Police are tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding the death of Wade Belak, the former NHL enforcer who was found dead in a Toronto hotel on Wednesday afternoon.
Belak had only recently retired from the NHL and was in Toronto to take part in a skating-related reality TV show.
Just 35 years old, Belak is survived by his wife and two daughters.
A day after his body was found, Toronto police are saying only that his death is "non-suspicious" in nature and that foul play is not suspected.
Shockingly, Belak was the third hockey enforcer to die since May, following the passing of New York Rangers forward Derek Boogaard and Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien.
Boogaard died accidentally after consuming a mix of alcohol and oxycodone, while Rypien was found dead in his home. But with so many deaths in such a short time, some hockey insiders are pondering the toll that a career of an NHL enforcer takes on an individual.
On Thursday, the NHL and NHL Players' Association pledged that they would probe for answers in the wake of the three deaths. Both the league and the players' union said that a review will be conducted on the players' substance abuse and behavioural health program.
"While the circumstances of each case are unique, these tragic events cannot be ignored," they said in a statement.
"We are committed to examining, in detail, the factors that may have contributed to these events, and to determining whether concrete steps can be taken to enhance player welfare and minimize the likelihood of such events taking place."
Belak's father, Lionel Aadland, told CTV News Channel that the circumstances surrounding his son's death should be questioned.
"We have no reason to believe there's a tie in to what happened and hockey at all," he said. "Hockey is what he loved and it is what it is."
The promise of a review comes after many people in the hockey world are struggling to find an explanation for the recent deaths.
"We're talking about such a short period of time," said Craig Button, who served as the general manager of the Calgary Flames when Belak played with the team, when speaking with The Canadian Press on Wednesday.
"It's not only about the deaths, it's the deaths that surround similar type players. ...
"It's not just getting hit in the head, it's everything that goes with that (enforcer) role. I think that people are paying very, very serious attention to concussions and blows to the head and the role of the enforcer.
"I don't think anybody can stop until we really understand the impact it has not only physically, but emotionally as well."
Fellow hockey player Mike Komisarek, said he was shocked to hear of Belak's death.
"You're just floored, it just hits you like a punch in the stomach," the Leafs defenceman told CTV Toronto on Thursday.
Cody Franson, another Leafs defenceman, said Belak was "one of the best."
"He made everyone around him happy, I have nothing but good memories of that man," he said.
Belak mulled future opportunities
Belak was due to take part in an interview on TSN Radio the same afternoon that he was found dead.
TSN Radio host Bryan Hayes said he and his staff couldn't get a hold of Belak and assumed that something had come up.
"And then you fast forward four or five hours later, you get the news and you're just shocked by it," Hayes told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday morning.
Former minor hockey player Troy Kahler ran into Belak at a downtown club just hours before his body was discovered.
"It seemed like he was in a great mood. He's always, you know, the first guy to smile, the first guy to talk to you and say hello," Kahler said.
"There was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just the regular old Wade."
Belak had recently retired from professional hockey and was sorting out his future plans.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn said he spoke with Belak in the spring and it appeared that the Saskatchewan native was eyeing some work in television.
"He was very excited that he was having an opportunity to maybe change his career and get into some commentating work," Quinn told The Canadian Press.
"I was excited for him too. It was kind of one of those nice meetings where you walk away happy. He seemed delighted this was going on.
"He's certainly a good-looking face -- he's a handsome guy -- and one that could speak and speak well. What a great combination."
CTV Toronto's Lance Brown said Belak was a popular player with members of the media, who was always willing to talk about what he was going through on the ice.
"He always had a smile on his face, no matter how well he did or how bad he did…but he was very easy to talk to and we enjoyed very much spending our time with Wade Belak," Brown said Wednesday.
In addition to spending parts of seven seasons in Toronto, Belak also played for the Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames and the Nashville Predators.
The Quebec Nordiques made Belak their first-round pick in the 1994 draft, though it wasn't until he moved to Toronto in 2001 that he became an NHL regular.
He racked up 1,263 penalty minutes in his 549-game career, while scoring eight goals and making 25 assists.
On Wednesday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman praised Belak as a resilient player "who competed to the utmost every minute of his NHL career."
With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV Toronto's Scott Lightfoot and Zuraidah Alman
