NHL players, loved ones pay tribute to former Ontario junior who died of cancer at 25

Former Ontario Hockey conference participant and Guelph griffin francois jacob Winterton is beingness remembered by family, friends and the hockey community.

Winterton, 25, died Tuesday after battling cancer. A fundraising page for a Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser in November called Gryphons Hockey Fights Cancer said he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 bone cancer after he felt pain in his shoulder. The cancer then spread to his lungs.

His brother Ryan Winterton, who plays in the National Hockey League for the Seattle Kraken, posted on Instagram that he had "lost my best friend."

"You weren’t just someone I loved, you were someone I looked up to, someone who guided me, believed in me, and helped shape the person I am today," Ryan Winterton wrote.

"I’ll miss your voice, your advice, and the way you made everything feel a little less heavy. Some days will be harder than others, but I’ll hold on to the love, the lessons, and the memories you left me with. You’ll always be a part of me, in everything I do," Ryan Winterton wrote in his Instagram post.

Other NHL players from various other teams are offering their condolences on the Instagram post. The Kraken had previously posted that Ryan Winterton has taken a leave of absence from the team and asked people to respect his privacy.

On Wednesday, the team said they were "deeply saddened by the passing of Jacob Winterton, brother of Ryan Winterton. We are sending love and support to Ryan, the Winterton family and all of Jacob's loved ones."

The Ontario Hockey League issued a statement Wednesday saying Jacob Winterton was "taken far too soon."

Jacob Winterton grew up in Whitby, Ont., and played U16 AAA and U18 AAA hockey as a member of the Ajax-Pickering Raiders.

He was selected in the 10th round (189 overall) of the 2017 Ontario Hockey League selection and played forward for the Flint Firebirds during the 2018-19 season, then the Oshawa Generals in 2019-2020. 

During his time in the OHL, he had 18 goals, 19 assists and 37 points over 125 regular season games, the league said.

The Oshawa Generals posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the team was "deeply saddened" by Winterton's death. The Flint Firebirds said on X that Winterson's family "are in our thoughts."

"Condolences from the Firebirds as we lose one of our own far too young," the Firebirds' post said.

Jacob Winterton played four seasons for the University of Guelph Gryphons while he studied real estate in the bachelor of commerce program at the school.

Gryphon head coach Josh Dixon remembered Winterton on Wednesday as a "tremendous hockey player and an even better person."

"Jacob was the strongest, most courageous person I have ever known. He will be dearly missed and his memory will live on in the countless people associated with Guelph Gryphons Hockey that he has inspired. Rest in peace, Jake."

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