Topic: Wade Belak Found Dead Today

[TripleNutz]

I actually wrote a similar post earlier but didn't press "post" because I was unsure of the facts.
But my sentiments are the same. He had a family, suicide is such a terrible thing to do to his wife and children..... 

that shows how screwed up his head was that he was 100% sure in his mind that him being gone was better for him and his family. NHL needs mandatory counselling or something. Make each team have a psychologist or something. or do they do that already.

[Sasquatch]

Im not trying to vilify the guy, dont get me wrong. I too feel horrible for everyone involved, but mostly the family he left behind. They are the ones who will have to deal with the long-term without a husband or father, and perhaps never know why.
You sometimes never know in situations like this. Was he depressed about life, was it his career possibly being over, was it just a moment of desperation taken too far?  You never know.


I have had this happen in my family with a cousin (18 yrs old) who left behind a child under 1 year. We can assume still no one really knows why, almost 16 years later....


Yes I agree that counselling should be mandatory. For all players in transition/injured etc.
Has anyone thought of Marc Savard's mental health? His career is possibly over.
Crosby may miss the year, maybe more.
Pascal Leclaire.....


I know most of the time they just get a "Enjoy Russia you bum"...
but what does that really do to a person.

[FV]

To observers, suicide appears to be the most selfish of all acts and "easy way out", or "the cowards way" but none of us really have any clue what was happening in his head.  I think it's a very sad story considering he was getting a career while still being involved in the game, and it saddens me because of his family situation and the fact he seemed to be such a great guy.
 
We will just never know what caused it.  I just don't think people should judge too harshly.  The mind can get sick just like the body can get sick.
 
I really do think it's disgusting that his wife found out from the media though.  That should never happen. 

[Sasquatch]

I agree, no one should EVER find out from the media OR FACEBOOK !!!!


I HATE when people find out something and its as if they have to be the first person to post it on facebook how sad they are... Sometimes the family doesnt know. TERRIBLE !!!


We had a friend pass away and some ass made a memorial page within hours of his death.....
Have respect, give it a few days.


Here the news reports on a death or accident but withholds the names until next of kin are notified.


Hockey players face the same situation with trades.

[Billy_Muckwalt]

His wife found out through the media? Terrible.

This thread is too much drama for me... Talking depression is not my cup of tea. Enjoy. I'll stick to the hockey talk.

[rose]

To observers, suicide appears to be the most selfish of all acts and "easy way out", or "the cowards way" but none of us really have any clue what was happening in his head.  I think it's a very sad story considering he was getting a career while still being involved in the game, and it saddens me because of his family situation and the fact he seemed to be such a great guy.
 
We will just never know what caused it.  I just don't think people should judge too harshly.  The mind can get sick just like the body can get sick.
 
I really do think it's disgusting that his wife found out from the media though.  That should never happen. 

^^Well said. 

I heard that it was his mother who found out through the media...which is also very bad.  But his wife (too?)!  Terrible.....

[playertobenamedlater]

To observers, suicide appears to be the most selfish of all acts and "easy way out", or "the cowards way" but none of us really have any clue what was happening in his head.  I think it's a very sad story considering he was getting a career while still being involved in the game, and it saddens me because of his family situation and the fact he seemed to be such a great guy.
 
We will just never know what caused it.  I just don't think people should judge too harshly.  The mind can get sick just like the body can get sick.
 
I really do think it's disgusting that his wife found out from the media though.  That should never happen. 

How true. There is so much stigma attached to mental illness, when the people on the outside looking in really have no clue what is going on in the mind of the person suffering the illness. A friend's father committed suicide when we were little kids, and a family friend who in his teens hung himself in his own garage on a Sunday afternoon after volunteering in his community all weekend long. You just never know.
 
Anyways, it will be interesting to see with all of these tough guys dying under the circumstances that they did, to see if their various ilnesses had anything to do with the number of concussions they received over the years.

[FV]

I actually read that Belak was never concussed.  I don't really remember seeing him really get tuned either but I could be wrong.  I have to check out hockeyfights.com for that.  :-) 

[playertobenamedlater]

I actually read that Belak was never concussed.  I don't really remember seeing him really get tuned either but I could be wrong.  I have to check out hockeyfights.com for that.  :-) 

NOt sure if he ever REPORED a concussion, but I'd lay down money that he received a couple. It's only recently that players started reporting them. Even with other players reporting concussions, tough guys still hide them. I remember Kyprios saying that he hid several concussions throughout his carreer, because he thought that his job as an enforcer would be tougher if people knew that he had been concussed. Maybe some of those times that Belak was a "healthy scratch", he was actually hiding his own easter eggs in the press box?

[Sasquatch]

Great article by Landsberg...
Recommended reading for sure
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375694

[bassman]

Thank you so much for posting that ... great read.