Ex-NHLer, Danbury Trasher Stephen Peat Dead At 44

It's been a tough summer around the hockey world, and unfortunately, there's been another tragedy with news that former NHL enforcer Stephen Peat has died as the result of injuries sustained in an accident two weeks ago. He was just 44 years old.

The nature of the accident that led to Peat's death was not disclosed, but his passing was confirmed via the NHL Alumni Associations' X account.

In his playing days, Peat was known for being a fierce enforcer who wasn't afraid to drop the mitts with some of the biggest fighters of the early-2000s. Tributes from all around hockey came pouring in after his death was announced.

The Princeton, British Columbia, native spent five seasons in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels, Tri-City Americans and Calgary Hitman and was selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim with the 32nd pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. 

However, Peat never played for the Ducks and was dealt to the Washington Capitals, and he made his pro debut with their AHL affiliate the Portland Pirates in 2000-01.

Peat made his NHL the following season with the Capitals and went on to play 130 games for the team, scoring 10 points and racking up 234 penalty minutes.

Stephen Peat of the Washington Capitals squares up against one of the toughest customers of the era, Donald Brashear.  (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Peat signed and played a handful of games with the infamous Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League, which became known for signing enforcers like Peat and ex-NHLer Mike Rupp.

Toward the end of his career, Peat split the 2005-05 season between the AHL's Hershey Bears and the Lowell Lock Monsters. He played his final pro hockey games during the 2006-07 season as a member of the AHL's Albany River Rats.

According to a 2018 profile on Peat published by the CBC, his life after hockey was sadly marred by brushes with the law, battles with addiction, struggles with constant pain and was at the time sleeping in his truck.

It's a tragic end for a player who was as tough as they come and left it all out on the ice.