Unacceptable comments from Bettman and Daly following Chris Simon’s passing

On Tuesday, it was announced that former NHL tough guy Chris Simon had died at 52 years old. His family confirmed he died by suicide in a statement, in which more disturbing details were revealed on what he suffered before choosing to take his own life:

“The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE which unfortunately resulted in his death,” the statement, provided by Simon’s former agent, Paul Theofanous, on behalf of Simon’s family, read.

“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.”

After the statement from the devastated family was made public, the NHL reacted to the claims of Simon’s CTE and depression due to his hockey career. Both commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly offered ridiculous responses following Simon’s passing, per insider Frank Seravalli. 

First Daly said when asked if the league’s viewpoint has changed with additional medical studies that show a definitive link between CTE and repeated blows to the head.

“No,” Daly said. “I think the science is still lacking.”

Then, Bettman added: “Chris’ passing is tragic, it’s sad. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. And, you know, on all of these matters, we wait to see what the medical experts tell us. Having said that, I think it’s well documented with all of the progress that we’ve made over the last couple decades to make the game as safe as possible.”

Simon’s family strongly believes he was suffering from brain trauma. CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem although progress is being made towards an assessment in the living. When he filed for bankruptcy in 2017, Simon had stated that he was unable to work due to what he believed were symptoms of CTE which, according to documents, he said were “attributable to significant brain trauma during his hockey career.” It was confirmed by a doctor that Simon suffered from anxiety and depression, which are symptoms of CTE.

The enforcer finished his NHL career with 1,824 penalty minutes and 305 points in 864 games. His most notable achievement came in the 1995-96 season when he helped the Colorado Avalanche to their first ever Stanley Cup title when he was part of the Quebec Nordiques’ club that was relocated to Denver.

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