Former NHL enforcer shot in Canadian prison

Former professional ice hockey player Patrick Cote was shot in prison while fighting with a fellow in-mate.

The 41-year-old is currently serving a 42-month prison sentence at Donnacona Penitentiary in Quebec for attempting to rob a bank in city of Brossard earlier this year.

It’s reported that an incident between Cote and another prisoner escalated at 9:30 pm on Thursday night when the former Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators left wing allegedly tried to strangle the other man.

Surete de Quebec spokesperson Ann Mathieu confirmed that the guards had to resort to shooting the former professional hockey player after initial attempts to restrain him failed.

“We (are) talking (about) a violent altercation between two inmates. An irritant gas was used by the agents, without success,” she said, explaining, “a shot was then fired, the two prisoners were transported to the hospital Thursday night and there were fears for the life of one of them. The other suffered minor injuries.”

Cote is currently under care at Hospital Child Jesus in Quebec City, where his condition is now believed to have stabilized.

Cote played about 100 games in the National Hockey League, gaining more than 300 penalty minutes, before retiring in 2008.

Cote has been caught up in crime since leaving the sport. He was handed down a 30-month prison sentence in 2014 for robbing two banks in suburban Montreal.

Once released, the former hockey player continued his bank robbing career in February of 2016 in another attempted heist in Brossard, Quebec, after which he was again incarcerated.

Cote was also arrested during his hockey playing career in 2002, after police found 30 pounds of marijuana in his car.