2011 Year in Review: Hockey rocked by deaths and injured superstars

The National Hockey League endured one of its darkest stretches ever in 2011 with the off-season deaths of three popular players, including former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Wade Belak.

Belak, known for his infectious sense of humour off the ice, and his ill-humour on it, was found dead in the 1 King West Hotel and Residence in downtown Toronto on Aug.31. Under still-mysterious circumstances the 35 year old hung himself while in town rehearsing for the CBC’s Battle of the Blades.

CityNews spoke to Belak’s father shortly after he was discovered dead.

“We were laughing about his Battle of the Blades figure skating stuff and he was looking forward to that,” Lionel Aadland said.

“It’s just a total shock to all of us. We had no indication that there was anything bothering him, he was, we thought, as happy as people [remembered him] in Toronto. A very funny fellow, loved by his teammates and his family and it’s a total surprise to us.”

His death was preceded by the accidental overdose of New York Rangers tough guy Derek Boogaard, 28, in May, and the suicide of troubled but tenacious Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien on Aug 15.

It was later revealed that Boogaard was suffering from CTE, a form of brain damage brought on by repeated blows to the head.

The tragedies sparked heated debate about the role of the enforcer in hockey, with some writers trying to find a link between the trio of deaths and the long, stormy tradition of fisticuffs in the sport.

While the hockey brethren was dealing with the untimely deaths, a culture change was being contemplated after star Sidney Crosby was relegated to the sidelines for more than 10 months with post-concussion syndrome.

Another brutal hit kept the focus on head injuries. In May, Boston Bruin defenceman Zdeno Chara drove Montreal’s Max Pacioretty headfirst into the stanchion (the pole that attaches to the glass and boards in a hockey rink). Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra, but has since returned to action.  

Chara wasn’t disciplined by the league and after a police investigation, no charges were laid. But the hit created a media frenzy, and helped pave the way towards a crackdown on head shots.

Former NHL players also began coming forward with tales of anxiety and depression following head injuries.

Eric Lindros, who suffered at least seven concussions before retiring in 2007, told Maclean’s magazine about the psychological and emotional toll that followed his head injuries.

And with a sudden slew of media stories focusing on concussions, the NHL began cracking down on head shots.

New league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan set the tone, doling out harsh punishments to offenders during the NHL’s pre-season.

Despite Shanahan’s efforts and the media’s glaring spotlight on the plague of head injuries, the concussions continued to pile up. 

Just eight games after making his dramatic return to the ice with a four-point performance, Crosby again began suffering from concussion symptoms, announcing in December that he was out indefinitely.

Since then, Flyers captain Chris Pronger has also been sidelined with a concussion, adding another dark chapter to the NHL’s troubled 2011.