NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former Avalanche prospect Wade Belak, who played with five NHL teams before retiring in March, was found dead Wednesday in Toronto. He was 35.
Toronto police spokesman Tony Vella said officers found a man dead when called at 11:40 a.m. MDT on Wednesday at a hotel and condo complex. Vella said “foul play is not suspected in the ongoing investigation” into Belak’s death.
Belak was scheduled to work as a sideline reporter on Nashville television broadcasts this upcoming season. The 6-foot-5, 233-pound forward played for the Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and finished his career with the Nashville Predators. He played in 549 games in his NHL career, finishing with 1,263 penalty minutes and 33 points.
Belak is the third NHL enforcer who has died since May.
Winnipeg’s Rick Rypien, 27, was found dead last month at his home in Alberta after a police official said a call was answered for a “sudden and nonsuspicious” death.
Former New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard died in May at age 28 because of an accidental mix of alcohol and the painkiller oxycodone.
The Associated Press
