Paul Bissonnette on hockey enforcers' long-term health, his own depression

Author Topic: Paul Bissonnette on hockey enforcers' long-term health, his own depression  (Read 2218 times)

Offline Shahriar Mohammad Kamal

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 337
  • Test
    • View Profile
When Ontario Reign forward Paul Bissonnette hears about past NHL enforcers dealing with depression and anxiety after they retire he reflects on his own future.

“Does it scare me long term? Yeah, it does,” he said.

Not long after it was reported the death of former long-time NHL enforcer Todd Ewen was treated as a suicide, Bissonnette discussed what he termed a “touchy subject” – meaning the mental health of former NHL fighters.

And while he was somewhat scared for his own future, he believes several other influences beyond head injuries from fighting could create problems for players.

According to hockeyfights.com, Bissonnette has fought 52 times in his NHL career.

“You have to wonder how many times alcohol and drugs is affecting what’s going on and how much it’s snowballing onto depression,” he said. “How clean of a lifestyle are you living? And other factors. Is your family life good? Do you have a good support system? Some of these guys might not and it's unfortunate.”

Bissonnette said he was depressed the prior year, and his depression stemmed from his inability to land a hockey-playing job early in the 2014-15 season.

He was coming off a contract with the Arizona Coyotes and was an unrestricted free agent and no NHL team wanted him. He almost went to Cardiff to play in the EIHL.

“When I didn’t have a job, it was like, ‘Man I played in the NHL last year and I couldn’t get in the American Hockey League’ and I went into full-on depression mode,” Bissonnette said. “I was working out and skating and doing exactly what I did before, but my body was achy and my brain was affecting my body and that wasn’t because of concussions. That’s because I was in a bad place mentally and I was depressed from something other than concussions.”

He eventually latched on with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League in October, but was released in December. Only after he became acclimated to the Kings' AHL affiliate in Manchester, did Bissonnette break out of his funk.

“My parents didn’t know who I was,” Bissonnette said.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative disease linked to head trauma for which there is no known cure and has been found in the brains of deceased former NHL players Derek Boogaard and Steve Montador.

Boogaard, an enforcer, died of a drug overdose. Montador’s cause of death has not been made public.

Enforcer Rick Rypien and fellow tough guy Wade Belak also died suddenly and unexpectedly.

But head injuries are present in more than just enforcers. There is currently a lawsuit by former players against the NHL saying the league did not do enough to inform them about the dangers of head injuries.

[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today!]

“I think you can categorize guys retiring and not knowing what to do with their lives, and getting out of that lifestyle and that depression side of it along with just the fighters. I think you can categorize that in the same group,” Bissonnette said.

“It’s easy to say ‘he’s a fighter, and he committed suicide and it’s because he fought and he suffered concussions.' There’s people who commit suicide who never did that. You have to be in a really, really bad place to commit suicide.”

Ewen’s death has created a different sort of wrinkle into the enforcer, head injury, mental health issue.

Though his family reportedly said he battled depression for years, he also illustrated and wrote children’s books. He lived an active hockey life around the St. Louis area according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

After returning to St. Louis he coached hockey, produced instructional videos and sold real estate. He appeared regularly on sports talk radio shows and he recently participated in the team's fantasy camp with other Blues alumni.

And

He would become animated while discussing the most recent Blues team, a highly skilled bunch seemed to go soft from time to time. He preached the basics of commitment, effort and intensity -- traits that helped him accomplish far more than most eighth-round NHL draft picks ever do.

Bissonnette points to enforcers who have publicly made a solid transition to life after hockey such as Columbus broadcaster Jody Shelley. He also mentioned former Anaheim enforcer George Parros, who is involved in many different ventures.

“I find a lot of the fighters have the most personality in the game and fans just attach to that whole persona,” Bissonnette said.

“I think if anything we may have a better transition into that post-career stuff than other people. I haven’t really talked to many guys about it, who don’t have jobs and are suffering and depressed. “

- - - - - - -

Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY

 

Win cash prizes, pick a fantasy roster for just one day, join in minutes!

Learn how to play
NFL Million Dollar Baller    15819/113636    $10    $1000000    Sunday 1:00 PM
Enter
NFL $150K Tournament [$15K to 1st]    1000/6818    $25    $150000    Sunday 1:00 PM
Enter
MLB $4K Tournament [$400 to 1st]    317/4545    $1    $4000    Today 7:05 PM
Enter
View today's contests

View Comments (13)
Share this

    

Recommended for You

    Jimmy Graham Reportedly "Pissed Off" at Seahawks

    Two targets, one catch in last weeks loss.
    Complex

Facebook® Account Sign Up. Join for Free Today!

Connect with friends and the world around you on Facebook. Sign up, it’s free and always will be.
FacebookSponsored
Josh Freeman signs with...Brooklyn?

The former first-round pick has signed with a minor-league team.
Shutdown Corner
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 running backs to target for Week 3

The fantasy football season is already shaping up to be a weird one. With seemingly more questions than answers after two weeks, fantasy owners are taking to the waiver wire in droves. The rookie got more playing time in Week 2, rushing 12 times for 43 yards while Isaiah Crowell got 15 caries for…
SB Nation
Terrell Owens Wants the Cowboys to Sign Him, Doesn't Appear to Be Kidding

Is T.O. serious right now?
Complex
Joe Maddon brought a flamingo to his press conference because he can

Cubs manager Joe Maddon introduced the media to his new flamingo friend.
Big League Stew
View
AP Top 25 QB power rankings (25 photos)

Who's got the best signal-caller in college football? Each week, our college football staff will rank the starting quarterbacks from the teams in the AP Top 25 poll. The rankings will be based on stats, record, opponents played, and...well...our opinions. Feel free to disagree or give your own…
Yahoo Sports
Floyd Mayweather on Nick Diaz's Five-Year Marijuana Suspension: "Let That Man Smoke Weed and Enjoy His Life"

Floyd Mayweather and Ronda Rousey actually agree on something for once.
Complex
REPORT: ESPN to lay off 200-300 employees

ESPN is planning to lay off close to 300 employees in the coming months, Jason McIntyre of...
Business Insider
The Tigers sent reliever Bruce Rondon home due to his 'effort level'

Tigers closer Bruce Rondon won't pitch the rest of the season due to his "effort level."
Big League Stew
Eli Manning gets a surprise at practice: no Preston Parker

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning looked around during passing drills on Tuesday and couldn't find Preston Parker, the receiver who had dropped a couple key passes in the team's first two games. Tom Coughlin had other thoughts Tuesday. The release of Parker will leave the Giants short-handed…
The Associated Press
Fri, Sep 25
6:25 AM BDT
Washington at NY Giants
Preview Game
Girlfriend and mother of Rutgers WR Leonte Carroo charged

The two are charged in connection to the incident that's gotten Carroo suspended from the team
Dr. Saturday
Tyrod Taylor, DeAngelo Williams spurred Week 2 winner in Million Dollar Baller

A look at the DFS lineup that cashed $100,000 in Week 2.
Roto Arcade
Here's the car Jeff Gordon will drive at Homestead (Photo)

It's silver with flames.
From The Marbles
Pistons Point Guard Brandon Jennings Calls Kobe Bryant's NBA 2K16 Rating "Blasphemy"

Jennings isn't the only NBA player to think that Kobe got a low rating.
Complex
Twins call up top hitting prospect Max Kepler

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have promoted one of their top hitting prospects from Double-A for the stretch drive.
Associated Press
Celebrating the 39th birthday of modern soccer's greatest striker ever

The 39th birthday of Brazil’s Ronaldo provides a welcome excuse to look back at the greatness of “Il Fenomeno."
FC Yahoo
CEO accused of price-gouging a drug also is a League of Legends team executive

The chairman of the League of Legends professional side Team Imagine also happens to be the owner of the pharmaceutical company that has sparked wide outrage for sharply raising the price of one of its drugs. Martin Shkreli, whose League of Legends handle is "Cerebral," entered eSports as a team…
Polygon
Play
Another ugly high school football incident

A high school football player in California allegedly rubbed icy hot on an opponents face during a game.
Yahoo Sports Videos
23-year-old NBA player turned down $64 million, and it's a sign of how crazy free agency is about to get

If this past summer's NBA free agency seemed wild, with teams spending $1.4 billion in contracts...
Business Insider
Play
Three Fresno State athletes arrested at post game party

[Coll.]