from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star,
On the surface, Chris Simon was a classic Canadian story.
He was born to an Ojibwa father and an Anglo-Saxon mother in the tiny town of Wawa, Ont. He moved to the bigger town of Sault Ste. Marie as a teen, seeking better opportunities in hockey. He wound up playing 782 NHL games with seven franchises, was on a Stanley Cup-winning team in Colorado, and his teammates adored him. A lot of people would sign up for that ride.
The actual story was so much more complicated, of course, darker and sadder and harder. Simon died in Wawa on Monday night; a cause of death was not provided. He had four children, and two ex-wives. He was only 52.
People used to say there were at least two Chris Simons. There was the giant who loved hunting and fishing and was a gentle, caring teammate. Then there was the six-foot-three, 235-pound hulk on the ice, the one who didn’t just fight but sometimes snapped.
The cause of death was suicide.
which is why the players old agent said that his blood was on Bettmans hands because he doesnt acknowledge the impact that repeated blows have on the brain.
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