By Maiya Hayes, Detroit Free Press

Wade Belak’s family members, friends and former teammates gathered for a private ceremony at Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville, Tenn., to remember the former NHL player.

Belak, 35, was found dead Wednesday at a luxury condo and hotel building in Toronto. A person familiar with Belak’s death told the Associated Press on Thursday that he hanged himself.

Tie Domi, who played with Belak for five seasons with Toronto, remembered the friend who sat next to him in the Maple Leafs’ locker room.

“He was a very special guy and was loved by everyone,” Domi said. “He was a teammate, a great, great teammate. He was a special kid.”

Added Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter: “He was so happy to be retired. He was happy to be moving on because he had played for so long and now he was going to be able to relax and enjoy it.”