To play hockey at the highest level in the NHL, you must be an athlete who is in great shape and someone who takes care of their body. With that being said, there have been a number of players who were actively playing in the NHL that were taken from us way too soon.
We present a list of 10 NHL players who passed away while still active in the NHL.
Tim Horton (1930 – 1974)
Tim Horton had a very successful NHL career, where he played 24 seasons and was a four-time Stanley Cup champion. On February 21, 1974, after playing a game for the Buffalo Sabres against his former team the Toronto Maple Leafs, Horton was driving back home to Buffalo when he got into a car accident and died at the age of 44.
Many still remember the name Tim Horton today as he began a chain of donut shops which still operates today with over 5,000 locations in 13 countries all across the world.
Georges Vezina (1887 – 1926)
Georges Vezina was one of the first great goalies in NHL history. He spent the entirety of his career playing for the Montreal Canadiens playing in 16 seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice in 1916 and again in 1924.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NHL stories via Google! Follow Us
In 1925, Vezina left a game due to an illness and shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and unfortunately passed away from the disease at the young age of 39.
Since 1927, the NHL has awarded the Vezina trophy to the goaltender who is judged to be the best at his position as voted on by all general managers in the league.
Dan Snyder (1978 – 2003)
Dan Snyder’s career in the NHL was just beginning as the Center had only appeared in 49 games across three seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers. On September 29th, 2003, Snyder was in the passenger seat of a Ferrari being driven by teammate Dany Heatley. Unfortunately, Heatley lost control of the car and crashed and both players were ejected from the car.
Snyder suffered a depressed skull fracture and went into a coma. Sadly, six days later he died of septic shock at the age of 25.
Heatley was also severely injured in the crash but was able to recover and continue his NHL career. He was charged with vehicular homicide and received probation.
Bill Barilko (1927 – 1951)
Defenceman Bill Barilko played five NHL seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and won the Stanley Cup in four of those seasons. In the Summer of 1951, after his latest Stanley Cup victory, Barilko along with another man disappeared and assumed perished in a plane crash while on a fishing trip.
The wreckage of the plane was not found until 11 years later in 1962. The Maple Leafs had an 11-year Stanley Cup Drought and did not win again until 1962, the year he was discovered.
Barilko’s legacy will forever live on as Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip wrote a song about his disappearance called “Fifty Mission Cap.”
Derek Boogaard (1982 – 2011)
Derek Boogaard was a tough guy who was also known by the nickname “The Boogeyman”. Listed at 6’7” and weighing in at 265 pounds, Boogaard played the role of enforcer to perfection as he would take on any opponent who dared mess with one of his teammates.
Boogaard played six seasons in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers. Tragically, Boogaard was found unresponsive by his brother in his bed on May 13, 2001, after a night of partying. Boogaard was just 28 years old.
An autopsy found that the death was caused by an accidental overdose of alcohol and oxycodone. A study of his brain revealed that Boogaard also suffered from a severe case of CTE.
Bill Masterton (1938 – 1968)
Bill Masterton was only the second player in NHL history to have died as a result of an injury sustained while playing in a game. On January 13, 1968, while playing for the Minnesota North Stars, Masterton was body-checked and slammed his head on the ice resulting in him losing consciousness.
Two days later Masterton died as a result of his head injury in a Minnesota hospital at the age of 29 surrounded by his family.
To this day the NHL annually gives out the Bill Masterton Trophy which is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Terry Sawchuk (1929 – 1970)
Terry Sawchuk is one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the NHL. During his 21-season career, he won four Stanley Cups and was awarded the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender four times.
After the 1970 season, Sawchuk got into a physical altercation with teammate Ron Stewart and suffered severe internal injuries. Sawchuk’s liver was severely damaged during the fight and he never recovered, succumbing to a pulmonary embolism on May 31, 1970, at the age of 40.
At the time of his death, Sawchuk was the NHL all-time leader for wins by a goalie with 447 as well as shutouts with 103.
Wade Belak (1976 – 2011)
Much like Derek Boogaard, Wade Belak was an enforcer who stood at 6’5″ and weighed 222 pounds and his primary role on a hockey team was to protect the star players. Belak played over a decade in the NHL suiting up for the Avalanche, Flames, Maple Leafs, Panthers and lastly the Predators.
On August 31, 2011, Belak was found dead inside a hotel room in Toronto at the age of 35. Police never confirmed a cause of death, but they did treat it as a suicide.
Belak’s mother later confirmed that her son suffered from depression and that he had been on medication. Following his death, an examination of Belak’s brain resulted in a diagnosis of CTE.
Howie Morenz (1902 – 1937)
Howie Morenz was the first player in NHL history to die as a result of an incident that occurred during a game. On January 28, 1937, while playing for the Montreal Canadiens Morenz had a nasty fall into the boards resulting in his leg to be fractured in four places. On March 8th while still in the hospital, Morenz collapsed and died from a coronary embolism caused by blood clots from his leg injury, he was just 34 years old.
Morenz was one of the NHL’s first superstars as he was named league MVP on three separate occasions and also won three Stanley Cups during his 14-year career.
John Kordic (1965-1992)
Kordic is another enforcer to make the list as he only scored 17 goals in his 244 career NHL games while racking up 997 penalty minutes. The Maple Leafs traded for Kordic by sending Russ Courtnall to Montreal which turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history.
In the Summer of 1992, while currently playing for the Quebec Nordiques, Kordic overdosed on drugs which led to lung failure due to a heart malfunction and he died at the age of 27.
