Rick Rypien
| Rick Rypien | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Rypien in 2009
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| Born |
May 16, 1984 Blairmore, AB, CAN |
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| Died | August 15, 2011 (aged 27) Crowsnest Pass, AB, CAN |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Vancouver Canucks (NHL) Manitoba Moose (AHL) |
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| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2005–2011 | ||
Richard Joseph Rypien (May 16, 1984 – August 15, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who spent parts of six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks. After a major junior career of four years with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, he was signed by the minor professional Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2005. The following season, he signed with the Canucks. He spent six years with the organization, splitting time between the Canucks and Moose, their AHL affiliate.
Following the 2010–11 NHL season, Rypien signed with the Winnipeg Jets, but died before joining his new team. His death was preceded by a history of clinical depression, which included two personal leaves of absence from the Canucks during his career. A fourth-line player in the NHL, he was known for his hitting and fighting abilities.
Rypien was born in Blairmore, Alberta, a community within the municipality of Crowsnest Pass, Alberta on May 16, 1984. He was raised in nearby Coleman, Alberta, a community with a population of approximately 1,000. Rypien was the son of Shelley and Wes Rypien, the latter of whom was a Canadian boxing champion; Rypien's older brother, Wes Jr., also played in the WHL and later competed professionally in the ECHL for several seasons. Rypien is also the second cousin of NHL enforcer Shane Churla. Rypien's cousin, Mark Rypien, is a former National Football League (NFL) quarterback who was named the most valuable player of Super Bowl XXVI.
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