Who was Colby Cave? Everything you need to know about the Edmonton Oilers center who died a "very, very rare" death

Colby Cave was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, on Dec. 26, 1994. Cave signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins in 2015.

During his time with the Bruins, Cave played in 23 NHL games and scored one goal. In December 2018, the Edmonton Oilers claimed Cave off waivers from the Bruins, and he played in 44 games, scoring four goals.

On the evening of April 6, 2020, Cave began complaining of headaches, and his condition deteriorated throughout the night. He was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, where doctors performed emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was causing a brain bleed.

Cave was placed in a medically-induced coma, and he died on April 11, 2020, at the age of 25.

Dr. Charles Tator, a neurosurgeon and concussion researcher, described Cave's death as:

"'Very, very rare' and the result of 'very bad luck.'"

Cave's death was met with shock and sadness from the hockey community. His teammates, coaches and fans mourned the loss of a talented and dedicated player.

The Edmonton Oilers announced the establishment of the Colby Cave Memorial Fund to support community programs that promote mental health and provide access to sports for underserved youth.

Despite his short career in the NHL, Colby Cave left an impact.

Widow of former Edmonton Oilers player Colby Cave has written a book on her experience

Emily Cave, the widow of Colby Cave, has been very vocal about her journey through grief, hoping to help others who may be struggling.

In her book, "For Colb: The Vow Beyond Till Death Do Us Part," Emily shares the unfiltered truth about her experience with grief. She turned to writing as a way to cope, using her public social media presence to express her thoughts and feelings.

“Grief and death is a part of everyone’s life, but it’s definitely something that is not talked about as openly, Being vocal and hearing people say, ‘Oh, I get that’ or ‘Oh, thanks for sharing that’ reminded me why it’s so important and why I needed to continue what I was doing.”

For Emily, writing "For Colb: The Vow Beyond Till Death Do Us Part" was a way to honor Colby's legacy and help others who may be struggling with grief.