Report: Steve Montador's family to sue NHL in light of CTE diagnosis

Steve Montador's family is taking action against the NHL after discovering that the late defenseman suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Prior to his sudden passing at age 35 this past February, Montador had taken steps towards participating in a concussion lawsuit against the NHL, retaining the services of Chicago lawyer Bill Gibbs.

Upon learning of the CTE diagnosis – a condition caused by repeated brain trauma – Montador's family has advised Gibbs to proceed with the suit, according to Rick Westhead of TSN.

"The first thing that strikes me with him is that someone at 35 years old could be gone and number two, that he had such widespread disease in his brain from repetitive hits," said Gibbs. "It’s scary, really disturbing. At an age when the world is supposed to be ahead of you, instead his world was ending with a deteriorating and decaying brain."

Montador suffered a series of concussions during his 10-year NHL career and was ultimately forced to retire after a season-ending head injury as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2011-12 season.

The NHL released a statement concerning the matter:

The lawsuit is expected to be filed within the next month.