Edmonton Oil Kings 'deeply saddened' by sudden death of Caleb Reimer, 16

A member of the Edmonton Oil Kings junior hockey team is one of three people who died in a car crash early Saturday morning.

Caleb Reimer, 16, was in a vehicle with two other teenage boys, Ronin Sharma and Parker Magnuson, when they crashed into a tree in Surrey, B.C., around 4 a.m MT Saturday.

Surrey RCMP have not yet established what caused the collision, but first responders determined all three people in the vehicle were dead at the scene.

The Oil Kings are "deeply saddened" by Reimer's death, and offer their condolences to the victims' families, team president and general manager Kirt Hill said in a statement Sunday.

"Caleb was a young man with a bright future both on and off the ice. He was a person that you loved to be around, he was a great teammate and a great friend," Hill said, adding that he still remembers the teen's excitement when he learned the team was drafting him.

"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."

Reimer, who's from Surrey, was drafted to the Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2019. He was part of the team that won the league's central division championship last season.

Prior to joining the Oil Kings, he played minor hockey with Delta Hockey Academy in B.C. In 40 games with their under-18 prep team, he notched 37 points — 19 assists and 18 goals.

The WHL is "shocked and saddened" by Reimer's passing, league commissioner Ron Robison said in a news release.

"The WHL extends its heartfelt condolences to Caleb's family, his teammates on the Oil Kings and previously with the Delta Hockey Academy and his many friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this very difficult time," Robison said.

There has been an outpouring of support on social media to the families of the three boys, each of whom played junior hockey.

"The NHL sends its love and deepest condolences to the families of junior hockey players Caleb Reimer, Ronin Sharma and Parker Magnuson who tragically passed away in a car accident on Saturday," the league wrote on social media.

"Rest in peace boys."