Two months after the sudden passing of Colby Cave, one of his teammates has honored him with a tribute song.
Cooper Marody, a prospect in the Oilers’ system, released “Agape” on Friday in memory of his late friend. The AHL Bakersfield forward wrote and performed the song, which can be found on Apple Music and Spotify. All proceeds will go to the Colby Cave Memorial Fund.
Cave, 25, died on April 11, days after falling into a coma following a brain bleed. The song was released at 12 a.m. on June 12, another small tribute to the man who wore No. 12 for the Oilers.
“I want to thank Cooper Marody for this song, and specifically for using words that meant so much to Colby and I,” wrote Emily Cave, Colby’s wife. “‘Agape’ was a word that Colby and I said to each other because we felt that ‘I Love You’'never fully described the amount of love we had for each other. ‘Agape’ is the highest form of love. Selfless, sacrificial and unconditional love; it persists no matter the circumstance. I’m so grateful I got to experience this love with my best friend. Getting to love Colb is the best thing I will ever do and continue to do until we see each other again.
“Colb and I started three hand squeezes (meaning I love you) very early in our relationship. He would squeeze my hand in the car, I would squeeze his in the grocery store, we would do it anywhere and everywhere. We did this for years. The four days Colb was in the hospital, I wasn’t allowed to be with him. I got to FaceTime him twice for a few moments. I would beg him to wake up and tell him how much I loved him. I would then ask the nurse to squeeze his hands three times so he felt I was there. I didn’t want him to die alone, so three hand squeezes through a critical care nurse was the closest way I could tell him that I loved him and always will. I wasn’t physically there when Colb went to heaven, but I pray through the nurse squeezing his hand like we had always done, he felt me right there beside him.”
This is Marody’s third and most personal song that he has released.
“Emily texted, ‘Cooper, no pressure on you, but could you write a song, including certain things they did together, in their relationship?’” Marody told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. “When she heard it, she said, ‘I can picture Colby saying every one of those words.’ I was so happy to hear that from her.”
The Colby Cave Memorial Fund aids community programs with an emphasis on mental health initiatives and providing access to sports for underprivileged children.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.