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Wikipedia

Colby Cave

Colby Alexander Cave[1] (December 26, 1994 – April 11, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers.

Colby Cave
Cave with the Providence Bruins in 2015
Born (1994-12-26)December 26, 1994
North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died April 11, 2020(2020-04-11) (aged 25)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
Edmonton Oilers
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2015–2020

Cave was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan and began playing minor ice hockey in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League. The Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League (WHL) selected him in the first round of the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft, but traded his junior ice hockey rights to the Swift Current Broncos in 2011. As an undrafted free agent in 2015, Cave signed an entry-level contract with the Bruins, and spent five seasons in the Boston system before being claimed off waivers by the Oilers. Cave made 67 total NHL appearances between 2015 and 2020, scoring nine points.

On the evening of April 6, 2020, Cave began complaining of headaches. His condition deteriorated throughout the night, and he was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, where doctors performed emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was causing brain bleed. After spending four days in a medically-induced coma, Cave died on April 11, 2020, at the age of 25. News of his death was met with memorials from his hockey teammates and coaches, as well as the establishment of the Colby Cave Memorial Fund.

Early life

Cave was born on December 26, 1994, in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, to Al and Jennifer Cave.[1][2] Colby and his sister Taylor grew up just outside of Battleford, on the family cattle farm.[2][3] Cave began ice skating at the age of three, and started playing ice hockey when he was five years old.[4] In addition to hockey, he enjoyed playing with toy cars and tractors and watching John Wayne films. His favourite film growing up was The Lion King, which he continued to enjoy well into adulthood.[5]

Cave began playing minor ice hockey in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League. While playing with the Battlefords Bantam AA Barons and the Battlefords Midget AAA Stars, Cave scored 29 goals and 43 assists between 2009 and 2011.[6] During his second season with the Stars, Cave served as team captain.[7] Before being called up to the Western Hockey League (WHL), Cave also played three games with the Battlefords North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.[6][8]

Playing career

Junior

The Kootenay Ice selected Cave in the first round, 13th overall, of the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. The Swift Current Broncos, managed by Mark Lamb, acquired Cave's junior ice hockey rights in January 2011, as part of a trade that sent Cody Eakin to the Ice.[9] Cave made his WHL debut with the Broncos the next month, on February 25, 2011.[10]

In 2011–12, his first full season playing in the WHL, Cave scored six goals and 10 assists for a total of 16 points in 70 games for the Broncos.[11] He more than doubled these numbers in the 2012–13 season, posting 21 goals and 20 assists in 72 appearances with the Broncos. Going into the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Cave 89th among all North American skaters, and 42nd among WHL skaters in their final-season rankings.[12] In advance of the 2013–14 WHL season, Cave was named the captain of the Broncos, succeeding Adam Lowry.[13] In 2014–15, Cave returned as captain and set career offensive highs with 75 points (35 goals and 40 assists) in 72 games. He was awarded both Team MVP and the Coach's Award from the Broncos at the conclusion of the season.[10]

Across his junior hockey career, Cave played 302 WHL games with the Broncos, including 287 regular-season matches and 15 playoff appearances. In those, he collected 202 regular-season points (95 goals and 107 assists) and eight playoff points (four goals and four assists).[10] While playing with the Broncos, Cave also befriended teammate Jake DeBrusk, who would play with him in the Boston Bruins organization.[14]

Professional

Boston Bruins (2015–2019)

On April 7, 2015, the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) signed Cave as an undrafted free agent to an entry-level contract with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins.[15][16] Cave made his AHL debut a week later, in a 4–1 loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack on April 12, 2015.[17][18] During the 2015–16 AHL season, Cave's first full season with the Providence Bruins, he appeared in 75 regular season games and scored 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points, as well as two goals and one assist in three playoff appearances.[19] The following year, Cave was named alternate captain of the Providence Bruins at the age of 22.[20] The 2016–17 AHL season was an offensive improvement for Cave, who recorded 13 goals and 22 assists in the regular season, as well as one goal and five assists in 17 playoff appearances.[19]

During the 2017–18 NHL season, the final season of his rookie contract with the Bruins, Cave received his first recall to the NHL on an emergency basis on December 21, 2017.[21] He made his NHL debut the same day, playing on the same line as former Broncos junior teammate Jake DeBrusk in a 2–1 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Following his debut, Cave was reassigned to Providence.[22] He played most of the season with the Providence Bruins, returning as alternate captain and scoring 11 goals and 22 assists in 72 AHL games.[19] Cave was once again called up to the NHL in April, filling in for injured skater Tommy Wingels in two games against the Florida Panthers.[23]

In his first three years in the AHL, Cave missed only five regular-season games, with four of those absences attributed to NHL call-ups. On July 14, 2018, Cave signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Bruins.[23] During another NHL call-up in the 2018–19 season, Cave was briefly promoted to playing on the top line of the Bruins' offence, filling Patrice Bergeron's usual position centering Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. While Cave made no shots on goal in the 2–1 shootout loss against the New York Islanders, he won four out of seven faceoffs and spent a career-high 19 minutes and 54 seconds on the ice.[24] On December 17, 2018, Cave scored his first NHL career goal with 26 seconds left in the second period in a 4–0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens.[25] On January 15, 2019, the Bruins placed Cave on waivers. At the time, he had played 20 games with the organization, and had logged one goal and five points.[26]

Edmonton Oilers (2019–2020)

On January 15, 2019, the Edmonton Oilers claimed Cave off of waivers from the Bruins, intending to place him on a line with Jujhar Khaira.[27] Cave scored the game-winning goal in a 4–2 win over the Ottawa Senators on February 28, 2019, his first goal as an Oiler.[28] His third period goal against the Senators on March 23, 2019, forced the game into overtime, which the Oilers eventually lost.[29] In 33 games with the Oilers in the 2018–19 season, Cave totalled two goals and one assist.[30]

Going into the 2019–20 season, Cave spent his time at the Oilers' training camp working on his penalty kill.[31] On October 13, 2019, after only two season appearances, the Oilers placed Cave on waivers before assigning him to the team's AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.[32] He spent the majority of the year in the AHL, scoring 11 goals and 12 assists in 44 games, including a goal in the final game before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the remainder of the 2019–20 AHL season.[33] Cave also made 11 appearances for Edmonton, scoring one goal on November 2, 2019, against Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray.[34][35]

Cave played a total of 67 NHL games in his professional hockey career, 23 with the Bruins and 44 with the Oilers, and amassed a total of four goals and five assists.[34]

Player profile

After his death, Cave's teammates and coaches largely highlighted his ability to grow and adapt as the situation required. Mark Lamb, his coach with the Broncos, said that Cave "started off as a fourth-liner, then became a penalty killer, then a matchup guy [...] By the end he was our captain and played in all situations."[36] Trent Whitfield, assistant coach for the Providence Bruins, praised Cave's 200-foot game and said that "[he] can come in wherever you need him".[37] Cave struggled at times with finishing offensive plays, and relied on his Providence teammates Jay Leach and Anton Blidh to help generate confidence in his goal-scoring.[37]

Personal life

Cave married his wife Emily on July 19, 2019. At the time of his death, Cave and his wife had begun planning to reside in Boston during the hockey off-season.[38] Colby and Emily Cave were members of the Hillsong Church.[39]

Death

After the NHL and AHL suspended operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cave and his wife moved to Barrie, Ontario, close to his wife's family.[40] On the night of April 6, 2020, Cave began complaining of a headache. His condition "got significantly worse" throughout the night, including multiple vomiting spells, and by the time an ambulance arrived, Cave was unresponsive and suffering from hypothermia.[41] Doctors at the hospital in Barrie determined that Cave was suffering from a brain bleed, and he was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.[42][43] Cave was given emergency surgery on April 7 to remove a colloid cyst that was putting pressure on his brain, and was placed in a medically-induced coma that same day.[44]

Due to hospital regulations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Cave's wife and family were not allowed to visit him in the hospital, and they instead communicated with him via walkie-talkie.[45] On April 11, 2020, Cave's family and the Oilers announced that Cave had died at the age of 25.[46] Cave's agent, Jason Davidson, told reporters that the skater's condition was not due to an accident, and was unrelated to COVID-19.[42] Dr. Charles Tator, a Toronto neurosurgeon known for his concussion research, said that Cave's death was "very, very rare", and the result of "very bad luck".[47]

Memorials

Due to physical distancing restrictions put into place by Canadian government officials, in-person memorials and tributes to Cave were limited. On April 13, 2020, family friend Bob Bartkewich organized a vehicle procession along Saskatchewan Highway 16 with signs and jerseys dedicated to Cave.[48] The motorcade was led by a fire truck with a sign reading "Hometown Hockey Hero Colby Cave 1994–2020," as well as the logos of every team for whom he had played.[8] During a team scrimmage on July 25, 2020, all Oilers wore Cave's No. 12 jersey, and his widow Emily gave each team member a handwritten letter and personal gift to keep in their lockers during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.[49]

In lieu of a large funeral, Cave's widow held an online memorial service on April 10, 2021, the day before the first anniversary of his death. Former teammates David Backes and Patrick Russell spoke on behalf of the Bruins and Oilers, respectively, and Bakersfield teammate Cooper Marody played "Agape", which he had composed in honour of Cave.[1] Oilers captain Connor McDavid criticized the NHL for rescheduling the Oilers' match against the Calgary Flames for the same day as the virtual memorial service. The game was originally supposed to be held on May 7, but was moved up on April 5 due to COVID-19 postponements within the NHL North Division. McDavid said after the 5–0 loss, "I think you're asking a lot from guys to sit through something like [the memorial] and remember your teammate and see what they're going through—their whole family—and expect to perform that night."[50]

Legacy

On April 14, 2020, the Oilers announced the establishment of the Colby Cave Memorial Fund, which would raise money for community programs focused on mental health initiatives and providing athletic access to underprivileged children.[51] That July, the No. 12 jerseys that the Oilers wore during a team scrimmage were auctioned off, with the money raised going to the Memorial Fund.[52] In October 2020, the Broncos began selling "#10 Bronco Forever" decals, featuring Cave's WHL jersey number, with proceeds benefitting the Memorial Fund.[53]

On August 11, 2020, the Providence Bruins announced the creation of the Colby Cave Memorial Award, to be presented annually to the player who demonstrates a dedication to the community and charity. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said in a statement that the award "is a special way to honor and remember Colby for his leadership qualities and humanitarian efforts".[54]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2008–09 Battlefords Stars SMHL 3 0 1 1 2
2009–10 Battlefords Stars SMHL 42 15 21 36 40
2010–11 Battlefords Stars SMHL 44 14 22 36 28
2010–11 Battlefords North Stars SJHL 3 0 1 1 0
2010–11 Swift Current Broncos WHL 1 0 0 0 0
2011–12 Swift Current Broncos WHL 70 6 10 16 36
2012–13 Swift Current Broncos WHL 72 21 20 41 39 5 2 2 4 8
2013–14 Swift Current Broncos WHL 72 33 37 70 30 6 0 2 2 0
2014–15 Swift Current Broncos WHL 72 35 40 75 52 4 2 0 2 2
2014–15 Providence Bruins AHL 1 0 0 0 0
2015–16 Providence Bruins AHL 75 13 16 29 27 3 2 1 3 5
2016–17 Providence Bruins AHL 76 13 22 35 52 17 1 5 6 18
2017–18 Providence Bruins AHL 72 11 22 33 29 4 0 0 0 2
2017–18 Boston Bruins NHL 3 0 0 0 2
2018–19 Providence Bruins AHL 15 6 12 18 13
2018–19 Boston Bruins NHL 20 1 4 5 8
2018–19 Edmonton Oilers NHL 33 2 1 3 8
2019–20 Edmonton Oilers NHL 11 1 0 1 4
2019–20 Bakersfield Condors AHL 44 11 12 23 24
NHL totals 67 4 5 9 22

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Spector, Mark (April 10, 2021). "Colby Cave's memory lives on with family, Oilers a year after tragic death". Sportsnet. from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Matheson, Jim (April 11, 2020). "Colby Cave willed himself to play in NHL and will be missed". Edmonton Sun. from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Hall, Vicki (April 11, 2020). "Oilers' Colby Cave fondly remembered from little leagues to NHL". CBC.ca. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Foster, Jayne (April 10, 2021). "Hockey in Heaven now that Colby Cave is there". The Battlefords News-Optimist. from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
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  20. ^ Kanter, Nathan (May 1, 2017). "Cave leading Bruins on and off the ice". Battlefords Now. from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
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  23. ^ a b Porter, Matt (July 14, 2018). "Colby Cave signs two-year, two-way deal with Bruins". The Boston Globe. from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  24. ^ Shinzawa, Fluto (November 29, 2018). "Understudy Colby Cave gets his shot at center stage for Bruins". The Athletic. from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  25. ^ Farrell, Sean (December 17, 2018). "Halak makes 22 saves, Bruins shut out Canadiens". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Boston Bruins. from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
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  27. ^ Gazzola, Paul (January 15, 2019). "Oilers claim Colby Cave from Boston". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers. from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  28. ^ Wilkins, Reid (February 28, 2019). "Colby Cave nets winner for Edmonton Oilers in Ottawa". Global News. from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  29. ^ Umbach, Jamie (March 23, 2019). "GAME STORY: Senators 4, Oilers 3 (OT)". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers. from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  30. ^ Umbach, Jamie (August 23, 2019). "ROSTER REBOOT: Colby Cave". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers. from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  31. ^ Umbach, Jamie (September 25, 2019). "MAIN CAMP: Role players for Oilers emerging as Camp progresses Jamie Umbach". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers. from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  32. ^ Martinson, Martin (October 13, 2019). "Battlefords' Colby Cave waived by Oilers, assigned to Bakersfield". Battlefords Now. from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  33. ^ "Former Condor Colby Cave dies of brain bleed". The Bakersfield Californian. April 11, 2020. from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  34. ^ a b "'Undrafted but undaunted': Oilers' Colby Cave dies at 25". USA Today. Associated Press. April 11, 2020. from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  35. ^ Swinton, Elizabeth (April 11, 2020). "Oilers' Colby Cave Dies at 25 After Suffering Brain Bleed". Sports Illustrated. from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  36. ^ Willes, Ed (April 13, 2020). "Willes' Musings: Colby Cave's dream will always live on in this country". The Province. from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  37. ^ a b Divver, Mark (October 25, 2018). "Mark Divver: 'Underdog' Colby Cave is top dog for P-Bruins so far". The Providence Journal. from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  38. ^ Nugent-Bowman, Daniel (April 9, 2021). "A year without Colby Cave: For his widow, Emily Cave, 'The love is still there, and his legacy is still there'". The Athletic. from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  39. ^ Cave, Emily (July 9, 2020). "My life with Colby Cave, and how I'll honor his legacy". ESPN.com. from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  40. ^ Spector, Mark (April 7, 2020). "'He's a warrior': Oilers' Colby Cave fighting for life due to brain bleed". Sportsnet. from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  41. ^ Boucher, Ashley (July 9, 2020). "Colby Cave's Wife Emily Opens Up About Hockey Player's 'Traumatic' Sudden Death at 25". People. from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  42. ^ a b "Cave has surgery, Oilers forward remains in medically induced coma". NHL.com. National Hockey League. April 10, 2020. from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  43. ^ Pell, Samantha (April 11, 2020). "Oilers forward Colby Cave dies of brain bleed at 25". The Washington Post. from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  44. ^ "Oilers forward Colby Cave is out of emergency surgery but remains in a coma after suffering a brain bleed". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. April 7, 2020. from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  45. ^ "Oilers' Colby Cave remains in a medically induced coma". ESPN.com. ESPN News Services. April 9, 2020. from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  46. ^ Kaur, Harmeet; Sterling, Wayne (April 11, 2020). "Colby Cave of NHL's Edmonton Oilers dies at 25". CNN. from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  47. ^ Feschuk, Dave (April 15, 2020). "Colby Cave's death might just be the result of 'very bad luck'". Toronto Star. from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  48. ^ Benning, Kyle; Piller, Thomas (April 13, 2020). "Vehicles line up on Saskatchewan highway for Colby Cave memorial". Global News. from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  49. ^ Nugent-Bowman, Daniel (July 25, 2020). "Oilers scrimmage: Colby Cave gets Maurice Richard treatment in fitting tribute". The Athletic. from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  50. ^ Brehm, Mike (April 11, 2021). "Connor McDavid questions NHL for rescheduling Oilers game after Colby Cave memorial service". USA Today. from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  51. ^ "RELEASE: Cave Family, Oilers establish Colby Cave Memorial Fund". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers. April 14, 2020. from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  52. ^ "Widow of Oilers' Colby Cave thanking team with gifts, letters". ESPN.com. July 24, 2020. from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  53. ^ "Tribute to Colby Cave and fundraising efforts to support Memorial Fund finalized". Prairie Post. October 5, 2020. from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  54. ^ Yang, Nicole (August 11, 2020). "Providence Bruins create memorial award to honor Colby Cave". The Boston Globe. from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

External links

  • Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

colby, cave, colby, alexander, cave, december, 1994, april, 2020, canadian, professional, hockey, centre, played, national, hockey, league, boston, bruins, edmonton, oilers, cave, with, providence, bruins, 2015born, 1994, december, 1994north, battleford, saska. Colby Alexander Cave 1 December 26 1994 April 11 2020 was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League NHL for the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers Colby CaveCave with the Providence Bruins in 2015Born 1994 12 26 December 26 1994North Battleford Saskatchewan CanadaDiedApril 11 2020 2020 04 11 aged 25 Toronto Ontario CanadaHeight6 ft 1 in 185 cm Weight201 lb 91 kg 14 st 5 lb PositionCentreShotLeftPlayed forBoston BruinsEdmonton OilersNHL DraftUndraftedPlaying career2015 2020Cave was born in North Battleford Saskatchewan and began playing minor ice hockey in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League The Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League WHL selected him in the first round of the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft but traded his junior ice hockey rights to the Swift Current Broncos in 2011 As an undrafted free agent in 2015 Cave signed an entry level contract with the Bruins and spent five seasons in the Boston system before being claimed off waivers by the Oilers Cave made 67 total NHL appearances between 2015 and 2020 scoring nine points On the evening of April 6 2020 Cave began complaining of headaches His condition deteriorated throughout the night and he was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto where doctors performed emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was causing brain bleed After spending four days in a medically induced coma Cave died on April 11 2020 at the age of 25 News of his death was met with memorials from his hockey teammates and coaches as well as the establishment of the Colby Cave Memorial Fund Contents 1 Early life 2 Playing career 2 1 Junior 2 2 Professional 2 2 1 Boston Bruins 2015 2019 2 2 2 Edmonton Oilers 2019 2020 3 Player profile 4 Personal life 5 Death 5 1 Memorials 5 2 Legacy 6 Career statistics 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksEarly life EditCave was born on December 26 1994 in North Battleford Saskatchewan to Al and Jennifer Cave 1 2 Colby and his sister Taylor grew up just outside of Battleford on the family cattle farm 2 3 Cave began ice skating at the age of three and started playing ice hockey when he was five years old 4 In addition to hockey he enjoyed playing with toy cars and tractors and watching John Wayne films His favourite film growing up was The Lion King which he continued to enjoy well into adulthood 5 Cave began playing minor ice hockey in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League While playing with the Battlefords Bantam AA Barons and the Battlefords Midget AAA Stars Cave scored 29 goals and 43 assists between 2009 and 2011 6 During his second season with the Stars Cave served as team captain 7 Before being called up to the Western Hockey League WHL Cave also played three games with the Battlefords North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League 6 8 Playing career EditJunior Edit The Kootenay Ice selected Cave in the first round 13th overall of the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft The Swift Current Broncos managed by Mark Lamb acquired Cave s junior ice hockey rights in January 2011 as part of a trade that sent Cody Eakin to the Ice 9 Cave made his WHL debut with the Broncos the next month on February 25 2011 10 In 2011 12 his first full season playing in the WHL Cave scored six goals and 10 assists for a total of 16 points in 70 games for the Broncos 11 He more than doubled these numbers in the 2012 13 season posting 21 goals and 20 assists in 72 appearances with the Broncos Going into the 2013 NHL Entry Draft the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Cave 89th among all North American skaters and 42nd among WHL skaters in their final season rankings 12 In advance of the 2013 14 WHL season Cave was named the captain of the Broncos succeeding Adam Lowry 13 In 2014 15 Cave returned as captain and set career offensive highs with 75 points 35 goals and 40 assists in 72 games He was awarded both Team MVP and the Coach s Award from the Broncos at the conclusion of the season 10 Across his junior hockey career Cave played 302 WHL games with the Broncos including 287 regular season matches and 15 playoff appearances In those he collected 202 regular season points 95 goals and 107 assists and eight playoff points four goals and four assists 10 While playing with the Broncos Cave also befriended teammate Jake DeBrusk who would play with him in the Boston Bruins organization 14 Professional Edit Boston Bruins 2015 2019 Edit On April 7 2015 the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League NHL signed Cave as an undrafted free agent to an entry level contract with their American Hockey League AHL affiliate the Providence Bruins 15 16 Cave made his AHL debut a week later in a 4 1 loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack on April 12 2015 17 18 During the 2015 16 AHL season Cave s first full season with the Providence Bruins he appeared in 75 regular season games and scored 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points as well as two goals and one assist in three playoff appearances 19 The following year Cave was named alternate captain of the Providence Bruins at the age of 22 20 The 2016 17 AHL season was an offensive improvement for Cave who recorded 13 goals and 22 assists in the regular season as well as one goal and five assists in 17 playoff appearances 19 During the 2017 18 NHL season the final season of his rookie contract with the Bruins Cave received his first recall to the NHL on an emergency basis on December 21 2017 21 He made his NHL debut the same day playing on the same line as former Broncos junior teammate Jake DeBrusk in a 2 1 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets Following his debut Cave was reassigned to Providence 22 He played most of the season with the Providence Bruins returning as alternate captain and scoring 11 goals and 22 assists in 72 AHL games 19 Cave was once again called up to the NHL in April filling in for injured skater Tommy Wingels in two games against the Florida Panthers 23 In his first three years in the AHL Cave missed only five regular season games with four of those absences attributed to NHL call ups On July 14 2018 Cave signed a two year two way contract with the Bruins 23 During another NHL call up in the 2018 19 season Cave was briefly promoted to playing on the top line of the Bruins offence filling Patrice Bergeron s usual position centering Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak While Cave made no shots on goal in the 2 1 shootout loss against the New York Islanders he won four out of seven faceoffs and spent a career high 19 minutes and 54 seconds on the ice 24 On December 17 2018 Cave scored his first NHL career goal with 26 seconds left in the second period in a 4 0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens 25 On January 15 2019 the Bruins placed Cave on waivers At the time he had played 20 games with the organization and had logged one goal and five points 26 Edmonton Oilers 2019 2020 Edit On January 15 2019 the Edmonton Oilers claimed Cave off of waivers from the Bruins intending to place him on a line with Jujhar Khaira 27 Cave scored the game winning goal in a 4 2 win over the Ottawa Senators on February 28 2019 his first goal as an Oiler 28 His third period goal against the Senators on March 23 2019 forced the game into overtime which the Oilers eventually lost 29 In 33 games with the Oilers in the 2018 19 season Cave totalled two goals and one assist 30 Going into the 2019 20 season Cave spent his time at the Oilers training camp working on his penalty kill 31 On October 13 2019 after only two season appearances the Oilers placed Cave on waivers before assigning him to the team s AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors 32 He spent the majority of the year in the AHL scoring 11 goals and 12 assists in 44 games including a goal in the final game before the COVID 19 pandemic suspended the remainder of the 2019 20 AHL season 33 Cave also made 11 appearances for Edmonton scoring one goal on November 2 2019 against Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray 34 35 Cave played a total of 67 NHL games in his professional hockey career 23 with the Bruins and 44 with the Oilers and amassed a total of four goals and five assists 34 Player profile EditAfter his death Cave s teammates and coaches largely highlighted his ability to grow and adapt as the situation required Mark Lamb his coach with the Broncos said that Cave started off as a fourth liner then became a penalty killer then a matchup guy By the end he was our captain and played in all situations 36 Trent Whitfield assistant coach for the Providence Bruins praised Cave s 200 foot game and said that he can come in wherever you need him 37 Cave struggled at times with finishing offensive plays and relied on his Providence teammates Jay Leach and Anton Blidh to help generate confidence in his goal scoring 37 Personal life EditCave married his wife Emily on July 19 2019 At the time of his death Cave and his wife had begun planning to reside in Boston during the hockey off season 38 Colby and Emily Cave were members of the Hillsong Church 39 Death EditAfter the NHL and AHL suspended operations in March 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic Cave and his wife moved to Barrie Ontario close to his wife s family 40 On the night of April 6 2020 Cave began complaining of a headache His condition got significantly worse throughout the night including multiple vomiting spells and by the time an ambulance arrived Cave was unresponsive and suffering from hypothermia 41 Doctors at the hospital in Barrie determined that Cave was suffering from a brain bleed and he was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto 42 43 Cave was given emergency surgery on April 7 to remove a colloid cyst that was putting pressure on his brain and was placed in a medically induced coma that same day 44 Due to hospital regulations surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic Cave s wife and family were not allowed to visit him in the hospital and they instead communicated with him via walkie talkie 45 On April 11 2020 Cave s family and the Oilers announced that Cave had died at the age of 25 46 Cave s agent Jason Davidson told reporters that the skater s condition was not due to an accident and was unrelated to COVID 19 42 Dr Charles Tator a Toronto neurosurgeon known for his concussion research said that Cave s death was very very rare and the result of very bad luck 47 Memorials Edit Due to physical distancing restrictions put into place by Canadian government officials in person memorials and tributes to Cave were limited On April 13 2020 family friend Bob Bartkewich organized a vehicle procession along Saskatchewan Highway 16 with signs and jerseys dedicated to Cave 48 The motorcade was led by a fire truck with a sign reading Hometown Hockey Hero Colby Cave 1994 2020 as well as the logos of every team for whom he had played 8 During a team scrimmage on July 25 2020 all Oilers wore Cave s No 12 jersey and his widow Emily gave each team member a handwritten letter and personal gift to keep in their lockers during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs 49 In lieu of a large funeral Cave s widow held an online memorial service on April 10 2021 the day before the first anniversary of his death Former teammates David Backes and Patrick Russell spoke on behalf of the Bruins and Oilers respectively and Bakersfield teammate Cooper Marody played Agape which he had composed in honour of Cave 1 Oilers captain Connor McDavid criticized the NHL for rescheduling the Oilers match against the Calgary Flames for the same day as the virtual memorial service The game was originally supposed to be held on May 7 but was moved up on April 5 due to COVID 19 postponements within the NHL North Division McDavid said after the 5 0 loss I think you re asking a lot from guys to sit through something like the memorial and remember your teammate and see what they re going through their whole family and expect to perform that night 50 Legacy Edit On April 14 2020 the Oilers announced the establishment of the Colby Cave Memorial Fund which would raise money for community programs focused on mental health initiatives and providing athletic access to underprivileged children 51 That July the No 12 jerseys that the Oilers wore during a team scrimmage were auctioned off with the money raised going to the Memorial Fund 52 In October 2020 the Broncos began selling 10 Bronco Forever decals featuring Cave s WHL jersey number with proceeds benefitting the Memorial Fund 53 On August 11 2020 the Providence Bruins announced the creation of the Colby Cave Memorial Award to be presented annually to the player who demonstrates a dedication to the community and charity Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said in a statement that the award is a special way to honor and remember Colby for his leadership qualities and humanitarian efforts 54 Career statistics EditRegular season PlayoffsSeason Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM2008 09 Battlefords Stars SMHL 3 0 1 1 2 2009 10 Battlefords Stars SMHL 42 15 21 36 40 2010 11 Battlefords Stars SMHL 44 14 22 36 28 2010 11 Battlefords North Stars SJHL 3 0 1 1 0 2010 11 Swift Current Broncos WHL 1 0 0 0 0 2011 12 Swift Current Broncos WHL 70 6 10 16 36 2012 13 Swift Current Broncos WHL 72 21 20 41 39 5 2 2 4 82013 14 Swift Current Broncos WHL 72 33 37 70 30 6 0 2 2 02014 15 Swift Current Broncos WHL 72 35 40 75 52 4 2 0 2 22014 15 Providence Bruins AHL 1 0 0 0 0 2015 16 Providence Bruins AHL 75 13 16 29 27 3 2 1 3 52016 17 Providence Bruins AHL 76 13 22 35 52 17 1 5 6 182017 18 Providence Bruins AHL 72 11 22 33 29 4 0 0 0 22017 18 Boston Bruins NHL 3 0 0 0 2 2018 19 Providence Bruins AHL 15 6 12 18 13 2018 19 Boston Bruins NHL 20 1 4 5 8 2018 19 Edmonton Oilers NHL 33 2 1 3 8 2019 20 Edmonton Oilers NHL 11 1 0 1 4 2019 20 Bakersfield Condors AHL 44 11 12 23 24 NHL totals 67 4 5 9 22 See also EditList of ice hockey players who died during their playing careerReferences Edit a b c Spector Mark April 10 2021 Colby Cave s memory lives on with family Oilers a year after tragic death Sportsnet Archived from the original on April 11 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 a b Matheson Jim April 11 2020 Colby Cave willed himself to play in NHL and will be missed Edmonton Sun Archived from the original on February 28 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Hall Vicki April 11 2020 Oilers Colby Cave fondly remembered from little leagues to NHL CBC ca Archived from the original on November 16 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Foster Jayne April 10 2021 Hockey in Heaven now that Colby Cave is there The Battlefords News Optimist Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Matheson Jim April 10 2021 Oilers Cave remembered in mournful but uplifting celebration of life Edmonton Sun Archived from the original on April 17 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 a b Colby Cave from the Battlefords to the NHL The Battlefords News Optimist April 14 2018 Archived from the original on April 21 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Zary Darren April 14 2020 Everybody loved Colby Battlefords minor hockey coaches pay tribute to Colby Cave community rallies to show its support for the fallen hometown hockey hero The StarPhoenix Archived from the original on February 27 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 a b Jones Terry April 14 2020 Death of Oilers forward Colby Cave stands out in cataclysmic time The Telegram Archived from the original on May 3 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Clarke Ted April 12 2020 Cave left indelible impression on hockey world The Prince George Citizen Archived from the original on April 18 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 a b c WHL mourns the passing of former Broncos captain Colby Cave Western Hockey League Canadian Hockey League April 11 2020 Archived from the original on June 3 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Mainville Max December 20 2018 Bruins Colby Cave Representing Saskatchewan With Recent NHL Success Black N Gold Hockey Archived from the original on January 18 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Four Broncos Ranked by NHL Central Scouting scbroncos com April 24 2013 Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Broncos Name Cave Captain scbroncos com September 26 2013 Archived from the original on April 14 2019 Retrieved October 30 2018 Loftus Mike April 11 2020 Bruins mourn loss of former teammate Colby Cave The Herald News Archived from the original on October 27 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Bruins Sign Colby Cave to an Entry Level Contract NHL com National Hockey League Boston Bruins April 7 2015 Archived from the original on February 5 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Campbell Ken April 11 2020 What a person What a player The hockey world mourns the death of Colby Cave The Hockey News Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on April 21 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Colby Cave Stats and Player Profile TheAHL com American Hockey League Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Wolf Pack Defeat Bruins 4 1 Move Into Tie For First Place Hartford Courant April 12 2015 Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 a b c Bruins Assign Colby Cave to Providence NHL com National Hockey League Boston Bruins October 30 2018 Archived from the original on November 28 2020 Retrieved April 19 2021 Kanter Nathan May 1 2017 Cave leading Bruins on and off the ice Battlefords Now Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Bruins recall Colby Cave on an emergency basis Boston Bruins December 21 2017 Archived from the original on January 22 2018 Retrieved December 21 2017 Colby Cave with old friend on his line makes NHL debut Providence Journal December 21 2017 Archived from the original on January 22 2018 Retrieved December 22 2017 a b Porter Matt July 14 2018 Colby Cave signs two year two way deal with Bruins The Boston Globe Archived from the original on January 24 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Shinzawa Fluto November 29 2018 Understudy Colby Cave gets his shot at center stage for Bruins The Athletic Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Farrell Sean December 17 2018 Halak makes 22 saves Bruins shut out Canadiens NHL com National Hockey League Boston Bruins Archived from the original on December 18 2018 Retrieved December 17 2018 Losing Colby Cave on waivers a loss for the Bruins organization NBC Sports Boston January 16 2019 Archived from the original on February 8 2019 Retrieved April 19 2021 Gazzola Paul January 15 2019 Oilers claim Colby Cave from Boston NHL com National Hockey League Edmonton Oilers Archived from the original on February 6 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Wilkins Reid February 28 2019 Colby Cave nets winner for Edmonton Oilers in Ottawa Global News Archived from the original on April 18 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Umbach Jamie March 23 2019 GAME STORY Senators 4 Oilers 3 OT NHL com National Hockey League Edmonton Oilers Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Umbach Jamie August 23 2019 ROSTER REBOOT Colby Cave NHL com National Hockey League Edmonton Oilers Archived from the original on April 18 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Umbach Jamie September 25 2019 MAIN CAMP Role players for Oilers emerging as Camp progresses Jamie Umbach NHL com National Hockey League Edmonton Oilers Archived from the original on January 19 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Martinson Martin October 13 2019 Battlefords Colby Cave waived by Oilers assigned to Bakersfield Battlefords Now Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Former Condor Colby Cave dies of brain bleed The Bakersfield Californian April 11 2020 Archived from the original on April 18 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 a b Undrafted but undaunted Oilers Colby Cave dies at 25 USA Today Associated Press April 11 2020 Archived from the original on April 27 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Swinton Elizabeth April 11 2020 Oilers Colby Cave Dies at 25 After Suffering Brain Bleed Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on April 14 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Willes Ed April 13 2020 Willes Musings Colby Cave s dream will always live on in this country The Province Archived from the original on May 14 2020 Retrieved April 19 2021 a b Divver Mark October 25 2018 Mark Divver Underdog Colby Cave is top dog for P Bruins so far The Providence Journal Archived from the original on October 21 2020 Retrieved April 19 2021 Nugent Bowman Daniel April 9 2021 A year without Colby Cave For his widow Emily Cave The love is still there and his legacy is still there The Athletic Archived from the original on April 9 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Cave Emily July 9 2020 My life with Colby Cave and how I ll honor his legacy ESPN com Archived from the original on February 28 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Spector Mark April 7 2020 He s a warrior Oilers Colby Cave fighting for life due to brain bleed Sportsnet Archived from the original on April 18 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Boucher Ashley July 9 2020 Colby Cave s Wife Emily Opens Up About Hockey Player s Traumatic Sudden Death at 25 People Archived from the original on September 30 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 a b Cave has surgery Oilers forward remains in medically induced coma NHL com National Hockey League April 10 2020 Archived from the original on November 3 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Pell Samantha April 11 2020 Oilers forward Colby Cave dies of brain bleed at 25 The Washington Post Archived from the original on June 5 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Oilers forward Colby Cave is out of emergency surgery but remains in a coma after suffering a brain bleed Chicago Tribune Associated Press April 7 2020 Archived from the original on December 2 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Oilers Colby Cave remains in a medically induced coma ESPN com ESPN News Services April 9 2020 Archived from the original on June 26 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Kaur Harmeet Sterling Wayne April 11 2020 Colby Cave of NHL s Edmonton Oilers dies at 25 CNN Archived from the original on April 18 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Feschuk Dave April 15 2020 Colby Cave s death might just be the result of very bad luck Toronto Star Archived from the original on December 5 2020 Retrieved April 18 2021 Benning Kyle Piller Thomas April 13 2020 Vehicles line up on Saskatchewan highway for Colby Cave memorial Global News Archived from the original on April 10 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 Nugent Bowman Daniel July 25 2020 Oilers scrimmage Colby Cave gets Maurice Richard treatment in fitting tribute The Athletic Archived from the original on April 19 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Brehm Mike April 11 2021 Connor McDavid questions NHL for rescheduling Oilers game after Colby Cave memorial service USA Today Archived from the original on April 14 2021 Retrieved April 18 2021 RELEASE Cave Family Oilers establish Colby Cave Memorial Fund NHL com National Hockey League Edmonton Oilers April 14 2020 Archived from the original on May 26 2020 Retrieved April 19 2021 Widow of Oilers Colby Cave thanking team with gifts letters ESPN com July 24 2020 Archived from the original on September 21 2020 Retrieved April 19 2021 Tribute to Colby Cave and fundraising efforts to support Memorial Fund finalized Prairie Post October 5 2020 Archived from the original on January 27 2021 Retrieved April 19 2021 Yang Nicole August 11 2020 Providence Bruins create memorial award to honor Colby Cave The Boston Globe Archived from the original on September 29 2020 Retrieved April 19 2021 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colby Cave Biographical information and career statistics from NHL com or Eliteprospects com or Eurohockey com or Hockey Reference com or The Internet Hockey Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Colby Cave amp oldid 1165104615, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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