Former NHL winger Chris Simon has passed away at the age of 52. His family confirmed his death to be a suicide in a statement released Tuesday night.

“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.”

Simon was renowned for his physical style of play throughout his career, which spanned seven different franchises. As a member of the Quebec Nordiques, he contributed to the team’s transition to Denver and played a pivotal role in the Avalanche securing their inaugural Stanley Cup victory in the 1995-96 season.

“Chris was a great guy, a beloved teammate and important part of our first championship season,” Avalanche president Joe Sakic said in a statement.

“He was a really good hockey player who could score goals, was a big presence in the dressing room and was the first person to stand up and defend his teammates. Off the ice he was an unbelievable guy and a caring father, son, brother, and friend. He will be sorely missed.”

The Islanders posted on social media that: 

Simon “epitomized what it means to be an Islander, someone who wore his heart on his sleeve both on the ice and in the community.”

According to the NHL Alumni Association’s social media post,

“Chris was never afraid to stand up for his teammates, and played a key role in the dressing room. He was a beloved friend, father, brother, and son.”

The NHL referred to Simon as a “fierce competitor and teammate” and offered condolences in a statement released Tuesday.

More About Chris Simon

Simon spent the majority of his career with the Washington Capitals, achieving a career-high of 29 goals and 49 points during the 1999-2000 season. Throughout his career, he also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, Islanders, and Minnesota Wild.

“Chris Simon was most definitely an intimidating guy on the ice,” former teammate Mike Commodore  posted on social media.

“We spent a lot of time together during Flames ’04 run since we were both living in the hotel. … He couldn’t have been nicer to me. RIP Chris. You will be missed.”

Simon concluded his NHL career during the 2007-08 season, subsequently spending the following five seasons competing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia, where he earned recognition as a two-time All-Star.

With 1,824 penalty minutes and 305 points accumulated across 864 games, Simon left a lasting mark on the NHL upon concluding his career.