Tragic Death: 44-Year-Old Former NHL Enforcer Stephen Peat Dies Tragically After Being Hit by a car
Former NHL enforcer Stephen Peat released a terrifyingly prescient summary of his emotions six years before to his untimely demise.
He told CBC, “I can’t even describe [the pain] right now.” Peat remarked, “I feel like my head is going to fall off.”
However, I’m doing fine. What, exactly, can I do? I hope not to pass away.
After playing 130 NHL games, Peat, 44, suffered from depression, addiction, and frequent headaches—all signs of chronic fatigue syndrome—and his life tragically descended into homelessness.
According to the AP, he passed away this week from wounds he received when he was struck by a car on August 30 while crossing the street.
His family and friends firmly feel that his experience in the NHL as an enforcer (someone whose major purpose is to fight players from rival teams)-and the concussions that followed-are to blame, even though no one can be positive yet of what led to his physical and mental health concerns.
Peat, who played separately for the Washington Capitals in the NHL from 2001 to 2006, would later struggle with alcohol and opiate addiction and display symptoms of memory loss.
He told the New York Times about how, after his playing days ended, he “self-medicated” with prescription opioids, despite being prescribed Percocet on a regular basis during his career. He also used cocaine, and he attempted to address his substance abuse problems by entering a treatment facility.
After his final hockey career, which included one game in the American Hockey League during the 2006–07 season, Peat found employment doing a variety of occupations.
By the time he spoke with the Times, he had secured employment as a landscaper after having previously worked as a bouncer.
However, Peat found himself in legal hot water as worry and headaches began to haunt him more often.
He was found guilty of less serious charges like making threats and driving without a license.
However, things took a sharp turn for the worst when he entered a guilty plea to arson in 2016 and to “arson by negligence” following the fire of his father’s house in British Columbia, Canada.
Peat stated he entered a guilty plea to “avoid the publicity of a trial,” despite his claims that the incident was unintentional.
Though he was spared jail time and was only placed on probation for a year, the incident permanently damaged him.
According to Peat, “there was a part of me that wanted to sit and burn with this house because I knew the consequences of doing something like that, and embarrassing myself like that.” Peat said to the Times. You know, it wasn’t my first catastrophe in life.
While Peat spent time in rehab attempting to deal with his drug usage problems, his father pointed out that more needed to be done to address “the root cause of his pain” than merely his need on medications.
Due to his past conviction for arson, health concerns, and lack of a steady source of income, Peat had difficulty obtaining rental housing and revealed in 2015 that he spent most of his nights either in his van or on friends’ couches.
The NHL apparently reached out to the former player and gave him the name of a Vancouver neurologist, so the player did receive some assistance from the league.
Peat’s family was reportedly monitoring the class-action lawsuit against the NHL, which alleged that the league concealed information regarding concussions. Despite this, his father has blamed the NHL for not doing enough to assist him.
In addition, the athlete blasted the league for its apparent “denial.”
Peat told the Times, “Hockey has been the best thing in my life, but it has also been the worst.”
Peat has now joined the sad group of enforcers who have passed away too soon, including Derek Boorgard, Wade Belak, and Rick Rypien.
Nonetheless, Peat’s loved ones want to ensure that he is remembered.
The family and friends of former Washington Capitals player Stephen Peat received sincere condolences from his former team. We are praying for his family during this trying time.
Regarding the public’s remembrance of Peat—whose enforcer job frequently has a negative reputation—his friend Howie Zaron had a straightforward request.
We simply want everyone to be aware of Peaty’s goodness. Zaron told The Province, “People always want to focus on the struggles, but he was a good person.”
“He was a guardian; he objected to teammates being treated unfairly.”