English pro hockey player Alex Graham passed away over the weekend at 20 years old, his team, the Sheffield Steelers, announced on Monday.
“Everyone at the club is heartbroken by the news and wish to pass on our thoughts and condolences to Alex’s family, friends and teammates,” the Steelers wrote in an Instagram post.
The cause of Graham’s death has not been revealed and his family has asked for privacy following the loss.
Graham had just signed a full-time pro contract with the EIHL’s Steelers in May after four seasons and 81 appearances with the squad since 2019.
Sheffield described the forward as “an outstanding talent about to make his mark on the professional game.”
The Dronfield native played for Great Britain’s Under-18 and Under-20 teams earlier in his career, and officials from Ice Hockey UK joined in the mourning of Graham’s passing.
“The news has come as a huge shock to everyone in UK ice hockey, including all of his team-mates,” the organization said, according to The Sheffield Star. “This is a difficult time for so many people and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this devastating news.”
A GoFundMe page was created by fans to create a memorial for Graham in and outside the rink.
With a goal to raise £5,000, the crowdfunding campaign hopes to pay for on-ice tributes and flags.
“Alex Graham was a promising, talented young man with his whole life and career ahead of him,” The Go Fund Me page reads. “As a club, a fan base, and the whole region – we’ve lost something really special. Let’s all try to club together to purchase some memorial items for Alex.”
The comment section of the team’s post was flooded with condolences and kind words about Graham from the public.
“Thinking of the Graham Family at this devastating time and our thoughts are with the Steelers family too, a talented young man gone too soon,” one user wrote.
