Backes, Russell honor Cave at celebration of life in Edmonton

Colby Cave's former NHL teammates Patrick Russell and David Backes joined his family and some of closest friends got a chance to celebrate his life at Rogers Place on Saturday.

Cave spent time with the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins before he
died of a brain bleed at the age of 25
on April 11, 2020. Sunday will mark one year since his passing.

Cave's wife Emily spoke at the memorial service at Rogers Place as did his parents, Jenn and Allen, and sister Taylor. Pastor Joshua Klimes, former Bruins teammate Backes and ex-Oilers teammate Russell made remarks virtually.
"Colby was a man of principle, integrity and humility. He treated everyone with the utmost respect, and he'll always be remembered this way," said Russell, who played with Cave in Edmonton and Bakersfield of the AHL from 2018-20, in pre-recorded remarks. "If Colby was here today, I believe he'd want us to look at our loved ones, hug them and just tell them how much we loved them. Because if we could all be a little bit more like Colby, the world would be a better place."

The Oilers will also be donating proceeds of their 50/50 raffle for the game against the Calgary Flames to the Colby Cave Memorial Fund which supports community programs with an emphasis on youth mental health intiatives.