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Six years before his tragic death, former NHL enforcer Stephen Peat issued a harrowingly prophetic summation of his feelings.
‘I can’t even describe [the pain] right now,’ he told CBC. ‘My head feels like it’s gonna fall off,’ Peat said.
‘But I’m doing all right. I mean what can I do? Hopefully not die.’
Peat, 44, struggled with chronic headaches, addiction and depression – all symptoms associated with CTE – following his 130 games in the NHL, as his life sadly spiraled into homelessness.
He died this week from injuries sustained after he was hit by a car while crossing the street on August 30, according to the AP.
Canadian former NHL player Stephen Peat tragically died at the age of 44
Peat, facing camera, was employed as an enforcer in the NHL and frequently fought opponents
And while no one can be certain yet of what contributed to his physical and mental health issues, his family and friends strongly believe that his time in the NHL as an enforcer (someone whose primary role is to fight players from opposing teams) – and the concussions that ensued – are to blame.
Peat, who spent separate stints in the NHL with the Washington Capitals from 2001-06, would go on to battle substance abuse issues with painkillers and alcohol, and also showcased signs of memory loss.
He described to the New York Times how he was routinely prescribed Percocet during his career and ‘self-medicated’ with prescription painkillers after his playing days had finished. There was cocaine use as well, and he tried to combat his substance issues by going to rehab.
Peat found work doing various jobs after his final hockey stint, in which he played one game in the American Hockey League in the 2006-07 season.
He worked as a bouncer at one point and had found work as a landscaper by the time he spoke to the Times.
But as headaches and anxiety became increasingly frequent visitors in his life, Peat found himself embroiled in legal troubles.
He was convicted of smaller offenses like driving without a license and uttering threats.
Peat reportedly died from his injuries after he was hit by a car while crossing the street
But things got much worse when he pleaded guilty to arson in 2016 – as well as ‘arson by negligence’ – after he burned down his father’s home in British Columbia, Canada.
Peat has claimed the incident was accidental, but said he pleaded guilty to ‘avoid the publicity of a trial.’
He avoided prison time and received just a year of probation, but the episode left a permanent scar.
‘Part of me was like, I want to sit and burn with this house,’ Peat told the Times ‘Because I knew the consequences of doing something like that, and embarrassing myself like that. It wasn’t my first tragedy in life, you know?’
While Peat spent time at rehab trying to address his substance abuse issues, his father noted that ‘the root cause of his pain’ needed to be addressed, and not just his reliance on pills.
With a record as a convicted arsonist, health issues and no stable income, Peat found it hard to find a place to rent, and said in 2015 that he was largely sleeping in his truck or on the couches of friends.
The former hockey player did get some help from the NHL, as a representative reportedly reached out to him and referred him to a neurologist in Vancouver.
Nonetheless, his father has placed blame on the NHL for not doing enough to help him, and Peat’s family were said to be keeping track of the class-action lawsuit against the NHL which claimed that the league hid information about concussions.
The player himself also railed against the league for being in ‘denial.’
‘Hockey’s been the greatest thing in my life, but it’s also been the worst thing in my life,’ Peat told the Times.
‘It was great while I was playing, but what has it done lately? My peers of enforcers have become statistics and the NHL is in denial. They’re denying that the job I did even existed, even though I sacrificed my quality of life, my well-being and my future greatly by being there for my teammates in the present.’
Peat – along with the likes of Derek Boorgard, Wade Belak, Rick Rypien – has now joined a tragic list of enforcers to have died early deaths.
However, those close to Peat want to make sure that he is not forgotten.
The Washington Capitals, his former team, extended ‘ their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of former Capitals player Stephen Peat. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.’
His friend Howie Zaron had a simple ask for the public when it came to remembering Peat, whose enforcer role often comes with a bad reputation.
‘We just want to make sure people know that Peaty was a good person. People always want to home in on the struggles, but he was a good person,’ Zaron said to The Province.
‘He was a protector, he didn’t like teammates being pushed around.’
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