Cave made an enormous impression on his teammates, fans and friends during his brief pro hockey career.

He played 67 NHL games with the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers before he died April 11, 2020, four days after he had surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was causing pressure on his brain. He was 25. Cave had been hospitalized after sustaining a brain bleed and placed in a medically induced coma.

"He was a wonderful hockey player with a bright future, but an even better person," said Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's all-time scoring leader and a four-time Stanley Cup winner with Edmonton. Gretzky had come to know Cave in his capacity as an executive with the Oilers.

Cave scored one goal in 11 games with the Oilers in 2019-20 and had 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 44 games with Bakersfield of the American Hockey League. He was in his second season with the Oilers after being claimed off waivers from the Bruins on Jan. 15, 2019.

"He was the epitome of what a professional hockey player should be: caring, driven, focused and serious," Bakersfield coach Jay Woodcroft said.

In three seasons with the Oilers and Bruins, Cave had nine points (four goals, five assists) after Boston signed the undrafted free agent forward to a three-year, entry-level contract April 4, 2015. But the impact made by the native of Battleford, Saskatchewan, went far beyond his statistics.

"You were an amazing person and always brought so much energy and positivity into the room and people's lives," Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. "You will be deeply missed."

After signing him, the Bruins assigned Cave to Providence of the American Hockey League for the remainder of the 2014-15 season. He was recalled by Boston on Dec. 21, 2017, when he made his NHL debut playing alongside Jake DeBrusk, a junior hockey teammate with Swift Current of the Western Hockey League, in a 2-1 shootout victory against the Winnipeg Jets.

DeBrusk was among those stunned by Cave's death.

"I was lucky to play junior hockey with Colby. He was our captain and leader," DeBrusk said. "It was an unforgettable moment when we again played together in the NHL for the Boston Bruins. He was an amazing person, player and friend."

Cave first played locally with Battleford in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League from 2009-11. After he was chosen by Kootenay with the No. 13 pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft, his rights were traded to Swift Current on Jan. 9, 2011. He was named captain of Swift Current in his third full season, 2013-14, when he finished with 70 points (33 goals, 37 assists) in 72 games. But Cave was not selected in the 2014 NHL Draft. He returned to Swift Current the following season and had a WHL career-high 75 points (35 goals, 40 assists) in 72 games.

"As an undrafted free agent from Saskatchewan, Colby chose the Bruins, and once he came to our organization, he seized the opportunity and showed on and off the ice that he was a special hockey player and person," Bruins president and Hockey Hall of Famer Cam Neely said. "He was, and will always be a Bruin, and he will be dearly missed by everyone who was lucky enough to know him."