The Ayr Centennials are mourning one of their own.
Eli Palfreyman, captain of the Canadian Junior ice hockey team Ayr Centennials, passed away Aug. 31 after collapsing during a tournament. He was 20.
According to CBC, Palfreyman was in the locker room during the second intermission of a pre-season game when he collapsed. His mother—who is a nurse—reportedly rushed into the locker room as the team's trainer started chest compressions on the athlete.
By the time Palfreyman was placed in an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital, Brian Shantz, vice president of the Centennials, told CBC that his pulse had become faint. The athlete died shortly after.
"Eli was the wonderful captain that we were looking forward to have," Shantz shared Sept. 1 in a statement to CBC. "As a captain on the ice, nobody took liberties with any of our players or they were going to hear from Eli. The other players respected him for that. They knew that he had their back."
Following Palfreyman's death, his team shared a touching tribute to their leader on social media, alongside a photo of him in his uniform.
"Thank you for the outpouring love and support for our beloved Captain and beautiful young man Eli," the Centennials wrote on Facebook Aug. 31. "Words can not describe how much it means to his family and our Ayr Centennials Family. We are all broken but feel your arms around us."
The National Hockey League also expressed their condolences in a Sept. 1 tweet, writing, "We're heartbroken over the loss of Eli Palfreyman, a captain and member of the hockey community who has left us far too soon. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Eli's family and the entire Ayr Centennials organization during this difficult time. #RIP17."