TORONTO - The brain of deceased NHL enforcer Todd Ewen did not show signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy despite suffering several concussions during the player's career, the Canadian Concussion Centre announced Tuesday.
A study of Ewen's brain didn't turn up any traces of CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disorder that has been linked to multiple concussions, the CCC said in a statement.
Ewen racked up 1,911 penalty minutes in 518 NHL games with St. Louis, Montreal, Anaheim and San Jose.
He died at age 49 on Sept. 19, reportedly of a self-inflicted gunshot.
The release said that while Ewen suffered from memory loss, chronic body pain, diabetes and depression prior to his death, his brain showed no sign of any neurodegenerative disease.