Tuesday, August 16, 2011

27-year-old Rick Rypien found dead on Monday

Rick Rypien
((ht: winnipegfreepress.com))

They haven't even played a game yet and the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers are mourning the loss of a player.

27-year-old Rick Rypien was found dead Monday by a family member at or near his home in southern Alberta, Canada.

According to reports, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police say they don't believe the death was suspicious. For his part, Rypien had some demons that he was dealing with as well. He went on leave while with the Vancouver Canucks on 2 different occasions last season. He signed a contract July 4th, to play for the new team in Winnipeg.

According to an article in the Winnipeg Free Press, Rypien said his issues were personal, but not drugs, alcohol or substance abuse.

Read more from the Free Press RIGHT HERE

Rypien wasn't married, but was a cousin of former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien. There's no indication whether the incident is still under investigation. There also is no indications of funeral plans.

Our sympathies to the Rypien family.

Rypien's reputation in hockey was that of a scrappy little guy who wasn't afraid to mix it up with the bigger players or defend his teammates. He was apparently very well liked within the hockey community.

This is Rypien mixing it up with first a player, then a fan, which led to a suspension and eventually one of his absences in 2010.

From YouTube:

No comments: