Former NHL enforcer Belak found dead
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former enforcer National Hockey League enforcer Wade Belak has reportedly been found dead in a Toronto hotel.
The Toronto Sun reported Wednesday that the 35-year-old, who had retired this past March following a long NHL career, was discovered at the 1 King West hotel and condo complex -- an upscale establishment in Toronto's financial district.
The report said Belak's death was ruled to be an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Belak was a first-round draft pick of the Quebec Nordiques in 1994 and made his debut with the franchise in Colorado during the 1996-97 season.
The native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, participated in 549 games with the Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators, tallying eight goals and 33 points with 1,263 penalty minutes.
He is the third former NHL tough guy to die this offseason, after former Wild and Rangers pugilist Derek Boogaard on May 13 and Jets forward Rick Rypien, who died of an apparent suicide on August 15.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Belak played the last two-plus seasons with the Predators and was working for the Nashville radio station 102.5 The Game. The station said on-air Wednesday that Belak had been in the studio last week to tape.
Last week, Belak was named as one of the contestants on the CBC's Battle of the Blades, a figure skating reality show.