Rypien passes away

[Hockey Widow]

Rypien suffered from depression. His teammates were very reluctant to say a word about it. I get that, the privacy issues and all. But at the same time keeping it all hush hush keeps it in the closet like a dark dirty secret. That helps fuel the sense of isolation. Its too bad he never got to a place where he could talk more about it.

I have no idea how far back his history of depression goes. He struggled on an off with his role as an enforcer. He had that one season with a great start on the PK and earned the nick name Top Shelf. Then an injury hit and he never got back to that place. He was conflicted about just fighting and took his mistakes hard, often with catastrophic guilt.

Did he ever have a concussion? I don't know if he ever had an official concussion but I have been told he suffered concussion like symptoms several times after fights, over the 6 years. He didn't like to talk about those things and who knows if he himself failed to recognize they symptoms. Concussion like symptoms can mimic depression.

He had suicidal ideation on and off over his career, some of which required he take extended leave to deal with. Having said all of that I have not read where a cause of death has been confirmed. His death was sudden but I have not seen where he committed suicide, just speculation based upon his past history. I would like to wait until someone comes forward in his honour and talks a little about his life and death.

[LotusBlossom]

double post.

[LotusBlossom]

...

He had suicidal ideation on and off over his career, some of which required he take extended leave to deal with. Having said all of that I have not read where a cause of death has been confirmed. His death was sudden but I have not seen where he committed suicide, just speculation based upon his past history. I would like to wait until someone comes forward in his honour and talks a little about his life and death.

Agreed.

I am very saddened about Rypien. I wrote a piece when he took his last leave with the Canucks and I said it wasn't anyone's business and it was personal. It was all up to Rypien to open up to whom he wanted, not for us to decide, speculate and discuss without consent. Until the cause of his death is public, all we can ask is for those that loved the guy to mourn him.

He was definitely my dark horse pick to be a regular on the Canucks squad, and by far my favourite Canucks enforcer of recent years. He was 5'11 and 190 lbs of dynamite.

RIP Ripper, you were the best pitbull to ever put on a Canucks uniform. Thank you for the memories.

[Eddy Punch Clock]

I forget how quick he did it but may his Grouse grind record live on.....

[tantalum]

HW...you are correct that no one has 100% confirmed suicide. However, typically "sudden, non-suspicious death" in this type of case means suicide. If the death was suspicious the police would say so and if the cause was unknown or unclear in any way they'd again mention it. If it was clearly accidental they would mention it (unintenitonal OD...or look to tox reports). When you put that together with people that seem to have known him saying it was suicide (going as far as saying the method), as well as the media openly talking about his demons (and no evidence that those demons were substance abuse) it seems pretty likely it was suicide. But it is still ultimately speculative at this point.

Dan Murphy had a good article today. It seems that Rypien had started to reach out to openly talk about the issues he had and had asked Murphy to write that story when he was ready. You can't blame the canucks for giving the guy his space and keeping things private. That was the way he needed things to be. While there could not be a worse outcome, by thrusting the spotlight on him when he wasn't even nearly ready could have resulted in this happening earlier. it is doubtful that the spotlight would have helped him.

[Hockey Widow]

It seems that Rypien had started to reach out to openly talk about the issues he had and had asked Murphy to write that story when he was ready. You can't blame the canucks for giving the guy his space and keeping things private. That was the way he needed things to be. While there could not be a worse outcome, by thrusting the spotlight on him when he wasn't even nearly ready could have resulted in this happening earlier. it is doubtful that the spotlight would have helped him.

I agree which is why I said it was too bad he never got to a place where he could open up about it.

I am still in such shock about the whole thing and can only imagine what his family and friends are going through. A huge and tragic loss.

[Arachnid]

HW...you are correct that no one has 100% confirmed suicide. However, typically "sudden, non-suspicious death" in this type of case means suicide. If the death was suspicious the police would say so and if the cause was unknown or unclear in any way they'd again mention it. If it was clearly accidental they would mention it (unintenitonal OD...or look to tox reports). When you put that together with people that seem to have known him saying it was suicide (going as far as saying the method), as well as the media openly talking about his demons (and no evidence that those demons were substance abuse) it seems pretty likely it was suicide. But it is still ultimately speculative at this point.

Dan Murphy had a good article today. It seems that Rypien had started to reach out to openly talk about the issues he had and had asked Murphy to write that story when he was ready. You can't blame the canucks for giving the guy his space and keeping things private. That was the way he needed things to be. While there could not be a worse outcome, by thrusting the spotlight on him when he wasn't even nearly ready could have resulted in this happening earlier. it is doubtful that the spotlight would have helped him.

Well that's just the thing.
It has to stop.
If it didn't with Rick then maybe the next hockey player...it has started with concussions, once unspeakable, not even acknowledged....sooooo hush hush and private, if there wasn't an air of shamefulness and secrecy then mental illness among elite professional athletes would be better received and more help available.
Recently an American Olympian took his own life. A professional goalie took his life before the World Cup.
This isn't speculation folks and we all have to bare a little responsibility for what happened to Rick Rypien by talking about this openly and honestly. There are people that are close to us that need help right now.
Mental illness is a serious thing and I can't think of a better time or place to talk about it. Fudging around trying not to hurt anyones feelings just doesn't cut it.
Time to tell the truth. Too late to help some bit not for others....

[LotusBlossom]

As much as I agree with talking openly about the whole mental illness issue, I do have to say, maybe we could give it a few days, and just mourn and pay respects.

Phillip Yoe and I have put our columns up to pay a small tribute to Rick Rypien. Give it a couple days before we get going on what our social responsibilities are supposed to be.

Give the Front Page of this site a read and comment if you wish on the Rick Rypien posts.

[BladesofSteel]

I forget how quick he did it but may his Grouse grind record live on.....

IIRC it was 37 minutes. Perhaps one reason why he went from jersey number 15 to 37.

[porp]

I just deleted a post where I linked to a metafilter thread about Rypien's passing after I actually read the thread; they're usually generally clued-in before posting but I'm ashamed at how that thread devolved into political bickering and general ignorance.

Ok hell with that caveat [url][http://www.metafilter.com/106564/No-Fig ... Thread/url]

[Benjo]

WalkerBigTalker Ian Walker
retweeted by passittobulis

Just got off the phone with Regina Pats, who confirmed Rypien's girlfriend died in a car accident coming to see him play in junior.

[Tiger]

Another huge loss.. Rick played with more heart and integrity than most .. Sad for his family.. sad for Canucks fans and a sad day for fans of old time physical hockey everywhere..

RIP Ripper..

[ESQ]

I've been looking for the last few days, maybe someone here can help me out?

I remember on the other site seeing a photo of Rypien, either in the minors or junior, fighting the biggest mofo on the ice (looked like it could have been Boogard but you couldn't see his number). But they way Rypien was crouching down to launch his attack, he looked about 2 feet shorter than his opponent. Its one of my all-time favourite hockey photos, but I can't find it anywhere now.

Anybody else remember seeing this?

[LotusBlossom]

A little snap shot from the memorial at Rogers Arena this afternoon. It was a pretty media filled day. Matt Sekeres, Bob Marjonovich and Shane Foxman were the notables that came. Lots of newspaper reporters as well. Almost felt like the media out-numbered the mourners. No formal sort of speech or anything like that but there was a good turnout for 2:00pm and lots of people have signed the guest book that is to be given to the Rypien family from the Canucks and the fans.

[Chef Boi RD]

This is just terrible, I hate suicide passionately. I try it understand it but I can't. You must be in a dreadful state of mind to end your own life, especially when young and healthy and a professional hockey player which is the dream of every young hockey player and fan of the game, it's just way to dark of a place for me to even attempt to understand the desire to end ones life. I can understand if you are lets say a junkie living on the street with no family or anyone to lean on, existing in complete utter hopelessness but to do so when, 'hey, I got it pretty good' I make good money playing a sport' is completely baffeling, which leads me to believe that this poor young man had a serious mental illness that went untreated or that there maybe demons, skeletons in the closet from some things that may have happened to him in his life.

My personal opinion, was Rick was too proud to open up in trying to get to the root of his problem and that the reason this small man had the balls that not many people in this world have to fight people most people his size have no place fighting was the demons themselves, they carried him through, he was punching the lights out of the very thing that haunted him personally and spiritually and no man no matter how big they were, were gonna have there way with him. Something was up with Rick, I just wish somebody in the professional world of psychology knew how to fix him. Such a shame, a real shame.

I really do think the 'Minnesota Incident' is in a small way a catalyst which was where this avalanche kind of erupted, or was the trigger that opened up the old wound called depression. I honestly believe that the kid was seriously angered by Staubitz' MMA elbow he tried to throw on him and then seeing the fan clapping put him over the edge. But what we all may be missing here was the witch hunt against Rypien that followed the incident. The local media and the local fans ripped the guy apart for the incident, yeah I'm talking to you Don 'politically correct sports journalism' Taylor and all your 1040 fan clubbers. Now I'm not saying that the fans and media here are the reasons why Rypien decided to put an end to his life on earth, but the kid was obviously more sensitive than most and had a hard time dealing with adversity, but I can't help but feel that the kid got a serious bad wrap for an incident that IMHO was not as bad as what the media and fans of the city made it out to be, which IMO was why the guy did not resign with Vancouver. Sometimes your family and friends will do things that you may not like or agree with once in awhile, but you must always have their back instead of burning them at the stake. I can't help but feel that this city (media and fans) and maybe even in a small way the Canucks organization bailed on him instead of supporting him for what I think was a minor incident.

Curious to know, if it was Rypien who didn't want to play in Vancouver, get a fresh new start with another team and city or that Gillis and company wanted to part ways with him.