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John Tavares Makes a Heartfelt Statement following Death of Teammate

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Josh Tupper
August 14, 2023  (9:44 PM)
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Today it was announced that Rodion Amirov, the 15th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft had passed away. Amirov was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs before being diagnosed with cancer. Amirov has battled the for nearly two years.

Leafs captain, John Tavares released the following statement on Twitter that summed up the feelings of the entire team.

"It's incredibly hard to comprehend the loss of Rodion. His smile and joy for life & hockey was infectious. My teammates & I are grateful for our time spent with him & forever inspired by his courageous fight. Condolences to his loved ones. We'll miss him dearly. #RodionForever - John Tavares

While Amirov never played for the Leafs, he attended rookie and training camps with the team before heading back to play in the KHL. The winger appeared to have a promising NHL career ahead of him before his illness was diagnosed. The KHL, where he played 70 games over the course of three seasons, held a moment of silence for him following a pre-season game.

Amirov had travelled to multiple countries for treatment of his disease, and it seemed recently that he was doing better. Our sincere condolences to his family, friends and teammate

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