What happened to Chris Simon? New details emerge around ex-NHLer's tragic passing

Former NHLer Chris Simon tragically passed away on March 18, 2024, in what his family later confirmed was a suicide.

The Wawa, Ontario, native was only 52 years old, and his family always believed that his immense struggles with CTE played a major factor in his life being cut far too short. On Monday, it was officially announced that Chris Simon had been diagnosed with stage 3 CTE after they received the results of his post-mortem brain tissue analysis.

Simon's parents, Linda and John, and sister Charlee wrote a statement about the struggles Chris was dealing with due to CTE. Chris Nowinski shared a link to the family's statement on X (formerly Twitter).

"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," His family wrote.

It's very difficult to read, as Chris Simon's family is still mourning the tragic loss. However, as they mentioned later in the statement, they are relieved with the stage 3 CTE diagnosis, as it will help bring his family and friends some closure and healing.

Chris Simon had a very successful NHL career

Chris Simon's NHL career should be celebrated.

The second-round pick (25th overall) of the Philadelphia Flyers played in 782 career games, where he amassed 305 total points (144 goals, 161 assists). He spent time with seven different organizations, which included the Nordiques/Avalanche, Capitals, Blackhawks, Rangers, Flames, Islanders, and Wild.

Simon was also a big part of the 1995-96 Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. He had the second-best season of his career with the Avs, producing 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 64 regular-season games, while adding another three points (one goal, two assists) in 12 playoff games.