Former NHL player Stephen Peat dies aged 44 after ‘tragic accident’: ‘Heartbroken’

Former NHL hockey player, Stephen Peat, died in a tragic accident. He was 44.

The NHL Alumni Association confirmed the former Washington Capitals forward’s death via X-Post on Thursday, September 12th.

“The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that Stephen Peat has succumbed to his injuries following a tragic accident just over two weeks ago. He was only 44 years old,” the post said.

“Stephen was drafted 32nd overall by the @AnaheimDucks in 1998. In 2000, he was traded to the @Capitals and played 130 games in the regular season, scoring 10 points for the franchise. Peat ended his professional career in the AHL after the 2006-07 season.”

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While the details of the accident were not revealed, the post revealed that Peat was an organ donor.

“After this tragic accident, Stephen will help save numerous lives through organ donation,” the post continues. “We extend our deepest condolences to Stephen’s family, friends and former teammates during this difficult time.”

The Washington Capitals shared the NHLAA’s original post and offered their condolences to Peat’s family via the team’s official X account.

“The Washington Capitals extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Capitals player Stephen Peat. Peat played 130 games in the National Hockey League from 2001 to 2005, all for Washington,” the post said. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Hockey fans paid tribute to Peat after learning the sad news and responded to the social media posts.

“RIP, I loved him on the Caps. His fight against PJ Stock has to be one of the best fights of all time,” one fan wrote, while another added, “That guy was badass. REST IN PEACE.”

Another wrote: “Too many hockey players came over this year!” Are they building a professional hockey league in heaven? This has to stop!!”

Peat was drafted into the Canadian Western Hockey League at the age of 15 and had a successful hockey career until he stopped skating in 2006 at the age of 26.

After his retirement, Peat struggled with homelessness and depression, as well as physical health problems that he said stemmed from concussions he sustained while playing sports.

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In an interview with The New York Times In 2016, Peat shared that he was worried about an early death due to the blows to his head on the ice and was critical of the sport’s impact on his life.

“Hockey was the greatest thing in my life, but it was also the worst thing in my life,” Peat told the outlet. “It was great while I was playing, but what has it done recently? My fellow enforcers have become statistics and the NHL is in denial. They deny that the job I did even existed, even though I greatly sacrificed my quality of life, my well-being and my future by being there for my teammates in the present.”

In 2019, Peat spoke again about his post-retirement struggles in an interview with The national post office.

“When the curtain comes down, no one will see that damn part. “Nobody’s cheering for me right now, you know,” he told the outlet at the time. “They don’t see the difficulties.”