WINNIPEG – Longtime friend and former teammate Jason Jaffray said Rick Rypien seemed happy in the days before his death and was eager to join a new NHL team in Winnipeg.
Rypien, who was found dead in his Alberta home Monday, played with Jaffray with the Vancouver Canucks and Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
Jaffray said Rypien was looking forward to a fresh start with the Jets.
“Everyone knew he had some issues that he had to get taken care of last year and he was definitely a new man when he came back and … he was definitely the happiest I’d even seen him,” Jaffray said Tuesday from his home in Olds, Alta.
“We actually had joked around about bringing a Cup back to Winnipeg.”
The Jets confirmed Rypien’s death in a statement Monday night. The RCMP in Crowsnest Pass, Alta., said they received a call Monday afternoon concerning a “sudden and non-suspicious” death.
There was no immediate word on the cause of death. Jets assistant general manager Craig Heisinger was expected to discuss Rypien’s passing at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the MTS Centre.
Rypien, who was 27, spent parts of six seasons with the Canucks organization. He played only nine games with Vancouver last season and spent most of the year dealing with personal issues.
Jaffray, who also signed with the Jets last month, said Rypien did not talk much about his troubles.
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“Even being his roommate, and on the road we did pretty much everything together … he didn’t like to talk about that kind of stuff a whole lot,” Jaffray said. “And guys knew not to pry because when you did try to pry, he kind of got uncomfortable.”
Rypien signed a one-year deal with the Jets worth US$700,000. He had nine goals, seven assists and 226 penalty minutes over 119 career NHL games with the Canucks.
Although small in stature, Rypien never shied away from a fight.
“He was a guy who wouldn’t back down from anyone. He was a guy that was definitely fearless,” Jaffray said. “He wasn’t one of those tough guys that was just out there to fight.
“The guy could skate 100 miles an hour and he worked extremely hard at becoming a good hockey player.”
Don Fehr, the executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, said Rypien will be missed.
“All players and NHLPA staff are saddened to learn of Rick’s passing,” he said in a statement. “He was a respected member of our association and will be greatly missed throughout the hockey community.
“Our sincere condolences go out to Rick’s family, friends and many fans.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman offered similar sentiments.
“The National Hockey League sends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and teammates of Rick Rypien, who played the game with so much energy and emotion and whose passing fills us all with a sense of immeasurable sadness and sorrow,” he said.
Fans created a Facebook tribute page shortly after the reports of Rypien’s death surfaced, and former and current teammates posted condolences on Twitter.
“R.I.P. to a fellow (No.) 37 sorry to see ya go, nicest guy I played with my time in Vancouver, sorry to see ya go buddy, see ya on the other side,” posted former teammate Brad Lukowich.
Former teammate Brendan Morrison also posted a tweet.
“In disbelief about Ripper. Sat beside him in the locker room in Van. Such a good kid with a huge heart Thoughts with his family,” Morrison said.
To track how the reaction to Rypien’s death is spreading on social media, click here.
Rypien is the second active NHL player found dead in the off-season. Former New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard died in May due to an accidental mix of alcohol and the painkiller oxycodone.
Rypien – the cousin of former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien – left the Canucks on two occasions over three years to deal with undisclosed personal matters.
Rypien, a native of Coleman, Alta., made headlines last October when he pushed a Minnesota Wild fan after leaving the ice following a fight during a game in St. Paul. Rypien was handed a six-game suspension and later apologized for the incident.
Rypien had two assists in 11 games with the Moose last season.
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