TORONTO - Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien has been found dead in his Alberta home.
The Jets confirmed the 27-year-old forward's death in a statement Monday night.
The RCMP in Crowsnest Pass, Alta., said they received a call at 12:30 (MT) concerning a "sudden and non-suspicious" death.
Fans created a Facebook tribute page shortly after the reports of the 27-year-old's death surfaced.
Rypien is the second active NHL player found dead in the off-season. Former New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard died in May due to an accidental mix of alcohol and the painkiller oxycodone.
The native of Coleman, Alta., made headlines last October when he pushed a Minnesota Wild fan after being ejected from a game in St. Paul.
Rypien had just one assist in nine games with the Vancouver Canucks last season after leaving the team because of personal issues but later returned with the AHL's Manitoba Moose.
Rypien signed a one-year deal with the Jets in July worth US$700,000.
