Rick Rypien

Rick Joseph Rypien (May 16, 1984 – August 15, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He played for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He was a very tough player and used to play for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL), who were the Canucks partner in the AHL. Rypien played four seasons with the Regina Pats, a junior team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) before going to the Moose in 2005. The following season he started playing for the Canucks. He has been injured a lot in the NHL and has missed many games because of that.

He signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Winnipeg Jets but he died before training camp. His body was found in his home on August 15, 2011 by police. His death was later confirmed to be a suicide Rypien had struggled with clinical depression throughout his career. After his death, an autopsy revealed that Rypien had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Career statistics
     Regular season   Playoffs Season Team League GP  G  A  Pts  PIM GP  G  A  Pts  PIM 2001–02 Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves AJHL 57   12   10   22   143 —   —   —   —   — 2001–02 Regina Pats WHL 1   0   0   0   0 —   —   —   —   — 2002–03 Regina Pats WHL 50  6   12  18  159 5   1   1   2   21 2003–04 Regina Pats WHL 65  19  26  45  186 4   0   1   1   18 2004–05 Regina Pats WHL 63  22  29  51  148 —   —   —   —   — 2004–05 Manitoba Moose AHL 8   1   1   2   5 14  0   0   0   35 2005–06 Manitoba Moose AHL 49  9   6   15  122  13  1   1   2   22 2005–06 Vancouver Canucks NHL 5   1   0   1   4 —   —   —   —   — 2006–07 Manitoba Moose AHL 14  3   3   6   35 —   —   —   —   — 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks NHL 2   0   0   0   5 —   —   —   —   — 2007–08 Manitoba Moose AHL 34  3   11  14  81 6   0   0   0   10 2007–08 Vancouver Canucks NHL 22  1   2   3   41 —   —   —   —   — 2008–09 Vancouver Canucks NHL 12  3   0   3   19 10  0   2   2   40 2008–09 Vancouver Canucks NHL 69  4   4   8   126 7  0   1   1   7 2010–11 Vancouver Canucks NHL 9  0   1   1   31 -  -   -   -   - 2010–11 Manitoba Moose AHL 11  0   2   2   9 7  1   0   1   10 NHL totals 119   9    7    16    226 17   0    3    3    47 AHL totals 116   16    23    39    252 40   2    1    3    77

References

Other websites

Category:1984 births
Category:2011 deaths
Category:Canadian ice hockey centres
Category:Ice hockey people from Alberta
Category:Manitoba Moose players
Category:Regina Pats players
Category:Sportspeople who committed suicide
Category:Suicides in Canada
Category:Vancouver Canucks players