Cassidy, Bruins Step Up For Former Teammate Cave

Former Boston Bruins and current Edmonton Oilers forward Colby Cave remained in an induced coma Thursday night after suffering a brain bleed Tuesday morning thanks to a colloid putting pressure on his brain. Cave spent parts of five seasons with the Bruins organization, playing 23 games for Boston in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons before being waived and claimed by the Oilers on January 15 of last year. His affable personality and willingness to have his teammates’ backs on and off the ice left a lasting imprint on the Bruins organization, especially on Head Coach Bruce Cassidy who coached Cave both in Providence (AHL) and in Boston. 

“He’s one of those players you stay connected with,” Cassidy told Joe McDonald of the Athletic. “I think he enjoyed playing for me and Kevin (Dean) and I think he enjoyed his time in Providence and Boston. His wife got to know all the girls and he was very tight with the players here. They formed a good bond. Colby’s a likable guy; he’s hard not to like.”

Cave’s wife Emily and his family cannot support him at his bedside in the hospital thanks to the Coronavirus restrictions and she posted an update on Instagram Thursday. 

“Please wake up. Please wake up. It’s all I can keep asking, ‘he’s going to wake up right?’ We need a miracle,” Emily said. “Colby’s parents and myself, got to see him through a window and talk to him with a walkie talkie last night.”

Cassidy and his wife also became close to Emily and he thought it would be a good idea to have some of his former Bruins teammates record audio messages for her to play for Colby. 

“It’s very difficult for her because she can’t get in the room and give him a hug, or anything,” Cassidy said. Hopefully, that helps. Anything we can do. Every little bit helps and if we can chip in with some encouraging words then that’s what we’re going to do.”

In 23 games with the Bruins, Cave had one goal and four assists. He had one goal this past season with the Oilers and three goals and an assist in 44 games since being claimed by them. Cave, 25, was originally signed by the Bruins as an undrafted free agent out of Swift Current (WHL) in the summer of 2015. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound forward hails from Battleford, Saskatchewan.