Chris Simon who won Stanley Cup with Avalanche dies

Former NHL winger Chris Simon, who spent 15 seasons in the NHL, has died at 52.

Chris Simon died by suicide on Monday, his family confirmed in a statement released Tuesday night, reports ESPN.in.

The former Minnesota Wild forward won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 1996.

According to the statement provided by Simon’s former agent Paul Theofanous on behalf of Simon’s family, Chris Simon struggled immensely with CTE which unfortunately resulted in his death as the family strongly believes and witnessed directly.

However, the family disagreed to release any further details at this time and asked for privacy during this very difficult time. “We welcome everyone who shares in the tragic loss.”

As a player for seven franchises, Chris Simon was known for his physicality. A member of the Quebec Nordiques, he was part of the team that helped the Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history during the 1995-96 season and relocated to Denver.

The NHL expressed condolences in a statement Tuesday and called Simon a “fierce competitor and teammate”.

Chris Simon spent the bulk of his career with the Washington Capitals. He scored a career-high 29 goals and 49 points during the 1999-2000 season.

The NHL player also played for Rangers, Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild and Islanders over his career.

Before spending the next five seasons playing in the KHL in Russia, Chris Simon last played in the NHL in the 2007-08 season. He became a two-time all-star there.

During his NHL career, he accrued 1,824 penalty minutes and 305 points.