Toronto Maple Leafs 2020 first round pick Rodion Amirov dies at age 21 after brain tumor diagnosis
- Rodion Amirov signed an entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in April 2021
- He was diagnosed with a brain tumor while recovering from an unrelated injury
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
2020 Toronto Maple Leafs first-round pick Rodion Amirov died at age 21 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor last year, according to a report.
Amirov was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February 2022 after being treated for an unrelated injury in his native Russia, according to TMZ.
His agent Daniel Milstein announced the news of Amirov’s death on Twitter on Monday.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Rodion Amirov,” he wrote. ‘Two years ago, Rodion was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
“From the moment he received the news, he refused to speak negatively, determined to enjoy every day and face it with the same positive attitude he displayed throughout his hockey career. We will always remember his courage, his desire, his will, his smile, all the great things about him.
2020 Toronto Maple Leafs first-round pick Rodion Amirov passed away on Monday at age 21
“We want to thank his doctors, who took good care of him. We would like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs and its KHL – Salavat Yulayev Ufa team. Both did everything possible to help in any way, did what was necessary for Rodion and the Amirov family. And we want to thank hockey fans from all over the world for their encouragement and best wishes over the past two years. They meant so much to the Amirov family.’
In his statement, Milstein said Amirov was diagnosed with the brain tumor two years ago, while the Maple Leafs announced his diagnosis in February 2022.
Toronto president and deputy governor Brendan Shanahan mourned the loss in a statement released shortly after Milstein’s announcement.
“The entire Maple Leafs organization is devastated by this tragic loss,” said Shanahan. “Throughout his valiant struggle, Rodion’s positivity inspired everyone around him, and he made a lasting impression on our team and fans during his brief visits to Toronto.
“It is incredibly sad to see a young man of so much promise be taken from us so quickly. We extend our deepest condolences to Rodion’s family and friends as we mourn this loss together.”
The Russian player signed an entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in April 2021
Amirov was the 15th overall pick in 2020 and signed an entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in April 2021.
He played for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League in the 2021-22 season in 10 games before getting injured.
During his recovery, he developed unrelated symptoms before being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Internationally, Amirov was an alternate captain of Russia at the 2021 World Junior Championships and won a silver medal at the U18 World Championships.
He was recognized by the Maple Leafs at their Hockey Fights Cancer night in November after completing his fourth round of chemotherapy.
At the time, he was recovering at home in Russia, but had spent a few weeks with the team in October.
Internationally, Amirov won a silver medal with Russia at the U18 World Championships
Amirov was included in the pregame introductions for their regular season home opener against the Washington Capitals.
He was behind the bench with other players on injured reserve at the time and was announced to the public.
“I really appreciate meeting him,” Maple Leafs goaltender and fellow Russian Ilya Samsonov said via NHL.com in November.
“He’s a great guy, he’s so positive. When he came, he brought a lot of positive things to our team. He’s been trying to talk to all of our teammates to say, “Hello, how are you?” His English (is) not very good, but he tried to talk to everyone.’