Former Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Chris Simon has been posthumously diagnosed with Stage 3 CTE, Dr. Chris Nowinski, the founding CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, announced Monday morning.
Simon was drafted 25th overall by the Flyers in the second round of the 1990 NHL Draft, but the Flyers later traded Simon to the Quebec Nordiques as part of the package for legendary forward Eric Lindros.
Simon played in the NHL for 15 seasons, with his last NHL game having been played nearly 17 years ago to the day on April 15, 2008. Simon participated in 101 fights in his NHL career.
Breaking: Former #NHL player Chris Simon has been diagnosed with stage 3 #CTE at the @bu_cte Center. The Stanley Cup winner died by suicide at age 52 in 2024. Read his family statement released through @ConcussionLF at the link. https://t.co/l5pkZ5wvni
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) April 14, 2025
Simon died by suicide at the age of 52 on March 18, 2024, and was long said to have been struggling with the effects of CTE. This was confirmed with Monday’s announcement.
Dr. Ann McKee of the Boston University CTE Center released the following statement in regards to her findings in the posthumous study:
“Mr. Simon had severe CTE pathology in areas of the brain involved with cognition and mood regulation, and it is likely CTE contributed to his memory problems, depression, and apathy. Individuals with a significant history of repetitive head impacts in sports who report these symptoms need to be taken seriously, and our team is committed to providing them the care they need while also continuing to advance CTE research.”
Simon’s family had this to say, as part of a longer full-length statement, in addition to Dr. McKee's words:
“Our family is extremely thankful to Dr. Ann McKee, Lisa McHale and all staff at Boston University CTE Center and the Concussion Legacy Foundation for all of their work and support. We are relieved that stage 3 CTE was definitively found in his brain as it will help bring some closure and healing to his family and friends. The unfortunate feeling of anger is also present due to the negligence of a professional league turning a blind eye to CTE and other significant brain injuries sustained in the sport of hockey.”
Simon’s family agreed to release the results of the brain study in an effort to draw attention and raise awareness for the needs of former hockey players struggling with long-term complications of repeated head traumas.
“With each new diagnosis of CTE in a former NHL player, the NHL’s lack of leadership on this issue becomes more intolerable,” Dr. Nowinski said. “Yet their denial strengthens our resolve to support the hockey community through our free HelpLine and advance research focused on diagnosing CTE during life and developing effective treatments.”
Nineteen of 20 former NHLers studied at the Boston University CTE Center, including Simon, Derek Boogaard, Bobby Hull, and Stan Mikita, have been diagnosed with CTE.
Those in need of assistance can reach the Concussion Legacy Foundation HelpLine at CLFHelpline.org.