Blackhawks legend and Hockey Hall of Fame member Stan Mikita tested positive for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), researchers and his family announced Friday night in Chicago.
CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive blows to the head that is known to cause memory loss and violent moods. It can only be diagnosed posthumously.
Mikita is the 11th known former NHL player and first Hall of Famer to have tested positive for CTE, according to Rick Westhead of TSN.
Dr. Ann McKee, director of the BU CTE Center, VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, and chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System, announced the findings at the request of Mikita’s family during the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s Chicago Honors dinner.