Rick Joseph Rypien was a
Canadian professional
ice hockey forward who spent parts of six seasons in the
National Hockey League (NHL) with the
Vancouver Canucks. After a
major junior career of four years with the
Regina Pats of the
Western Hockey League, he was signed by the
minor professional Manitoba Moose of the
American Hockey League (AHL) in
2005.
The following season, he signed with the Canucks. He spent six years
with the organization, splitting time between the Canucks and Moose,
their AHL affiliate. Following the
2010–11 NHL season, Rypien signed with the
Winnipeg Jets, but died before joining his new team. His death was preceded by a history of
clinical depression, which included two personal leaves of absence from the Canucks during his career. A
fourth-line player in the NHL, he was known for his
hitting and
fighting abilities.
(May 16, 1984 – August 15, 2011)
Background
Rypien was born in
Blairmore,
Alberta, a community within the municipality of
Crowsnest Pass,
Alberta on May 16, 1984.
[1] He was raised in nearby
Coleman,
Alberta, a community with a population of approximately 1,000.
[2] Rypien was the son of Shelley and Wes Rypien,
[3]
the latter of whom was a Canadian boxing champion; Rypien's older
brother, Wes Jr., also played in the WHL and later competed
professionally in the
ECHL for several seasons.
[4] Rypien's
cousin,
Mark Rypien, is a former
National Football League (NFL)
quarterback who was named the
most valuable player of
Super Bowl XXVI.
[5][6]
Rypien played
minor hockey out of the local Crowsnest Pass Minor Hockey Association.
[1]
At age five or six, he joined his first team, the Pass Rangers from
Coleman, coached by his father. Aside from his boxing career, Rypien's
father had also played hockey. Rypien followed after his older brother,
as well, who had began hockey before him. Growing up, his favourite
players were forwards
Wendel Clark and
Eric Lindros.
[2]
During Rypien's second season with the
Regina Pats, his girlfriend died in a car accident while en route to watch him play in
Calgary.
[7]
Playing career
Junior
Rypien began his
junior career in 2001–02 with the
Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves of the
Alberta Junior A Hockey League (AJHL), recording 22 points (12 goals and 10 assists) over 57 games. During the season, he also debuted with the
Regina Pats of the
Western Hockey League (WHL), playing one game. Unselected in the annual
WHL Bantam Draft, Rypien earned a spot with the Pats as a
walk-on.
[4] During his three-year tenure with Regina, he served as a
team captain.
[8] As a WHL rookie in
2002–03, he scored 18 points (6 goals and 12 assists) over 50 games. The
following season,
he improved to 45 points (19 goals and 26 assists) over 65 games. In
his final year with the club, he recorded career-highs with 22 goals, 29
assists and 51 points. He received three team awards, being chosen as
the
most valuable player, the fans' choice as most popular player (Bill Hicke Award) and the Molson Cup champion, having received the most
three star selections.
[9][10]
Undrafted out of junior, he was contacted by
Craig Heisinger, general manager of the
American Hockey League (AHL)'s
Manitoba Moose, in his last season with the Pats.
[2] When Rypien's career with the Pats ended, Heisinger signed Rypien to an amateur tryout for the remainder of the
2004–05 AHL season.
[10]
He recorded a goal and an assist over eight regular season games with
the Moose, then helped the team to the Conference Finals of the
2005 playoffs with no points over fourteen contests. His play earned him an AHL contract to remain with the club for the
2005–06 season. As a result, Rypien attended NHL training camp with the Moose's parent club, the
Vancouver Canucks.
[11] On September 24, 2005, he was released from the Canucks' training camp roster and returned to the Moose.
[12] Just over a month into his AHL season, however, he signed a
two-way contract with the Canucks on November 9, 2005.
[11] On December 19, he was called up by the Canucks and made his NHL debut two days later against the
Edmonton Oilers. In the first period of the contest, he scored his first NHL goal against goaltender
Jussi Markkanen.
[13] It was his first shot on his first shift.
[7]
The goal put the Canucks ahead 2–1; they ultimately lost the game 7–6.
Rypien registered six minutes and thirty seconds of ice time.
[13][14] Playing in his fifth game with the club ten days later, he suffered a broken fibula against the
Minnesota Wild.
[8]
Upon recovering, he was returned to the Moose and finished the regular
season with 15 points (9 goals and 6 assists) in 49 AHL games. He
dressed for an additional 13 playoff games with Manitoba; he recorded a
goal and an assist as the Moose were eliminated in the second round by
the
Grand Rapids Griffins.
Competing for a roster spot during the Canucks' 2006 training camp,
Rypien injured his thumb in a fight during a game against the
Anaheim Ducks, sidelining him for two months.
[8] Upon recovering, he joined the Canucks in early-December 2006. In his first game back against the
Colorado Avalanche on December 2, Rypien fought opposing forward
Ian Laperriere.
[15] The following contest, against the Edmonton Oilers, he was injured once again, suffering a partially torn groin muscle.
[16] By mid-February 2007, he recovered and was re-assigned to Manitoba,
[12] where he spent the remainder of the season, recording 6 points (3 goals and 3 assists) in 14 games.
Rypien remained with the Moose to start the
2007–08 season, failing to make the Canucks' roster out of training camp.
[12] Within half-a-month, he was recalled by Vancouver.
[12] Playing against the
Detroit Red Wings on October 24, 2007, Rypien broke a finger in his left hand.
[17] After being sidelined for 16 games, he was re-assigned to the Moose on December 4.
[12]
Splitting the remainder of the season between Manitoba and Vancouver,
he was called up on two separate occasions (January 13–16 and February
26–April 8, 2008).
[12]
and finished the regular season with 14 points (3 goals and 11 assists)
in 34 AHL games and 3 points (1 goal and 2 assists) in 22 NHL games. In
the
2008 Calder Cup playoffs, he went pointless in six games as the Moose were eliminated in the first round by the
Syracuse Crunch. During the off-season, Rypien re-signed as a
restricted free agent with the Canucks on July 23, 2008.
[12]
The
following season,
Rypien made the Canucks' lineup out of training camp for the first time
in his career. After scoring two goals in the first five games in
2008–09, he suffered a
sports hernia on October 19, 2008.
[12]
Upon recovering, he was granted an indefinite leave of absence for
personal reasons. The Canucks organization alluded to Rypien's history
of injuries as the main reason for him not returning to the team.
Assistant general manager Lorne Henning stated that "It's just wearing
on him now - it's frustrating for him. He just has to deal with the
injuries ... and wrap his head around it."
[18] It was later made known, following his death, that Rypien was struggling with
clinical depression.
[3] He returned after a 70-game absence on March 31, 2009, in a contest against the
Minnesota Wild.
[19]
He appeared in 12 games for the Canucks in 2008–09, recording three
goals and no assists. The season marked Vancouver's return to the
playoffs after failing to qualify the previous season. After eliminating
the
St. Louis Blues in the first round, they were defeated in six games by the
Chicago Blackhawks.
Rypien appeared in all ten Canucks playoff games and recorded two
points (both assists) while playing on the fourth-line alongside
Darcy Hordichuk and
Ryan Johnson. He recorded his first playoff point in Game 4 of the second round against Chicago, assisting on a Hordichuk goal with a
spin-o-rama pass.
[20]
Set to become an
unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2009,
[20] Rypien re-signed to a two-year deal with the Canucks on May 27.
[21]
Rypien continued to play on the Canucks' fourth line in 2009–10. He
missed four games in October 2009 with a groin injury and three games
the following month with an upper-body ailment.
[12] During a game against the St. Louis Blues on December 31, 2009, he was automatically ejected after a fight with opponent
Cam Janssen revealed his hands were illegally taped below the wrist in order to support a sprained finger.
[22] In January 2010, he missed an additional three games with illness.
[12]
Avoiding major injury for the first time in his NHL career, he recorded
career-highs of 8 points (4 goals and 4 assists) in 69 games.
Rypien began the
2010–11 NHL season on the
injured reserve once again, missing the first two games with an upper body injury.
[12] After returning to the lineup, Rypien became infamously involved in a fan-related incident during an away game at the
Xcel Energy Center against the
Minnesota Wild on October 19, 2010. After fighting opposing forward
Brad Staubitz
in the first period, the two players met again in the second period and
were prepared to fight before being restrained by game officials. While
being restrained, Rypien pushed linesman Don Henderson away and skated
onto the Canucks' bench. Before walking down the tunnel towards the
Canucks' dresing room, Wild fan James Engquist called towards Rypien,
"way to be a professional", while clapping. Rypien grabbed Engquist by
the chest and began to pull him out of his seat before letting go and
walking away.
[23][24] Rypien was suspended indefinitely pending an in-person disciplinary hearing about the altercation.
[25] The NHL then suspended Rypien for six games and fined the Canucks $25,000,
[26] while
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called Engquist to apologize and offered him dinner and tickets to another game.
[27] In response, the fan stated that, although he had not yet hired a lawyer,
[27] he would be "definitely seeking legal representation."
[23] Rypien meanwhile told media he had apologized to his team and the league, describing his actions as "inexcusable."
[28]
After having served his suspension, Rypien struggled to remain in the
Canucks' lineup and was made a regular healthy scratch. In
late-November 2010, the Canucks allowed him another personal leave of
absence. At this time, it began to be widely speculated in the media
that Rypien was suffering from mental health issues. While the Canucks
organization withheld any details regarding Rypien's situation, general
manager
Mike Gillis
stated publicly that "when you come to know somebody and realize
they're a really good person...You don't only support them when they're
at the top of their game...you support them when they're not feeling
good about things or have other issues they have to deal with."
[29]
On March 8, 2011, Rypien returned from his leave and was assigned to
the Moose. The NHL waived the two-week limit allowed for a conditioning
stint, allowing the Canucks to leave him with the Moose for the
remainder of the season and avoid his salary cap hit.
[30]
Rypien completed his final season as a Canuck with one assist over nine
games, while also recording two assists in 11 AHL games. He also helped
the Moose to the second round of the playoffs, recording one goal in
seven post-season games, before they were eliminated by the
Hamilton Bulldogs.
During the off-season, Rypien and the Canucks parted ways as he
became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2011. The following day,
Rypien signed a one-year,
US$700,000 contract with the
Winnipeg Jets.
[31] The Jets were set to begin their inaugural season after franchise's
Atlanta Thrashers relocated to
Winnipeg,
Manitoba. Under the same ownership as the Manitoba Moose, Rypien joined a familiar organization in returning to Winnipeg. Co-owner
Mark Chipman
recalled Rypien's signing as "one of the best days of [his] summer,"
adding that "Beyond the announcement of joining the National Hockey
League...that's what really brought the [Jets' return] full circle."
[7] He was prepared to switch from
jersey number 37 to 11 for the Jets, the same number he wore for the Pats during his junior career and the Moose when he first joined them.
[7] Rypien died before having the opportunity to join his new team.
Playing style
Throughout his career, Rypien earned a reputation as a tough and hardworking player.
[20]
With the Canucks, he was a fourth-line forward, providing energy with
his speed on the forecheck, aggression and fighting abilities –
attributes that made him a fan favourite throughout his junior and
professional career,
[7][32] but also contributed to his injury troubles. He regularly fought players well above his weight and height, including
Sheldon Brookbank (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) and
Hal Gill (6-foot-7, 240 pounds).
[33][34]
Depression and suicide
Struggling with
clinical depression
throughout his career, Rypien's mental health was eventually made known
to the Vancouver Canucks organization during their 2008 training camp;
the team consequently coordinated his treatment for the remainder of his
tenure with the team.
[35] Among his teammates, Canucks defenceman
Kevin Bieksa
was the first Rypien confided in regarding his depression. During his
first leave of absence in 2008–09, Rypien disappeared. Bieksa met with
Manitoba Moose general manager Craig Heisinger, who Rypien had a close
personal relationship with, in
Edmonton
and drove to Rypien's Alberta home in search of him. Upon finding
Rypien, Bieksa brought him back to Vancouver to live with his family.
[3] When Rypien returned from his leave, he was assigned by the Canucks to the Manitoba Moose. Upon arriving in
Winnipeg,
he publicly spoke about his absence, commenting that "doing the work
I've done the last couple of months I've made a lot of gains as a
person."
[34]
A month-and-a-half after signing with the Winnipeg Jets, a family member found Rypien dead in his
Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, home on August 15, 2011.
[36] The cause of death was confirmed as suicide.
[37]
Rypien had been scheduled for a flight to Winnipeg the previous night
to have his knee evaluated that day. When he did not meet his
appointment, Heisinger (who had since become the Jets assistant general
manager) attempted to locate him. Following his death, Heisinger told
media that Rypien had been suffering from depression for more than ten
years.
Jason Jaffray,
a former Moose and Canucks teammate who had also recently signed with
Winnipeg, expressed surprise at Rypien's death, explaining that while he
was aware of his mental health, he felt he was "a new man and...the
happiest [he'd] ever seen him."
[35]
Several hours after his death was announced, Canucks fans began assembling a memorial outside of
Rogers Arena. Two days later, a fan-organized gathering of approximately 300 occurred at the memorial.
[38] Rypien's memorial service was held at Alberta Stella Arena (where he had played his minor hockey) in
Blairmore, Alberta,
on August 20. Bieksa was on hand as one of the casket's pall bearers.
He was one of numerous former teammates, general managers and figures
from Rypien's hockey career in attendance.
[37] In the subsequent
2011–12 NHL season, the Canucks honoured Rypien with a ceremony prior to a home game against the
New York Rangers
on October 18. With Rypien's parents, step-parents and brother on the
ice, a four-minute tribute video was shown on the jumbotron.
[39]
Bieksa further presented the family Rypien's game-worn jersey from his
last season as a Canuck. The team also announced a $50,000 donation in
Rypien's memory to the
BC Children's Hospital Foundation. The amount, which included contributions from the
NHL Players Association's
Goals and Dreams program, was designated to fund a promotion strategy
to help youth and young adults cope with mental health issues.
[3][40]
Rypien was one of three NHL players to have died in the 2011 off-season; the other two were
New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard and the recently-retired
Wade Belak.
Following Boogaard and Rypien's deaths, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman
told media that the league would look into their substance abuse and
behavioural issue programs – initiatives that both players had been
involved with
[37] (Boogaard's death was due to a lethal combination of
alcohol and
oxycodone[41]).
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
To see more of who died in 2011 click here
Shigeri Akabane known by his ringname Little Tokyo, was a Japanese professional midget wrestler who competed in North American promotions during the 1970s and 1980s including Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation, most notably appearing at WrestleMania III in a mixed tag team match with Lord Littlebrook and King Kong Bundy against Hillbilly Jim, the Haiti Kid and Little Beaver in 1987 died from a heart attack he was 70..
