NHL Player Rick Rypien Dies at 27
NHL hockey forward Rick Rypien was found dead in his Alberta home on Monday night, but the death of the 27-year-old has been reported as unsuspicious.
Rypien is a former Vancouver Canuck and was playing for the Winnipeg Jets, which released a statement after the news of his death.
“Rick was a talented player with an extremely bright future,” the Jets said. “His hunger for the game made him a valued team member both on and off the ice. This loss has impacted us as more than just a hockey team.”
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Jason Jaffray, a former teammate of Rypien’s, spoke to the Canadian news outlet The Gazette regarding his passing: “Rick was a guy everybody loved having on his team,” Jaffray said.
“You hated to play against him. You loved him in your dressing room because you knew he’d have your back, especially if your top-end guys were run over or taken advantage of. He’d be the first to step up.”
Rypien was currently on a leave of absence from hockey for an undisclosed personal reason before his death. This was his second leave in three years.
Jaffray spoke to him earlier this summer.
“When I talked to him then, he sure was excited about this fall already,” said Jaffray to The Gazette. “He didn’t want to go to that finals game in Vancouver. He said he wanted to think about bringing that Cup to Winnipeg.”
Jaffray adds that Rypien was in good spirits at the time, and he has no idea how this has happened.
Rypien signed a $700,000, one year contract with the Winnipeg Jets after playing six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.
The league suspended him in October for an incident with a fan during a game in Minnesota.
Canucks General Manager Mike Gills discussed Rypien’s leave of absence last November.
“I can’t talk about Rick’s situation, but when you come to know somebody and realize they’re a really good person, who has their heart in the right place and wants to do the right thing not only for themselves but for others, you have to support them,” said Gills to Vancouver Sun columnist Iain MacIntyre.
Rypien is the second NHL player to die this year. The first, being Derek Boogard of the New York Rangers, who died from mixing alcohol with prescription medication.
