Todd Ewen obit

 

Former NHL enforcer Todd Ewen dies at 49

 He was not on the list.

Former NHL right wing and bruising enforcer Todd Ewen died Saturday night, according to the St. Louis Blues' Twitter account. He was 49.

"It appears Mr. Ewen died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and is being classified as a suicide," Sergeant Brian Schellman, the public information coordinator with the St. Louis County Police Department, told USA TODAY Sports on Monday.

The Blues are one of four clubs Ewen played for from 1986-97. He also suited up for the Montreal Canadiens, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and San Jose Sharks.

Ewen was taken 168th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1984 draft, but never played with the team. He was called up during the 1985 Stanley Cup run but didn't appear in any games. The next season, he was traded to the Blues, where his fights with Bob Probert became part of the team's lore because of their intensity.

While Ewen missed out on playing in the Oilers' 1985 Cup run, he later would have a chance at being part of another championship. The Canadiens traded for Ewen in 1989-90 and three seasons later, he and the Canadiens hoisted the Cup in 1993, the last thing he would do as a member of that organization.

He was traded to the Mighty Ducks for their 1993-94 inaugural season and was an alternate captain for three seasons in Anaheim, twice topping 250 penalty minutes and protecting stars Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.

Ewen joined the Sharks as a free agent in 1996, but knee surgery eventually ended his career in 1997, and he retired.

He played in the minor leagues for the Peoria Rivermen, the New Westminster Bruins, the Vernon Lakers and the Kamloops Junior Oilers.

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native joins a long list of NHL enforcers who have died young, including Steve Montador (35), Wade Belak (35), Derek Boogaard (28) and Rick Rypien (27). There long been have questions about why more counseling isn't given to enforcers after they leave the game, when so many suffer from the lingering effects of repeated head trauma.

Ewen racked up 1,911 penalty minutes, plus 36 goals and 40 assists, during his 11-year NHL career.