The Canadian Press – Stephen Peat, the former Washington Capitals enforcer who fought concussion issues and experienced homelessness at times after leaving hockey, has died from injuries sustained late last month when he was struck by a car while crossing a street in Langley. B.C. He was 44.

“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.” – NHL Alumni Association 

Without identifying Peat at the time of the Aug. 30 accident, Langley police said a 44-year-old pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck while crossing a road at about 4:15 a.m.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Peat had eight goals, two assists and 234 penalty minutes in 130 NHL games.

He was drafted 32nd overall by Anaheim in 1998, then traded to Washington in June 2000 after finishing his junior career.

He last played professional hockey in the 2006-07 season, appearing in one game for Albany in the American Hockey League … READ MORE. 

Peat earned a reported total of $1.9 million in four seasons in the NHL

Stephen Peat

Peat made his NHL debut on October 8, 2001, playing 3 minutes and 54 seconds in the Capitals’ 4–0 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Because the Capitals lacked an enforcer, he was called up for games where they anticipated facing a physical opponent, while spending the rest of his time in Portland, where he would receive more ice time.

He did not spend a full season in Washington until 2003–04, when he recorded a career-high five goals in 64 games.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Peat was one of many NHL players to sign with another league. Although he had offers from European teams, he elected to play with the Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League, who played a more similar game to the NHL.

After four seasons with the Capitals, during which he had eight goals, two assists, and 234 penalty minutes in 130 games, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on December 28, 2005.

In exchange, Washington received forward Colin Forbes. He was assigned to the Lowell Lock Monsters and played three games there before sustaining season-ending groin and abdominal injuries.

He never played for the Hurricanes: injuries to his groin and hand kept him in the AHL until his retirement in 2007.

Peat’s last professional hockey appearance was one game with the Albany River Rats, the New Jersey Devils’ AHL affiliate, during the 2006–07 season.

Legal issues

On February 3, 2000, Peat was stabbed in the abdomen with a hunting knife at the Outlaws Nightclub in Calgary. He was injured while trying to prevent an altercation between his teammate and a group of strangers.

He was released from Foothills Medical Centre the next morning and a man was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and three counts of being unlawfully at large.

On March 17, 2015, Peat set down a blowtorch in his father’s garage, which burned a hole in a nearby mattress, creating a fire that destroyed the house.

Originally charged with arson with disregard for human life and arson causing property damage, he ultimately pleaded guilty to arson by negligence. He was sentenced to one year of probation.

Later life and death

After his retirement from hockey, Peat developed a substance use disorder, self-medicating with prescription painkillers, cocaine, and alcohol. He had been prescribed Percocet throughout his playing career and continued to use prescription painkillers to manage chronic headaches.

Peat’s relationship with his father Walter deteriorated after the arson conviction, culminating in a no-contact order. By 2017, he was homeless and estranged from his family, finding transient housing around Surrey, British Columbia.

He continued to experience headaches, memory loss, and impaired focus, which he attributed to brain injuries received during his career as an enforcer.

Around 4:15 a.m. on the morning of August 30, 2024, Peat was struck by a car while crossing the street on foot in Langley.He died about two weeks later at the age of 44 at a hospital in New Westminster, British Columbia, with his death being announced on September 12.