Battlefords welcomes Cave family home with highway tribute

Hundreds lined the highway into North Battleford Monday afternoon to honour the family of Colby Cave, who returned to the community after the sudden passing of the 25-year-old “hometown hero.”

Cave died Saturday in a Toronto hospital.

He had been placed in a medically-induced coma earlier in the week after suffering a brain bleed.

The event was organized over the weekend to allow the community to support the Cave family upon their return from Toronto.

Hundreds of people came out to show support for family and friends of @EdmontonOilers #ColbyCave in North Battleford @CKOMNews @CJMENews pic.twitter.com/GZyPVsdad8

— Lara Fominoff (@LaraFominoff) April 13, 2020

The family was escorted by members of the Battlefords RCMP, along with the Battlefords Fire Department. Those who attended were asked to wear their hockey jerseys or create signs to welcome the family home.

Martensville’s Jennifer Lepage and her children were part of the hundreds who took part in the tribute Monday along Highway 16.

Her minivan displayed three bright blue, green and white signs reading “R.I.P Colby,” “We Love Colby,” and “We Miss You.”

“We’re here to support the family,” Lepage said. “It’s very unfortunate because … (he was) young. Way too young.”

Amber Stuart was also a part of the large community tribute, and said she came to support the Cave family.

“The community is behind them during this difficult time, and we just want to give them as much love and thoughts and prayers as we possibly can.”

Cave originally went through Battlefords Minor Hockey, beginning his career in the system before moving on to play with the Battlefords Stars AAA program.

He was then drafted into the WHL, 13th overall in the 2009 Bantam Draft by the Kootenay Ice, before being traded to the Swift Current Broncos in 2011. He played four seasons with the club, two as team captain.

He went undrafted in the 2014 NHL entry draft, before signing with the Boston Bruins.

After playing in parts of four seasons with the Bruins and their AHL affiliate Providence, he was claimed off waivers by the Edmonton Oilers in early 2019.

—With files from 650 CKOM’s Lara Fominoff