Rick Rypien passes away

[freestyla 0]

Awful news again this summer. He's been found dead at his home in Alberta.

"Police confirm former Vancouver Canucks tough guy Rick Rypien has been found dead in his Alberta home. More to come."

http://twitter.com/#!/mirtle/status/103271317406625792

[Brian Harte 1]

WOW! What the heck. He has had a tough year. Rest in Peace there, fella.

[lampliter87 8]

He had had a couple leave of absences for "personal reasons" in the past... makes me wonder if drugs played a part. Sad news regardless.

[Agent1.8 1]

He had had a couple leave of absences for "personal reasons" in the past... makes me wonder if drugs played a part. Sad news regardless.

There has been reports that it is a suicide. Sad news indeed.

[freestyla 0]

He had had a couple leave of absences for "personal reasons" in the past... makes me wonder if drugs played a part. Sad news regardless.

He came out after and said there was no substance abuse. However, if suicide is indeed true then depression is very likely the reason for his leave of absences. Regardless it's absolutely awful news.

[farhanshak 1]

that is sad news, I was hoping he could make a come around. He seemed like the type of guy that everyone liked.

RIP Rick.

[Empieee 0]

r.i.p. Rick Rypien

doesnt matter how or why... it is a loss

[chippa13 1844]

Another bit of a bruiser down to depression and/or substance abuse. I wonder how many until the league takes a closer look at the repurcussions to the guys making a living taking shots to the head.

[shotty 7]

regardless of his off ice troubles, the coaching staff and his teammates in Vancouver LOVED this guy. i was sad to see him leave to another market and this news is shocking.

[17D1998 1]

Too young to die. RIP

[HattrickSwayze 3]

Man, that sucks. Rypien was one of my favorite Canucks over the past few years. The article on TSN says he's suffered with depression for a decade. Poor guy.

[lampliter87 8]

Another bit of a bruiser down to depression and/or substance abuse. I wonder how many until the league takes a closer look at the repurcussions to the guys making a living taking shots to the head.

Neither the time nor the place to start this debate.

[Chadd 916]

Neither the time nor the place to start this debate.

I'd rather see his comment than speculation on drugs or alcohol being involved only a couple hours after the initial report.

[chippa13 1844]

Neither the time nor the place to start this debate.

It is exactly the time to question the safety of players. We already know that concussions are related to depression but what about the guys who take shots to the head but aren't concussed, perhaps it is time to see if there is a link and what might be happening inside their heads.

[shotty 7]

everyone involved with his life that is speaking clearly thinks its suicide.

[ibeck 38]

If he was indeed suffering from depression, he must have been dealing with something really bad in his personal life. How can you be suffering depression and playing in the show, something else must've been going on. RIP to a true beauty.

[chippa13 1844]

Not necessarily. Clinical depression can be brought on by a simple chemical imbalance of some kind in the brain. It isn't just feeling bad about something.

[ibeck 38]

Not necessarily. Clinical depression can be brought on by a simple chemical imbalance of some kind in the brain. It isn't just feeling bad about something.

I didn't know that thanks Chippa

[burrn 0]

Well I read somewhere that his girlfriend died in a car accident a few years ago on her way to watch him play a NHL game. That would be enough for me to get depression.

[jds 20]

Not necessarily. Clinical depression can be brought on by a simple chemical imbalance of some kind in the brain. It isn't just feeling bad about something.

It can also be cyclical in nature where the person suffering from depression is "normal" for a stretch and then has "bad" days or weeks. A traumatic event can also trigger an underlying condition in someone prone to suffering from depression. Many believe it is about an imbalance of seritonin in the brain. Depression can also cause stretches of incredible fatigue-something that is common with concussions. Goes to show you how we don't appreciate the fact that our moods, drives, desires etc are all modified by chemicals in our bodies. We are just like a car-screw with the wiring and it doesn't work properly.A bit humbling to realize that's all there is to our feelings but...oops time to get off the soapbox.

[jds 20]

Great article in the Globe and Mail.

Here is also a link to the doc mentioned in above article The Last Gladiators sounds like a interesting film. Sort of The Code in film I suspect.

[lampliter87 8]

Can't say I agree with a fair amount of the article.

[jds 20]

Can't say I agree with a fair amount of the article.

You should read The Code. Interesting book that interviews a ton of "enforcers" and they all touch on that aspect of the game. Pretty fascinating. Granted, Brown's article, a feature piece to keep things in perspective, is somewhat one-sided, but it does appear that most enforcers admit the nerve-wracking nature of their role. Reading The Code changed my whole perspective on hockey fighting. Though, having never played at a high level nor been in a hockey fight, I admit most of the interest comes from being given a glimpse inside a world I don't know much about.

[lampliter87 8]

I have not read The Code, it's been on my Amazon wish list for awhile but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I have read, however, Probert's autobiography Tough Guy. I would say that has been written from the other end of the spectrum, the truth lying somewhere in the middle.

[Chadd 916]

It's only a matter of time before fighting is effectively removed from the NHL. It is becoming more and more evident that the human cost is simply not worth the entertainment value.