Former Boston Bruins Enforcer Lyndon Byers Diagnosed With CTE
Former Boston Bruins enforcer Lyndon Byers, who died on July 4, 2025, at the age of 61 has been diagnosed with Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE, according to the Concussion & CTE Foundation.
The foundation announced the results in an official press release shared on its website on Thursday.
BREAKING: Former Boston Bruins enforcer Lyndon Byers has been diagnosed with stage 3 CTE by @BU_CTE researchers after his death last year at age 61. His family is sharing the results to raise awareness and help prevent other athletes from suffering. Byers played 10 seasons in the…
— Concussion & CTE Foundation (@ConcussionCTEfn) May 28, 2026
Byers played 10 seasons in the NHL from 1983-92 which included nine with the Bruins.
He was selected by Boston with the No. 39 overall pick (second round) in the 1982 NHL Draft and was with the organization until 1992 when he signed with the San Jose Sharks. He made his league debut on Jan. 5, 1984, against the Quebec Nordiques.
In total, he played in 279 regular-season games in the league and tallied 28 goals and 43 assists for 71 points as well as racked up 1,081 penalty minutes. He had six playoff appearances, all with the Bruins, and notched two goals and two assists for four points in 37 games.
After his playing career, he became a radio personality in Boston.
His family donated his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank at the Boston University CTE Center after his death.
“It was hard to see his personality change so dramatically,” said Anne Byers, Lyndon’s wife of 18 years in the release. “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. 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. I will do whatever I can to make sure nobody else has to watch their loved one deteriorate like that.”
The release also states that 19 of the 20 NHL players studied at Boston University CTE Center have been diagnosed with the disease.
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Kim Rankin is one of the lead writers for Boston Bruins on SI and Boston College On SI. A 2020 graduate of the University of Alabama. she joined Alabama Crimson Tide On SI in February 2024 covering baseball, softball, football, men’s basketball, and more for BamaCentral, but has also contributed to Missouri Tigers On SI. She previously worked as the brand manager at Tide 100.9 FM in Tuscaloosa, Ala. She has covered a wide variety of events including SEC Championships, NCAA Regionals, and bowl games.