Chris Simon's Family Says Ex-NHLer Died By Suicide, Believe He Suffered From CTE

Ex-NHL player Chris Simon's family is revealing the tragic details surrounding his sudden passing ... confirming the 52-year-old took his own life, and they believe it was the result of CTE.

The former enforcer's loved ones released a statement via his former agent Paul Theofanous on Wednesday ... saying they saw Simon show strong signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a brain disease caused from concussions and traumatic head injuries.

"The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE which unfortunately resulted in his death," the statement read.

"We are grieving with the loss of our son, brother, father, partner, teammate and friend," the family continued. "The entire Wawa community is sharing in our grief. We will not be releasing any further details at this time and ask for privacy during this very difficult time. We appreciate everyone who shares in our tragic loss."

As we previously reported, the hockey community was devastated by the news ... and an outpour of tributes came out in honor of the 15-year NHL vet.

The NHL Alumni Association addressed the loss ... saying, "Chris was never afraid to stand up for his teammates, and played a key role in the dressing room. He was a beloved friend, father, brother, and son."

Chris won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 ... and played for several other teams, including the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames and New York Islanders.