Former NHLer Chris Simon diagnosed with CTE

A study has shown a late champion had dealt with severe brain trauma.

On Monday, Chris Nowinski, Ph.D., CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, revealed that former NHLer Chris Simon was diagnosed with Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Simon committed suicide last year. The Stanley Cup champion was 52 years old.

The study was headed by Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the Boston University CTE Center.

Dr. McKee says the continuous impacts Simon suffered throughout his playing career led to her diagnosis.

“Individuals with a significant history of repetitive head impacts in sports who report these symptoms need to be taken seriously,” Dr. McKee said in a release. “Our team is committed to providing them the care they need while also continuing to advance CTE research.”

Nowinski stated that suicide is “complex and multifactorial” and shouldn’t be used to confirm CTE in an individual.

The CLF has performed studies on the brains of 20 deceased former NHLers – Bobby Hull, Ralph Backstrom, Stan Mikita, Bob Probert and Derek Boogard – with 19 now having been diagnosed with CTE.

Nowinski says NHL commissioner Gary Bettman refuses to recognize the connection between playing in the NHL and developing CTE.

“With each new diagnosis of CTE in a former NHL player, the NHL’s lack of leadership on this issue becomes more intolerable,” said Dr. Nowinski stated. “Yet their denial strengthens our resolve to support the hockey community through our free HelpLine and advance research focused on diagnosing CTE during life and developing effective treatments.”

Simon was known as one of the game’s toughest and sometimes nastiest players. His abilities as a power forward helped the Colorado Avalanche lift Lord Stanley’s Cup in 1996, and was a key player in the Washington Capitals’s run to the final in 1998.

However, his violent side got him in trouble. Simon is the only player in NHL history to have earned multiple suspensions of 25 games or more. At the time of his death, he was reported to have symptoms linked to CT), including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, which can be traced from the brain trauma he suffered playing hockey.

In the report, a statement was released from Simon’s parents, Linda and John Simon, and his sister, Charlee:

“Chris was suffering tremendously from CTE. We saw him declining but did not know where to turn to for help. Chris’ short-term memory issues were ongoing for many years. We 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 – meaning he couldn’t plan or problem solve and he had suicidal thoughts at times.

“Chris really distanced himself from his family and friends during the last three years of his life. This has been extremely difficult on us, as the Chris we knew had been gone for quite some time. Looking back we now realize that Chris likely started suffering from CTE in his late 20s to early 30s. Our entire family suffered for many years as we saw our son, brother, father and husband slip away from us and we couldn’t do anything to help him. Before we lost Chris to CTE, he was a very gentle, loving man whose family meant the world to him. We know that Chris would want more than anything that former players and families now know where to turn to for help if they suspect their loved one is suffering from TBI, PCS and CTE so they can get the support they desperately need.

“Our family is extremely thankful to Dr. Ann McKee, Lisa McHale and all staff at Boston University CTE Center and the Concussion Legacy Foundation for all of their work and support. We are relieved that stage 3 CTE was definitively found in his brain as it will help bring some closure and healing to his family and friends. The unfortunate feeling of anger is also present due to the negligence of a professional league turning a blind eye to CTE and other significant brain injuries sustained in the sport of hockey.”