A lightning-fast forward and determined leader on the ice – and a happy-go-lucky friend off it – is how 21-year-old Cale Stecyk is being remembered.
The Rocky Mountain House Rams forward and Red Deer native died after he was buried in an avalanche in Lake Louise over the weekend.
He and two friends were skiing in a closed area, officials said. Stecyk's friends survived, but he was buried under the snow.
"It's still hard to believe, really. I don't wanna believe it," his friend Chance Landmark told CTV News Edmonton.
"He was a nice guy. He never had anything bad to say about anyone that he ever met, just a genuine guy and there aren't many left of those."
Stecyk's death is being felt throughout the central Alberta hockey community. Several teams have changed their pictures on social media to honour his memory.
"Cale, you know, for us was a leader. He was assistant captain here. He was a leader on and off the ice," said his coach, Wendall Mason.
"Guys, they just wanted to play with Cale. I don't think there was anybody that didn't like Cale. He was just a likable guy. He was great in the dressing room."
The Rocky Rams are establishing a team award in his honour.
Landmark said he'll never forget the good times they had growing up together.
"I'm gonna miss him and I think everybody else will. And I just wish we could have done a lot more together," he said.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha
