Maple Leaf speaks out after former teammate dies at 31 years old.

A terrible tragedy has struck the hockey community this week, with the bad news hitting especially close to home for several members of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On Friday, the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League announced that former goaltender Jake Patterson had suddenly passed away, Patterson was only 31 years old at the time. The news came as a major shock to fans of the London Knights who had seen Patterson play a significant role as a goaltender for the Knights, especially during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 OHL seasons.

The news has understandably rocked the hockey community in the province of Ontario and it should come as no surprise that several players from the National Hockey League have likely been impacted by this tragedy. The London Knights have produced a ton of NHL players over the years and there were many who played alongside Patterson during their time together with the Knights.

Maple Leafs forward Max Domi took to Instagram upon learning the news of Patterson's passing and expressed his sorrow at the loss of his former London Knights' teammate. Domi began by sharing news of an upcoming memorial via his Instagram.

Domi also took a moment to remember the good times, stating that he has many incredible memories which Patterson will always be a part of in spite of his passing earlier this month.

Domi was not the only Maple Leaf to have played alongside Patterson during their time with the London Knights, with Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz sharing the net with Patterson during his time on the team.

Tragically, Patterson leaves behind a 3 year old son, Luca, a little boy that has now lost his father far, far too soon.

It is a tragedy when anyone in our beloved hockey community is taken from us but, with Patterson being just 31 years of age at the time of his passing, this terrible tragedy is especially heartbreaking.

My most sincere condolences go out to the Patterson family, the Ontario hockey community, the London Knights, all of Patterson's family, friends, former teammates and all of his loved ones.