibbs, attorney for the Boogaards, told The Times, "you take a young man, you subject him to trauma, you give him pills for that trauma, he becomes addicted to those pills, you promise to treat him for that addiction, and you fail."

any lawyers wanna weigh in about their chances here?

I'm no lawyer but I figure that it has no chance

Has anyone seen a copy of the actual claim floating around? I am a (Canadian, not American) lawyer, and I'd be interested in reading it.

Based only on what I've read in news articles about the basis for the claim, I would say little to no chance.

http://deadspin.com/what-happens-to-...-up-1690358212

covering a lot of the same ground, but some newer stuff on Montador & from Tootoo

Interesting read. I don't think I'd ever heard Jeff Bagwell went to rehab, but this says him and Tootoo were roommates at a Malibu rehab and almost got into a fight. lol.