Thousands Line the Highway in North Battleford, Saskatchewan to Show Support for the Family of Colby Cave

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Della Young
Screen Shot 2020-04-13 at 7.29.03 PMScreencap: @JoshRyanSports

It was an incredible and emotional scene on Highway 16 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan on Monday as thousands of cars lined the side of the road to show support as the family of Edmonton Oilers’ center Colby Cave returned home. Cave passed away at the age of 25 on Saturday in Toronto after suffering a brain bleed earlier in the week.

Vehicles formed a line on the westbound shoulder of Highway 16. Residents and fans wore hockey jerseys and made signs to let Cave’s family know they are thinking of them during this challenging time.

Former Oilers defenseman Eric Gryba tweeted a photo of himself standing outside his car on the highway and called the scene “heartbreaking and heartwarming”.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Battleford Fire Department led the family through before they returned home.

Last Tuesday, Cave was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto after suffering a brain bleed overnight. He was placed in a medically induced coma and underwent emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was causing pressure on his brain.

His wife, Emily released a statement Saturday morning confirming the news of his passing:

It is with great sadness to share the news that our Colby Cave passed away early this morning. I (Emily) and both our families are in shock but know our Colby was loved dearly by us, his family and friends, the entire hockey community, and many more. We thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time.

An outpouring of support from players and teams across the NHL have expressed their condolences. Cave was signed by the Bruins in April 2015 but played out the rest of the 2014-15 season with the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate. He picked up 97 points (37 goals) in Providence. His NHL debut came in the final year of his rookie contract in December 2017. Cave scored his first NHL goal on December 17, 2018. He collected 5 points that season with Boston before being placed on waivers. The Oilers claimed Colby Cave on January 15, 2019. He posted 4 points with Edmonton and 23 points (11 goals) with their AHL team, Bakersfield Condors.

By Della Young

About Della Young

Della Young is a fiction writer based out of the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. area and an online student attending Full Sail University. She got her start in the entertainment industry at age seven as an actress. At the young age of nine, Della wrote a psychological thriller short story that sparked her interest in creative writing. She comes from a family of big Capitals fans and became inspired to start writing for sports. In her spare time, Della enjoys photography, traveling, and working on both sides of the camera. Follow Della on Twitter: @dellayoung
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