Former Washington Capitals player Stephen Peat died from his injuries after an accident about two weeks ago, according to the NHL alumni association. He was 44.
The cause was from injuries sustained after getting hit by a car on Aug. 30 around 4:15 a.m, according to Langley RCMP and The Providence.
After a fight-filled hockey career, the former enforcer had high-profile struggles, especially after a New York Times article by reporter John Branch, who chronicled Peat’s life after he was arrested for burning down his house in 2015. Peat was often homeless, in rehab, on drugs, or in jail, likely due to brain trauma from years of fighting in hockey. Branch wrote a follow-up article in 2017 showing the desperate communication he had with Walter Peat, Stephen’s father.
“Even before I came out [to the WHL], I heard stories about him breaking guys’ faces,” former teammate Matt Pettinger told The Washington Post. “Nobody wanted to mess with him. I heard stories about him jumping out of the penalty box and chasing down guys and breaking a guy’s cheekbone with one punch. He sounded like a monster, but he’s a real down-to-earth guy, a great guy. That’s just a side of him I don’t really want to get to know.”
In 2019, Jeremy Allingham wrote a book called ‘Major Misconduct: The Human Cost of Fighting in Hockey,’ which further chronicled Peat’s issues. Peat, and former Cap Donald Brashear, were featured on the cover. Allingham went to great lengths to interview Peat, and eventually did, only to see for himself that Peat could hardly take care of himself.
During his playing days with the Caps, Peat was a hard-nosed fighter, and even had his own cheering section. His joining the team was summed up like this, according to a 2001 article from The Washington Post:
“If all goes according to plan Peat, 21, will sport a battered mug all season long, a testament to the courage, toughness and inherent brutality of the job he hopes to earn, a way of life he has grown to love since he first dropped the gloves in a hockey fight seven years ago. Then, Peat was all nerves, hoping to merely survive the episode. Now he is a master of his craft, able to unleash punches with both fists, already amassing a litany of knockouts and a reputation as one of the most feared pugilists to emerge from the Western Hockey League, a notoriously rugged Canadian junior circuit.”
Fighting also kept Peat out of the lineup, as he had to recover from injuries from hitting people. In total, Peat had 90 professional fights.
Anaheim drafted Peat 32nd overall in 1998. In 2000, he was traded to Washington, where he played 130 regular-season games and scored eight goals. Peat finished his pro career in the AHL following the 2006-07 season.
Earlier this year, former Caps player Chris Simon, who also had struggles after years of fighting, committed suicide.
The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that Stephen Peat has passed away from his injuries after a tragic accident just over two weeks ago. He was only 44 years old.
Stephen was drafted 32nd overall by the @AnaheimDucks in 1998. In 2000, he was traded to the… pic.twitter.com/sjbWx3VuV2
— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) September 12, 2024
