Wade Belak

Wade Belak (born Wade William Belak on July 3, 1976) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman.

He was drafted 12th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

Wade played for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and the Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL). On August 31, 2011, he was found deceased in a Toronto apartment.

Death
On August 31, 2011 (at approximately 1:33 p.m.), Wade was found dead in a condo at the One King Street West hotel in Toronto.

The police didn't confirm a cause of Wade's death, but the Toronto Police treated his death as a suicide.

Wade was 35 years old and was preparing to take part of the upcoming season of "Battle of the Blades."

His death was the third in a series of NHL players found dead in a four-month span, following Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien. Wade's mother stated that he had been suffering from depression.

Michael Landsberg reported that he had spoken with Wade one week before his death about their mutual depression and that Wade admitted having been on "happy pills" for the previous four to five years.

Landsberg stated that Wade was agreeable to appearing in a documentary on celebrity depression that Landsberg was working on and going public about his condition.

On September 2, 2011, P.J. Stock suggested that Wade's death might not be suicide. "Let's just call it an accidental death right now, but he did die of strangulation," said Stock.

On September 21, 2011, Stock expressed regret for making those comments, explained that he did not have any information about Wade's death that was not public and said: "I just wanted to protect Wade, protect his family and his role in the game."

Wade's family members have stated that they believe his death was accidental. His funeral was held in Nashville with friends, family, and former teammates in attendance.

Personal Life
Wade's parents are Lorraine & Lionel Aadland. Lorraine remarried to Barry Belak when Wade was four years old and they took his surname.

At the age of six, his family moved to Battleford where he attended St Vital's Catholic School, Battleford Junior High and North Battleford Comprehensive High School.

By the time he was 14 years old, Wade was aiming to become a certified lifeguard.

His younger brother, Graham, played in several lower-tier leagues and was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche (53rd overall) in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft even though he never played in the NHL.

On July 20, 2002, Wade married Jennifer Jordan Russell in Banff, Alberta. The couple had two daughters: one born in 2004 and one in 2006. They were both born in Toronto.