Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov dies, was diagnosed with brain tumour in 2022

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov has died two years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, his agent confirmed on Monday.

Amirov was 21 years old.

“It is we great sadness that we announce the passing of Rodion Amirov. Two years ago, Rodion was diagnosed with a brain tumour. From the moment he received the news, 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,” Amirov’s agent Dan Milstein said.

“We will always remember his courage, his desire, his will, his smile, all of the great things about him. We’d like to thank his doctors, who took great care of him. We’d like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs and his KHL — Salavat Yulayev Ufa team. Both did everything possible to help in any way, do whatever was necessary for Rodion and the Amirov family.”

The left winger from Russia was drafted 15th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2020.

“I want to stay positive, and I want people to think positively about me,” Amirov said in a 2022 interview with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. “There are many other people that have their own sicknesses or illnesses. I want to show by example that I can give people hope.”

Maple Leafs President and Alternate Governor, Brendan Shanahan, issued a statement on behalf of the organization, saying all members and officials are devastated by the 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,” Shanahan said. “It’s incredibly sad to see a young man with so much promise taken from us so soon. We offer our deepest condolences to Rodion’s family and friends as we mourn this loss together.”

The Maple Leafs and Amirov agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract on April 15, 2021. Amirov had been undergoing treatment since his early 2022 diagnosis and had not played hockey since.

“We’d like to thank hockey fans all over the world who sent notes of encouragement and best wishes over the past two years. They meant so much to the Amirov family,” Milstein added.

Amirov followed his draft year with nine goals and 13 points in 39 games in his 19-year-old season in the KHL. He was named best forward as Russia won the 2020 Karjala Cup, an international tournament also featuring the Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden.

Amirov was the first Russian player ever selected by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the NHL Draft.

“After I was drafted, everything was Toronto Maple Leafs,” Amirov said in the 2022 interview with Friedman. “When I came to Toronto, I saw it all first-hand. My ultimate dream.”

With files from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman