CHICAGO -- A posthumous study of Stan Mikita's brain shows the hockey Hall of Famer suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy at the time of his death a year ago.
Dr. Ann McKee, the director of the BU CTE Center, announced the findings during the Concussion Legacy Foundation's Chicago Honors Dinner on Friday night at the request of Mikita's family.
CTE is a degenerative brain disease associated with repeated blows to the head. It is known to cause memory loss, violent moods and other cognitive difficulties. It can only be diagnosed after death.
Mikita, who helped Chicago to the 1961 Stanley Cup title, died last August at age 78.