After Jimmy Hayes' tragic death, his loved ones are eventually able to find solace.

The 31-year-old NHL star died on August 23 from "acute intoxication owing to the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine," the Massachusetts state medical examiner confirmed to E! News on Sunday, Oct. 17. The cause of death was determined to be an unintentional fire in the house.

To her dismay, Jimmy's widow said in an interview with the Boston Globe on October 17 that the official cause of death had been a heart attack. Two-year-old Beau and five-month-old Mac are being raised by Kristen, the couple's primary caregiver.

She was "so certain" it was unrelated to drugs. The first thing I thought of was a heart attack or something else that wasn't [drugs]... It was difficult since it made no sense. When they called, I was hoping for something different. I was hoping for some clarification, so hearing that it was that... startled me. At home, he never displayed any signs of distress." It was Kevin Hayes who first brought up Jimmy's addiction worries to the family, according to Kevin Hayes, who himself a recovered addict.

"About 16 or 17 months ago, I saw a difference in Jimmy's conduct and approached him, saying, 'I think there might be a problem with pills here.'" Kevin had a flashback. "I suppose he started using the pills since he had an injury for a time and they get you." He went on to say, "Three weeks later, he called me and admitted that he was addicted to the medications. I started taking them after getting hurt and haven't stopped since.' After that, I remarked, "Well, let's get you some help.." He visited a restaurant in Haverhill, Massachusetts. So he gets help, and I thought everything was looking up. "However, this [expletive] is incredibly strong." Earlier, the Boston Globe reported that on the morning of August 23, law enforcement and first responders arrived at the former Boston Bruins player's Milton, Mass., home and declared him deceased. An autopsy performed a month later revealed no conclusive answers about the athlete's cause of death.

On the one-month anniversary of his death, Kristen shared a photo carousel of the couple's family members on social media on Sept. 23. It has been "the hardest, worst month of my life," she wrote in the caption, but she also felt "in awe of how strong myself, the boys, and our families have been" since his death.