A month and a half after signing with the Winnipeg Jets, a family member found Rypien dead in his home in Crowsnest Pass on August 15, 2011. Rypien had been scheduled for a flight to Winnipeg the previous night to have his knee evaluated that day. When he did not meet his appointment, Heisinger (who had since become the Jets assistant general manager) attempted to locate him. Following his death, Heisinger told media that Rypien had been suffering from depression for more than ten years. Jason Jaffray, a former Moose and Canucks teammate who had also recently signed with Winnipeg, expressed surprise at Rypien's death, explaining that while he was aware of his mental health, he felt he was "a new man and…the happiest [he'd] ever seen him."