May Chris Simon rest in paradise. His life was cut short at 52 as confirmed by his family in a released statement on Tuesday night on behalf of his former agent. The family confirmed it was by suicide. The statement reads the following:
""The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE which unfortunately resulted in his death. We are grieving with the loss of our son, brother, father, partner, teammate and friend. The entire Wawa community is sharing in our grief. We will not be releasing any further details at this time and ask for privacy during this very difficult time. We appreciate everyone who shares in our tragic loss.""Released by Simon's former agent
Simon suited up for the Washington Capitals from the 1996-97 season when he was 25 to the 2002-03 season when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. He was on the 1998 spring team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals before falling to a mighty Detroit Red Wings team in the middle of their Cup dynasty.
The Capitals also released a statement on their socials: "The Washington Capitals are saddened by the passing of Chris Simon. Chris was a fixture in Washington for parts of seven seasons and was an integral member of the 1998 team that reached the first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history. Our entire organization extends our deepest condolences to his family and friends."
Very sad news. Chris was a great teammate, line mate, and friend. Always kind. Have a lot of great memories with him. Rest in peace, Si. pic.twitter.com/iyxkxO1QyJ
— Peter Bondra (@PeterBondra12) March 19, 2024
We at Stars and Sticks also extend our condolances to his family, his friends and his community up there in Wawa. In the 1999-00 season, Simon had a career high 29 goals and 20 assists for 49 points. He played in 320 games with the Capitals and recorded 72 goals and 79 assists for 151 points. Again, may Simon rest in peace.