There are a lot of things people wish for each other on many occasions. Often, there is one thing you would never wish even to your worst enemy: death or health problems. At the incredibly young age of 25, former Boston Bruin Colby Cave passed away last Saturday.
The incredible tragedy just adds to the sorrow of the former Bruins family. These are the people who remind us how cruel and thin life might be in real. If it happens in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic, life is more important than hockey. However, our hockey family can relieve the pain that life sometimes brings us.
Cave, never drafted, began his path to the NHL with the Providence Bruins at the AHL level. In the 2017-18 season, Cave played three games with the Bruins in the NHL, fulfilling his dream. Last season, Cave scored his first NHL goal in a Bruins jersey against Carey Price at Bell Centre in Montreal. He played in 20 games with the Bruins in the 2018-19 campaign.
In January 2019, the Edmonton Oilers claimed him off waivers. Cave played another 44 NHL games with the Oilers, scoring three more goals.
Now, Cave will never play another NHL game after the brain bleeding suffered last week cost him life last Saturday.
The past decade has been full of terrible tragedies, with multiple notable ones in the Bruins’ system.
Rich Peverley came to Boston in 2011 to help the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup. With 12 points in 25 games, Peverley was fundamental to help the Bruins bring the Cup back to Beantown 39 years later.
In 2013, after another Cup Final, the Bruins traded Peverley to Dallas in the Tyler Seguin trade. In March 2014, Peverley, already dealing with an irregular heartbeat, collapsed on the Stars’ bench because of the cardiac episode, and the doctors had to save his life. Luckily for him and his family, Peverley survived, but he never returned to play hockey again.
Craig Cunningham, a Bruins draft selection from 2010, played in 34 NHL games with the Bruins. He scored his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators in December 2014. In March 2015, the Arizona Coyotes claimed him off the waivers.
Playing in the AHL for the Tucson Roadrunners, the AHL affiliate of the Coyotes, in November 2016, Cunningham suffered an acute cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation, causing his heart to stop beating. Fortunately, Cunningham’s life was saved, although his left leg had to be amputated.
Colby Cave didn’t have as much luck to stay alive as Peverley or Cunningham. Nevertheless, all of them are a reminder of how we should cherish life, especially during these difficult times.
We are wishing all the best to the families of Colby Cave, Rich Peverley, and Craig Cunningham.
Stay safe, Rich and Craig.
Rest in peace, Colby.
