Maple Leafs honor late Rodion Amirov – Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

Amirov was only 21 years old when he died of brain cancer. This surprised many fans in Leafs land. The fan base and NHL world knew he had been battling cancer, but when the Maple Leafs organization and his agent, Dan Millstein, announced his death on August 14, 2023, it came as a complete surprise.

Amirov was drafted by the Maple Leafs with the 15th pick in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft. There was a lot of hype around him because of his talent and the direction of the team. Unfortunately, he and former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas announced on February 23, 2022 that he had been diagnosed with cancer two seasons after being called up. Unfortunately, he was never able to fulfill his dream of playing in the NHL. However, for the 2022-2023 season, the club flew Amirov to Toronto, and when they unveiled the opening night roster, they named him as part of the team and waved him to fans on television.

Tonight, however, was a moment in which his family would be honored. They were shown on the big screen with their jerseys in hand and were in tears with the support of the fan base and organization, a very classic move by the Maple Leafs. When head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked about it after the game, he said, “They should come here to see their son play in the NHL.” Keefe's simple yet poignant statement: Is it really heartbreaking that Amirov lost his battle with cancer and that he and his family won't be able to watch him play in the NHL?

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