Canucks will help tell Rypien's story

Shedding light on the situation will be much better than all the speculation. should have done this last week.

QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 08:36 AM ET  08.23 by al ward

Shedding light on the situation will be much better than all the speculation. should have done this last week.

A life cut short. Not a easy thing to deal with, regardless of the circumstances.

Was it a suicide? All I got were third-hand reports.

QUOTE(#3):

Originally posted 08:49 AM ET  08.23 by 3riverbabe

Was it a suicide? All I got were third-hand reports.

from the Vancouver Sun "Rypien, 27, who had battled depression for a number of years, died in his home nearby in Coleman, Alta. RCMP have called it non-suspicious." This type of RCMP report usually means suicide.
This area of the province is a series of small communities 2 -3 miles apart in a mountain pass. Lots of mining and forestry activity in the area. High winds and temperature variations associated with that area of the province. Some studies have noted a higher rate of suicide among area residents and tried to co-relate them.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Ripper+paid+final+respects/5287795/stor y.html#ixzz1Vr9wviaZ

My sympathies to his family. So sad.

What a shame. He was so young.

Sad. It will be good when the whole story comes out.

The "news" media making assumptions? Spreading rumors? Inventing facts? My God........that just never happens. What a shock.

Rypien's death was a tragedy and my prayers are with his family and teammates. RIP Rick.

QUOTE(#4):

Originally posted 09:02 AM ET  08.23 by al ward

from the Vancouver Sun "Rypien, 27, who had battled depression for a number of years, died in his home nearby in Coleman, Alta. RCMP have called it non-suspicious." This type of RCMP report usually means suicide. This area of the province is a series of small communities 2 -3 miles apart in a mountain pass. Lots of mining and forestry activity in the area. High winds and temperature variations associated with that area of the province. Some studies have noted a higher rate of suicide among area residents and tried to co-relate them.Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Ripper+paid+final+respects/5287795/stor y.html#ixzz1Vr9wviaZ

OMG thats horrible :(

QUOTE(#8):

Originally posted 09:52 AM ET  08.23 by Slapshot

The "news" media making assumptions? Spreading rumors? Inventing facts? My God........that just never happens. What a shock. Rypien's death was a tragedy and my prayers are with his family and teammates. RIP Rick.

Yup ! The song "Dirty Laundry" is and was prophetic unfortunately

QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 09:19 AM ET  08.23 by 3riverbabe

What a shame. He was so young.

how old was he?

I went to high school with Rick, and though he was a year younger than me, got to know him pretty well through my cousin. Played a lot of floor hockey and basketball together. It was pretty sad to hear the news. What people don't know about Rick is that he always super tiny. In high school he couldn't have been more than 5'2" or 3"... Shorter than almost all the girls. Had incredible speed and hands and lit up the local AA league. Obviously he had a pretty good growth spurt at some point. It still boggles my mind that this tiny little hilarious kid I knew a decade ago became one of the toughest guys in the NHL.

QUOTE(#12):

Originally posted 10:12 AM ET  08.23 by Zap Pollendratch

I went to high school with Rick, and though he was a year younger than me, got to know him pretty well through my cousin. Played a lot of floor hockey and basketball together. It was pretty sad to hear the news. What people don't know about Rick is that he always super tiny. In high school he couldn't have been more than 5'2" or 3"... Shorter than almost all the girls. Had incredible speed and hands and lit up the local AA league. Obviously he had a pretty good growth spurt at some point. It still boggles my mind that this tiny little hilarious kid I knew a decade ago became one of the toughest guys in the NHL.

Great info Zap - Thanks

QUOTE(#4):

Originally posted 09:02 AM ET  08.23 by al ward

This area of the province is a series of small communities 2 -3 miles apart in a mountain pass. Lots of mining and forestry activity in the area. High winds and temperature variations associated with that area of the province. Some studies have noted a higher rate of suicide among area residents and tried to co-relate them.

Pretty much anywhere in Southern Alberta can be absolutely brutal when the wind blows. It can blow 60-100+ km/hr for three weeks straight. Makes for a pretty depressing place, even in the middle of summer when it howls non-stop like that.

Lots of people seem to get headaches and/or migraines, have trouble sleeping ('cause all you can hear is the wind rattling the side of the house/windows) and it just sucks to go anywhere. You pretty much can't do ANYthing outside. Something as simple as picking up a few groceries becomes a major chore. When it really blows, and if you're lucky, the wind might even blow a rock through a car window or two!

When the wind doesn't blow it's a pretty sweet place to live... Big open skies, mountains right there and reasonably close to places like Montana, Calgary, K-Country, Banff... But when you're basically shut inside for two or three weeks at a time it really does get depressing. Doesn't surprise me to hear suicide numbers are higher 'round these parts.

There is a lot more to depression than just feeling sad, it is hard to realize you have it sometimes.

A disease of isolation and despair. It's always the ones who don't talk about it that you have to worry about. RIP Rick.

was it only his disease that killed him? or was it other things? :/

sucks you would think people with the life he had and his disease he would fight it and not let it get to them

QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 10:24 AM ET  08.23 by Zap Pollendratch

You pretty much can't do ANYthing outside. Something as simple as picking up a few groceries becomes a major chore.

Oddly enough I miss the wind the most of all the things in the Lethbridge area.

QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 10:24 AM ET  08.23 by Zap Pollendratch

Pretty much anywhere in Southern Alberta can be absolutely brutal when the wind blows. It can blow 60-100+ km/hr for three weeks straight. Makes for a pretty depressing place, even in the middle of summer when it howls non-stop like that. Lots of people seem to get headaches and/or migraines, have trouble sleeping ('cause all you can hear is the wind rattling the side of the house/windows) and it just sucks to go anywhere. You pretty much can't do ANYthing outside. Something as simple as picking up a few groceries becomes a major chore. When it really blows, and if you're lucky, the wind might even blow a rock through a car window or two!When the wind doesn't blow it's a pretty sweet place to live... Big open skies, mountains right there and reasonably close to places like Montana, Calgary, K-Country, Banff... But when you're basically shut inside for two or three weeks at a time it really does get depressing. Doesn't surprise me to hear suicide numbers are higher 'round these parts.

Your information about high school and the occasional weather environment add a whole new perspective to his life as a young man. Most folks (including me) knew of him only as a hockey player, very talented and tough, but only that. The info. you've posted this morning makes him more of a multi-dimensional guy...........a human being in other words with feelings and doubts of his own. Very poignant and helpful in trying to understand this tragedy to the degree you can. As HC said a few minutes ago, thank you for taking the time to post this.

QUOTE(#19):

Originally posted 10:36 AM ET  08.23 by Bostonpayne

was it only his disease that killed him? or was it other things? :/ sucks you would think people with the life he had and his disease he would fight it and not let it get to them

Rypien suffered from depression. Unfortunately it's not as simple as "fighting it" for some people. Take it from me, as someone who has worked in mental health/substance abuse for the last 20 years, it can be a very crippling disease for some.