Lyndon Byers, the former Boston Bruins enforcer and longtime radio co-host, was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy after his death. His family said Thursday it had authorized the release of the test results so the finding could help raise awareness about the effects of CTE.
Byers died last July at 61, and before his death he pledged to donate his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University’s CTE Center. The testing showed he had stage 3 of 4 of the progressive, degenerative brain disease, according to Dr. Ann McKee, who has led some of the country’s most closely watched work on the condition. McKee said people with stage 3 disease almost always report cognitive symptoms and that half develop dementia.
Byers spent 10 seasons in the NHL, including nine with the Bruins, and ranked 11th in franchise history with 959 penalty minutes. He later became a familiar voice on WAAF’s “The Hill-Man Morning Show,” but his family said the end of his life was marked by painful change. Anne Byers said he became less social, battled severe depression, had episodes of hallucinations and struggled with short-term memory loss. “He was so fun and vibrant but towards the end it got to the point where didn’t want to socialize or even leave the house,” she said. “He battled severe depression, had episodes of hallucinations, and his struggles with short-term memory loss made it difficult for him to navigate the day on his own.”
CTE is a progressive, degenerative brain disease linked to contact sports including football and hockey, and Byers’ diagnosis adds another name to a growing body of posthumous findings tied to the sport. The Concussion & CTE Foundation says 19 of the 20 former NHL players studied at the Boston University CTE Center were later found to have CTE. Byers’ family said the release of his results was meant to push the game toward more accountability. “The NHL can do better to protect its players’ safety,” Anne Byers said. “Athletes deserve to know what head injuries can do so they can make informed decisions about their bodies and work in an environment that supports their health first.”
That message now carries the weight of a personal loss. For Byers, a hard-nosed player who built a long public life after hockey, the diagnosis is a final reminder that the damage from repeated blows to the head can surface long after the crowd stops cheering.
