Agent Details Amirov's Agonizing Final Months; How Leafs and KHL team helped
PUBLICATION
TJ Tucker
August 15, 2023 (8:35 PM)
The global hockey community continues to mourn the death of 21-year-old Rodion Amirov, the 15th overall draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020. While few details were released at the time of his passing yesterday, his agent has shed a lot light on Amirov's final few months, including details on what Amirov was dealing with.
Dan Milstein told MatchTV in Russia that Amirov took a big turn for the worse around 10 months ago.
"The aggravation of the disease happened in October 2022. Then doctors in Toronto gave Rodion only six months. It was stage four cancer, a brain tumor."
"But the guy fought. For a year and a half, since February 2022, no matter how bad it was for him, when he could no longer walk and lost his sight, he never complained about anything."
Milstein said Amirov had come to Canada in October of 2022 for treatment, but also to train with the Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, now former Toronto GM Kyle Dubas had to send him home.
He came to Toronto in October not just to get treatment, but to train. He really wanted to return to hockey. As I remember, I got a call from Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas along with Canadian doctors at 1:18 a.m.: 'Come get the boy, accompany him to his home country. If you don't get him now, he may never go home again.'"
Milstein said Amirov spent two days in Miami with him in order to unwind before going home. He asked Amirov how he was feeling, and Amirov insisted he was fine. More worried about his parents then himself.
"He only thought of others. He didn't whine, he fought. And he tried to face each day with a positive attitude, with a smile, even though he had lost his eyesight about six months ago and could no longer walk.
Milstein confirmed both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Salavat Yulaev of the KHL provided financial assistance and other help to Amirov. Millstein added Salavat gave him a contract for the next season "knowing full well that he would never play hockey again."
Source: https://matchtv.ru/hockey/matchtvnews_NI1931552_Rodion_skazal_v_aprele_Nu_chto_Vot_ja_zdes_zhivoj__a_mena_uzhe_pohoronili_Kakimi_byli_poslednije_dni_Amirova
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