Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov dies at 21 after brain tumour diagnosis

The 2020 15th-overall pick, a winger, missed the previous season to recuperate and receive treatment.

Prospect Rodion Amirov of the Toronto Maple Leafs passed away last year after receiving a brain tumor diagnosis. He was twenty-one.

The left-winger passed away on Monday in Munich, Germany, where he was undergoing treatment, according to the Maple Leafs. A memorial to Amirov was also displayed on the exterior video screen of Scotiabank Arena.

In a statement, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said, “The entire Maple Leafs organization is devastated by this tragic loss.” “Over the duration of his courageous battle, Rodion’s positivity inspired everyone around him, and he made lasting impressions with our team and fans in his brief visits to Toronto.”

After Toronto picked Amirov 15th overall in the 2020 NHL draft, he inked a three-year entry-level deal with the team in April 2021.

In February 2022, former general manager of the Maple Leafs Kyle Dubas said that Amirov was receiving treatment for a brain tumor. He had therapy and recuperation, therefore he missed the full 2022–2023 season.

“The optimism and amazing outlook on life throughout Rodion’s battle were unwavering and incredible,” a statement from Dubas, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager and president of hockey operations, said. “As for me, I am really devastated by the passing of such a great young man with so much promise.

His unwavering optimism, despite receiving a terrible diagnosis, will always be a part of me. Rodion was a true inspiration of bravery, and I have no doubt that his spirit has affected and continues to inspire everyone who was fortunate enough to have known him.”

In addition to attending the Maple Leafs’ 2022–23 home opener against Washington, where he was introduced as an honorary member of the playing squad, Amirov traveled to Toronto last fall for four rounds of chemotherapy.

John Tavares, the captain of the Maple Leafs, posted on social media that it is “incredibly hard to comprehend the loss of Rodion.” His bright smile conveyed his passion for both life and hockey.

On May 10, Amirov signed a one-year contract extension with Salavat Yulaev, his hometown team in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, following the Maple Leafs’ agreement to loan him for the 2023–24 season.

“It’s incredibly sad to see a young man with so much promise taken from us so soon,” stated Shanahan. “We offer our deepest condolences to Rodion’s family and friends as we mourn this loss together.”

Amirov spent three KHL seasons with Salavat Yulaev, scoring 10 goals and dishing out 18 points in 70 games. He also scored two goals and provided four assists for Russia in the global junior hockey championship for men in 2021.

“From the moment he received the news [of his tumour], he refused to speak in the negative, determined to enjoy every day, facing it with the same positive attitude he showed during his hockey career,” tweeted agent Dan Milstein on social media. “We will always remember his courage, his desire, his will, his smile, all of the great things about him.”