Shayne Corson built a reputation as a gritty, fearless player over the course of 19 NHL seasons. But as the former member of the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs recently admitted, his toughest battles arguably came off the ice.

An anxiety issue he largely kept secret first arose in summer 2000, when Corson said he thought he was having a heart attack.

"I was sweating," Corson told the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons. "I was shaking. I got down on my hands and knees beside the bed and I start saying goodbye to everybody in my mind. I'm thinking 'I'm dying right now. This is it.'

"That was the first time it ever happened. It didn't really hit me until I was trying to decide whether to stay in Montreal or play for the Leafs. I was a free agent. I was torn. I didn't say anything to anybody. How do you explain that?"

Though Corson said he feels much better today, he still has trouble sleeping and suffers from panic attacks. In hindsight, Corson, 50, regrets not leaning on others for support.

"I was afraid to tell anyone," he said. "I was afraid and embarrassed to show weakness. I probably should have opened up to someone like (Pat Quinn). He was the kind of guy who would have understood. I probably should have told people. I can see that now. I couldn't see it then. If you're trying to figure out what's wrong with you, how can you expect others to understand?"

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