Rick Rypien Passes Away…Tragic Loss for Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Jets center Rick Rypien was found deceased in his home on Monday August 15th, just nine months after the player took an indefinite leave of absence from the Vancouver Canucks after six seasons with the team to focus on an undisclosed personal matter.   Rypien was only twenty-seven years old.

So far this offseason Rick Rypien is the second professional National Hockey Player to have been found dead.  Former New York Rangers Derek Boogard passed away in May due to an overdose of alcohol and oxcycodone.

Rick Rypian is 5’11” and 190lbs.  He has recently signed a $700,000 one-year contract with the Jets last month after six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.  His mark on Hockey includes nine goals, seven assists and 226 penalty minutes in 119 career NHL games.

In a press release the official statement of the Winnipeg Jets was to have said the following : “We would like to express our sincere sympathies to the Rypien family as well as Rick’s friends. We also appreciate all of the support that has come pouring in from Rick’s fans. Rick was a talented player with an extremely bright future. His hunger for the game made him a valued team member both on and off the ice. This loss has impacted us as more than just a hockey team.”

The Canucks also made their offical announcement last year on Nov. 25 Rick Rypien had been granted an indefinite leave of absence.  It was the second time in just three years for Rypien that he had taken a hiatus to handle a personal issue. Rick also received a six-game suspension last year after grabbing a fan on his way to the dressing room in Minnesota.  Prior to that Rick Rypien was suffering ongoing injuries and missed 70 games in the 2008-2009 season.

The cause of death is not yet known.