Tragic Loss: Former OHL Player Sadly Passes Away at Just 23

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Tom Banks
October 7, 2024 (4:31 PM)

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The hockey world has gone through unbearable tragedy this off-season, and now the OHL has announced the passing of a former junior hockey star.

This summer has been a tough one for the NHL, with the sudden, tragic passing of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau rocking the entire sports world. Since that point, both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames paid tribute to their fallen star beautifully throughout the off-season, with the brothers to be remembered forever by anyone that ever witnessed them play.

Unfortunately, another tragedy has now struck the hockey world, as the Ontario Hockey League has now announced that 23-year old Kurtis Evans has tragically lost his battle with cancer and passed away at such a young age.

In their announcement post on social media, the OHL paid tribute to the 23-year old, along with his former team the North Bay Battalion, for whom he played 54 games between 2017 and 2019.

"The Ontario Hockey League is saddened by the passing of former North Bay Battalion forward Kurtis Evans, who died following a battle with cancer on October 3, 2024 at the young age of 23.

Evans, from Uxbridge, Ont., played for the Battalion from 2017-19 after being a third round pick by the club in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection from the Central Ontario Wolves AAA program.

Evans is remembered by friends and family, and leaves behind parents Brad and Holly and brother Jackson. The OHL sends heartfelt thoughts and condolences to all affected at this time.

The Evans family would appreciate donations to the Ewings Cancer Foundation of Canada as a tribute to Kurtis' memory."

The family have asked people to donate to the Ewings Cancer Foundation of Canada as a way to honour and pay tribute to the memory of Evans, who has been noted as a fantastic person on and off the ice, with many saying beautiful words about him as a player and a person over the years. The pain the family, friends and former teammates of Evans are going through can't be understated, so we simply send our condolences to them, with the hopes that his memory lives on and they can find some type of joy and peace in the beautiful legacy that he left.

Source: Hockey Patrol
Former OHL player tragically passes away at 23 years old