Esau. Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 A sad off-season in the National Hockey League continued Wednesday with the death of former Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames tough guy Wade Belak, CBC News has confirmed.Belak, who played 15 seasons in the NHL with five teams and had retired on March 8, reportedly was found in the tony 1 King West Hotel and Residence, just blocks from the Air Canada Centre in downtown Toronto. He was 35.Born in Saskatoon and raised in Battleford, Sask., Belak is the third NHL player to die in less than four months.In mid-May, New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard, 28, was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment from a drug overdose, while one-time Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien was found in his Alberta home earlier this month, a "sudden" and "non-suspicious" death, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Rypien was suffering from depression.Belak, who maintained residences in B.C. and Nashville —where he last skated in the NHL for the Predators —was in Toronto to film the third season of Battle of the Blades, the CBC's successful reality-show mixture of hockey and figure skating, which begins Sept. 18."We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Wade Belak. We send our thoughts and condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed," Kirstine Stewart, CBC executive vice-president of English services, said in a statement.The Predators also released a statement: "The entire Nashville Predators organization and family is shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely passing of Wade Belak. Wade was a beloved member of the organization, a terrific teammate and wonderful father and husband who will be greatly missed."Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Jennifer and children Andie and Alex. We offer our full support to them at this very difficult time."1st-round pickThe Belak family is not commenting at this time, CBC News in Saskatchewan reported Wednesday evening.Belak was a first-round pick of the Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche), drafted 12th overall in 1994. He broke into the NHL with the Avalanche during the 1996-97 campaign, playing five regular-season games. Belak appeared in eight games the following season and 22 in 1998-99 before moving on to the Calgary Flames for two-plus seasons.It was during Belak's next NHL stop in Toronto, where he spent the next six-plus seasons, where the player realized he had a future in the league."That's where I learned to play forward and defence," Belak told the Toronto Star in May of this year. "I knew my role was the enforcer type, but I learned a lot of things along the way from people like [former NHL tough guy] Warren Rychel."After a short stint with the Florida Panthers, Belak joined his fifth and final team in Nashville. He played two-plus seasons with the Predators before the grind of the job had given Belak arthritis in his pelvis and he chose to end his playing career.He went on to launch a career in media as a sideline reporter for radio during Predators broadcasts while collecting his salary of $575,000 US.There were hospital visits, cortisone shots and needles directed into his midsection followed a three to four days of recovery."My body was telling me it was ready [to retire]," Belak told the Star. "I thought last year I was ready, but when the [Predators] offered me a chance to come back, I jumped at it. I was helping the younger guys, as you get older, your role changes and I think I was more of a mentor … a good guy to have in the dressing room, lighten up the locker room."Belak finished with eight goals and 33 points in 549 NHL regular-season games, collecting another goal in 22 playoff contests."All players and NHLPA staff are sincerely saddened and shocked by the passing of former member Wade Belak," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said in a statement. "His affable personality made him popular with teammates, fans and media, and he was a hardworking, respected member of the Association. He will undoubtedly be greatly missed throughout the entire hockey community. Our deepest condolences go out to Wade’s family and friends during this very difficult time."An outgoing personality, the six-foot-five, 220-pound Belak often brought a comedic presence to the dressing room, trading barbs with teammates, offering his quick wit in interviews, and providing funny and entertaining quotes for reporters.He also would poke fun at himself and became a regular on Leafs TV and on morning radio in Toronto with alternative rock station The Edge 102.1Belak was asked by the Star about the best thing that happened to him as a player and he answered by saying the first goal he scored in the NHL with Colorado in 1997-98 and his last, with Toronto, in 2007-08."Fans were chanting my name in the streets," he said, "it felt like I was mayor for a week."http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/08/31/sp-belak-death.html?cmp=rss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 That's really sad. Bizarre that its the third enforcer in 4 months. What a strange coincidence. Gonna make for some tedious PR work for the NHL and NHLPA, Im sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 Belak hung himself apparently... fuuuuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 jebas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau. Posted September 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 Belak hung himself apparently... fuuuuck.I just read that on CBC.http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/09/01/spf-belak-thomson.html?cmp=rssWhat the fuck is going on this summer? I know (personally) of two people who attempted suicide this summer, sadly, one was successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister slippery Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 Just awful.Rest in peace, Wade. You were always a great interview, and seemed to genuinely love the fun side of hockey. IE, that hockey, above all else, is a game, and is fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBigTime Posted September 1, 2011 Report Share Posted September 1, 2011 His wife supposedly found out about it through the media as well... horrible stuffRIP Wade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 From Eric Engles: "The CBC's P.J Stock appeared on "Melnick in the Afternoon" yesterday and intimated that he's familiar with what happened, and suggested that though Belak's cause of death was strangulation, it was accidental. Again, we'll have to wait and see if any more details are officially released." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 I was thinking that myself, but didn't want to say anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 Say what? The old pleasure strangulation gone to far? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 Take this with a grain of salt based on the source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 Obviously, but I still don't know what he would be referring to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton Posted September 3, 2011 Report Share Posted September 3, 2011 Sad. That guy always gave a great interview. RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) From Eric Engles: "The CBC's P.J Stock appeared on "Melnick in the Afternoon" yesterday and intimated that he's familiar with what happened, and suggested that though Belak's cause of death was strangulation, it was accidental. Again, we'll have to wait and see if any more details are officially released."When Chris Nilan was on OTR last week he wouldn't characterize Belak's death as suicide, instead saying something like, "Who knows what happened there."Has anything else related to this possibly being accidental come out yet? Edited October 11, 2011 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Yup. there was an article in the Star not too long ago that stated his wife and family were treating it as an accident. Even though he was said to be depressed, he had too much going for him to off himself, the story said.If you've ever read much Palahniuk, that type of death (accidental strangulation) is all too common, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 If you've ever read much Palahniuk, that type of death (accidental strangulation) is all too common, unfortunately.So we're talking autoerotic asphyxiation right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 Say what? The old pleasure strangulation gone to far? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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