The Western Hockey League is in mourning this weekend after the sudden passing of Edmonton Oil Kings forward Caleb Reimer, who lost his life in an automobile accident early Saturday morning in Surrey, B.C.
The 16-year-old Reimer was the 18th overall pick in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft and recorded five points in 19 games for the Oil Kings last season.
“Caleb was a young man with a bright future both on and off the ice,” Oil Kings president of hockey operations and general manager Kirt Hill said in a prepared statement. “He was a person that you loved to be around, he was a great teammate and a great friend.”
“I will never forget the first phone call we had the day we drafted him to the organization and the excitement of Caleb on the other end of the line. We will all remember his first WHL goal and the pure joy and excitement that followed in his celebration with his teammates. We will truly miss having Caleb in our lives each and every day. He was part of our family and will be a tremendous loss in all of our hearts.”
Sixteen-year-old Ronin Sharma and seventeen-year-old Parker Magnusson, who were teammates with Reimer at the Delta Hockey Academy, also lost their lives in the accident.
Sharma was set to join the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen on a full-time basis this season, while Magnusson was slated to attend training camp for the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials next month.
