We now know how Stephen Peat's life tragically ended

UPDATE: Patrick Johnson of The Province newspaper is reporting that Peat was struck by a vehicle late last month in Langley, BC and was homeless when he was tragically killed.

From Johnson's article earlier today:

According to Langley RCMP, a 44-year-old pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries when they were struck by a westbound car at around 4:15 a.m. on Aug. 30. According to a news release by the RCMP later that day, the unidentified pedestrian was crossing the road near Kwantlen Crescent. The driver remained at the scene and was co-operating with police. The investigation is continuing, RCMP Cpl. Craig Van Herk said in an email.

The Mounties declined to confirm that Peat was the pedestrian, but (lifelong friend) Howie Zaron confirmed that his old friend was the pedestrian who was struck.

He had struggled to hold a job and had become homeless on the streets of Surrey and Langley, bouncing between the couches of his friends and the cab of his truck.

Zaron said he would go out around Langley looking for his friend every six weeks or so. Peat was still unhoused, but Zaron usually was able to track him down. He would bring some food and they would chat.

“He still had his wits about him,” he said. “Even in his darkest hour he could talk the pants off somebody.”

Sometimes he would hear that Peat was going up to visit another friend who lived near Zaron and so Zaron would leave Gatorade and granola bars out by the street for his friend to pick up. He always did.

- Patrick Johnson

Read below for our earlier report on this developing story.

The NHL Alumni association has announced that former NHL enforcer Stephen Peat has passed away at age 44 years old.

Peat reportedly died from a tragic accident two weeks ago.

The native of Princeton, BC was a feared man on the ice in his heyday. Standing 6'2" and weighing 230 lbs, Peat was never afraid to throw his weight around. He racked up fighting majors in the WHL as a teenager and put himself on NHL scouts' radar with his gritty play and his willingness to stick up for teammates. He was selected 32nd overall by the Washington Capitals back in 1998 and would go on to play 130 career games with the team from 2001 - 2006.

He was also a member of the infamous Danbury Trashers UHL franchise during the 2004-05 NHL lockout and is memorialized in the Netflix documentary 'Untold: Crimes and Penalties'.

In a 2018 article from the CBC, Peat revealed that he suffered from extreme headaches, memory loss and an inability to focus for long periods of time. All of these symptoms are associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

"I can't even describe [the pain] right now. My head feels like it's gonna fall off," Peat said to the CBC.

"But I'm doing all right. I mean what can I do? Hopefully not die."

Peat admitted to 'self-medicating' for years with illicit drugs, but was reportedly clean and sober following a stint at a rehabilitation center on Vancouver Island in 2015. He plead guilty to arson after lighting his estranged parents' house on fire in 2015.He was also reportedly living in his truck in the Langley area in recent years.

For me, I'll always remember him for this classic tilt with PJ Stock in 2002:

RIP, Stephen.