Andre Payette, a hockey legend for the North East and the Newcastle Vipers, passed away at age 46. Following the demise of the Canadian, condolences have been pouring in from all corners of the sporting world. Payette, who coached the Mackenzie Mountaineers, just moved back to North America to start over.
Whitley Warriors, one of his former teams, released today’s statement: “Warriors are devastated to hear of Andre Payette’s demise. Andre was a devoted advocate for ice hockey, and many people were amused and motivated by his distinctive persona. At this time, our thoughts are with his friends and family. Goodbye, Wild Thing.” No official cause of death has been revealed.
During his time in the UK, the former Coventry Blaze fan favourite played for the Manchester Phoenix, Sheffield Steeldogs, Whitley Warriors, and Newcastle Vipers, in addition to being a member of their Grand Slam-winning 2004–2005 team. Moreover, he was a coach in Sheffield and the Hull Pirates’ commercial director for two years. In his home Canada, Payette most recently served as the Mackenzie Mountaineers’ head coach.
Payette, regarded as an enforcer throughout his lengthy playing career, was originally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Draft in 1994. Although he never played in the world’s top league, he did spend a significant portion of his career in the American Hockey League, starting with the Flyers’ former AHL affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, helping them to win a Calder Cup in 1998.
At the end of the 2016–17 season, he announced his retirement from football after finishing his playing career with the Whitley Warriors. Later, he worked for Hull Pirates for a few years as their commercial director.
The estimated net worth of this legendary player would be around $ 1 million at the time of his demise.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
