JUST IN: Edmonton Oilers Lost A Player to a Tragic Death.

EDMONTON — When someone this promising and of such strong character passes away at such a young age, it is so blatantly unfair and so heartbreaking.

The fact that a 27-year-old widow was tasked with delivering a eulogy for her husband on Saturday, a man to whom she was married for less than a year when he was taken away, is tragic regardless of whether Colby Cave was a player in the National Hockey League—first as a Boston Bruin and then as an Edmonton Oiler—a farm kid from Saskatchewan ranching country, or Emily’s husband.

She said, “We planned our whole lives, all the while thinking we were guaranteed all this time,” before instructing the 20 people in Rogers Place and those watching online:

Give your spouse or husband a hug. Let them know that you love them … take the photos and the recordings. Appreciate every single second.”

Colby Alexander Cavern was brought into the world on Boxing Day, 1994, raised “in somewhat old, defective manufactured home,” said his mom Jenn Cavern, on the yard of the family ranch close to Battleford, Saskatchewan. He was raised as a typical child on a prairie farm, with eight cousins on one side and ten on the other who all lived nearby and farmed.

He experienced childhood with The Lion Lord and hockey, his lamenting mother said. ” He had his morning meal with his hockey protective cap on, and cried when he needed to take it off.”

On Tuesday, April 7, 2020, while the NHL was settling into its coronavirus pause, news of Cave’s distress broke suddenly and unexpectedly.

We wrote that day, “Colby Cave, a 25-year-old National Hockey League player who has always been the picture of health suddenly in intensive care and in a medically induced coma is fighting for his life at a Toronto hospital.”

There was no mishap. COVID-19 had nothing to do with it.

“What do you say? What is the meaning of this? Jason Davidson, Cave’s agent in Saskatchewan, stated, “It’s unbelievable.”

It was a cerebrum drain that struck in the evening, while he and Emily were isolating at her folks’ home in Barrie. The cave never came back.

It will be a year on Sunday that Cavern passed in the ICU at Toronto’s Sunnybrook medical clinic, Emily kept at a horrible distance because of Coronavirus limitations. It was the most heartbreaking tale one could ever hear.

Emily had hoped to hold a big funeral for her husband, but as time went on and the COVID-19 restrictions didn’t go away, she decided instead to have an online memorial.

David Backes, a veteran of the NHL who served as Cave’s mentor while the two of them were playing in Boston, made an appearance on video to recount Cave’s first goal in the NHL, which came one night in Montreal when he played on the top line in place of injured Patrice Bergeron.

“It was during this game he was demonstrating the way that he could succeed in a new and extended job. During a hostile belonging he got free and scored his most memorable objective in the NHL (on Carey Value),” Backes said. ” He was beaming with pure joy as he celebrated his first NHL goal with his teammates.

“He returned to the seat,” reviewed Backes. ” Sharing his bliss is singed in my memory.”

Speaking on behalf of the Oilers players, who watched the memorial online from their hotel rooms in Calgary, where Edmonton was scheduled to play Saturday night, Patrick Russell, a teammate of Cave’s in both Edmonton and AHL Bakersfield, spoke.

Russell said, “It’s hard to say Colby’s name without smiling.” Always cheerful, diligent, and, most importantly, with a genuine concern for other people.

“Colby would want us to look at our loved ones, give them a hug, and tell them how much we loved them if he were here today.” On the off chance that we as a whole could be somewhat more like Colby, the world would be a superior spot.”

The Oilers and Emily have started a community program called Colby’s Kids, which works with CASA Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health to promote mental health initiatives. The asset will give admittance to sports to oppressed youngsters. In Bakersfield, where Cavern played 44 games last season, the Condors show a “CC 26” token at focus ice and behind the seat, giving proper respect with Cavern’s initials and the number he wore while in the AHL.

Oilers head coach Dave Tippett stated, “We have his jersey and picture hanging right in our dressing room, which is a reminder every time those guys go in the ice.” They see he’s there. Our players held him in the highest regard. They actually do.”

Saturday, they played Agape, a touching song by Bakersfield teammate Cooper Marody in memory of Cave, while family members talked about a typical Canadian child who turned out to be an NHL player.

His sister Taylor described him as “the guy who crushed Baba’s chocolate chip cookies and could rip you so quickly around a dance floor you didn’t know what was happening.” The aggravation of losing him is a vacancy inside me that won’t ever recuperate.”

A tearful eulogy was bravely navigated by Emily, the very image of despair.

She said, “Colb, I’m so proud of who you were.” And I’ll work hard the rest of my life to make you proud as well.”