CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 21: Steve Montador #5 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck under pressure from Tomas Piekanec #14 of the Montreal Canadiens at the United Center on December 21, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Former NHL defenseman Steve Montador was found dead inside his Mississauga home according to the Mississauga News.

Police said a female friend woke up at 2 a.m. to find Montador deceased. She contacted police and he was pronounced dead just after 2:30 a.m. at his residence.

"Foul play is not suspected, pending the outcome of an autopsy," said Const. Fiona Thivierge, a Peel police spokesperson.

At this time, Thivierge said, the incident is being treated as a sudden death investigation, not a criminal investigation.

Very sad news on the 35-year-old Montador who played a total of 571 NHL games. His last pro season came a year ago in the Kontinental Hockey League. He played in the NHL with Calgary, Florida, Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo and Chicago.

Montador once opened up about issues with head injuries nearing end of his career. He played 52 games with the Blackhawks in 2011-12 and his season ended early due to a head injury. This is from the Chicago Sun-Times:

In March of 2013, as his return neared, he spoke candidly and openly about the struggles he had during his long road to recovery.

“I know people talk about sports being a microcosm for life, and it’s very true that way.” he said. “I can see why people have a hard time with … being taken away from something they love to do. There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety and depression. I’ve had a lot of help to work through that, and I feel like I’ve taken the right steps.”

This is disturbing news on a veteran former NHL player and always feels sickening when we hear it. Our thoughts are with Montador and his family.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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