Edmonton Oilers center Colby Cave died in the early hours of Saturday, at the age of 25. Cave had suffered a brain bleed earlier in the week, and was fighting for his life for days before passing away while in a medically induced coma, according to the NHL’s official website.
Cave had suffered the hemorrhage due to a colloid cyst, a non-cancerous tumor of the brain, overnight on April 6; he had emergency surgery on the 7th to remove it, but unfortunately that was not enough to save his life. His wife, Emily Cave, released a statement on Saturday confirming the news:
It is with great sadness to share the news that our Colby Cave passed away early this morning. Both our families are in shock, but know our Colby was loved dearly by us, his family and friends, the entire hockey community and many more. We thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time.
Once the news broke of Cave’s passing, tributes came flooding in from around the NHL, particularly from former teammates, including Oilers captain Connor McDavid:
Heavy heart today. You were an amazing person and always brought so much energy and positivity into the room and people’s lives. You will be deeply missed Caver. Sending all my love to Emily and the entire Cave family through this difficult time.
Cave began his career in the Boston Bruins organization, playing three seasons at Providence before earning his first call-up to the NHL on December 21, 2017. He joined the Oilers at the start of 2019. He split time between the Oilers and their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors this past season, before the league suspended play due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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