The death of Edmonton Oilers forward Colby Cave has left the hockey world gutted and that feeling especially hits hard for two of his hockey connections in Prince George.
Cave died of a brain bleed at age 25 Saturday in hospital in Toronto following surgery four days earlier to remove a cyst. He had been admitted to hospital on Monday in Barrie, Ont, where he lived with his wife Emily.
Brandon Manning was a teammate of Cave’s this season with the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate. He got to know Cave well after the Christmas break when the Oilers sent Manning to Bakersfield and they became friends.
“It’s heartbreaking news, a lot of people have had heavy hearts the last few days,” said Manning. “The first thing that comes to mind about Colby is just his smile. Every time you’d meet the guy or he’d show up the rink he was always in a good mood, always happy and it’s a tough time for a lot of people.”
In his fifth AHL season, Cave held a key role with the Condors as a face-off specialist who drew regular power-play duty. In 44 AHL games he scored 11 goals and had 12 assists. He signed last year with Edmonton after breaking into the NHL with the Boston Bruins. Claimed on waivers by Edmonton on Jan. 15, 2019, he had one goal in 11 games with the Oilers and in 67 career NHL games over three seasons with Boston and Edmonton he had four goals and nine points.
“He was always a positive guy, he was a fighter, and he obviously fought to the end here the last couple days,” said Manning. “For a guy who was undrafted and put in some solid time in the American League to get an opportunity in Boston and then come over to Edmonton and play well, you’re always happy to see those kind of people succeed.
“Just a real honest player, he played a lot of centre for us this year and he’s a guy you could rely on no matter what, always working hard, always trying to help guys out. I can’t imagine what Emily and his family are going through. Colby and Emily had me over for dinner a couple times in Bakersfield this year when I was stuck in a hotel and that just speaks to the way him and her were. He had a lot left to give and it’s just unfortunate times.”
Cave grew up on a cattle farm near Battleford, Sask., and was a first-round pick of the Kootenay Ice (13th overall) in the 2009 WHL bantam draft. Mark Lamb, then the general manager and head coach of the Swift Current Broncos acquired Cave’s major junior rights in a five-for-one trade in January 2011 which sent forward Cody Eakin to Kootenay.
Popular with his teammates, Cave went on to play four WHL seasons with the Broncos and led the team virtually every category before he made the jump to pro hockey.
Lamb, now the head coach/GM of the Prince George Cougars, remembers Cave a joy to be around as he developed into one of the WHL’s most versatile and effective forwards.
“It was just his drive, his work ethic, his personality and his buy-in to be a hockey player - was one of the most coachable guys I’ve ever coached,” said Lamb. “He was a role player and it didn’t matter where he played or who he played with, he just got better and better and by the end of his four years he was one of the best two-way players in the league
“The type of person he was, if you have anything to do with how he turned out, you’re proud of. He’s an infectious person and the leadership he brought in all capacities. When you read about him, we’re all saying the same stuff about this guy, he’s a superstar person. He’s everybody’s type of guy. He was so giving, a great personality, very serious, but very fun to be around off the ice too.”
Lamb lets the players chose who will be the team captain and Cave earned the “C” of approval from his teammates for his each of last two WHL seasons.
“It was a no-brainer back then that he was our captain and it went through the whole community,” said Lamb. “Everyone knew he was our captain with how he treated people off the ice. He was just a great example for anybody in the dressing room, especially without being drafted. There was no arrogance, the more adversity he had, the harder he worked.
“He just got married last summer and that makes it even more sad,” he said. “He didn’t have a family yet but I’m sure that would have been the next step in his life as he progressed in his NHL career.
“It’s unbelievable, it just breaks your heart totally, way too young. He had such a promising life ahead of him.”
