Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov dies at 21

Amirov was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2021, which was discovered while he was being treated for an undisclosed injury. He was 10 games into his KHL season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa when the diagnosis was made, and he proceeded to take the rest of the season off. He was in Toronto for the start of the 2022-23 season to train with the intent of playing but returned home last November.

“The entire Maple Leafs organization is devastated by this tragic loss,” said Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan in a statement released by the team. “Over the duration of his courageous battle, Rodion’s positivity inspired everyone around him, and he made lasting impressions with our team and fans in his brief visits to Toronto. It’s incredibly sad to see a young man with so much promise taken from us so soon. We offer our deepest condolences to Rodion’s family and friends as we mourn this loss together.”

Amirov had never had the opportunity to play professional hockey in North America but managed to play in 70 games in the KHL, with 10 goals, eight assists and 18 points in that span, all across three seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa. He also represented Russia at the World Juniors as an alternate captain for the 2021 team, the most recent Russian team that has been allowed to play in the tournament due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He had two goals, four assists and six points in seven games as Russia lost in the bronze medal game of the tournament.

Amirov was the team's first-round pick in the 2020 draft, selecting him at 15th overall with a pick that originally belonged to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Leafs acquired that pick as part of the return in a deal that sent Kasperi Kapanen to the Penguins, after they had traded away their own first-round pick to offload Patrick Marleau’s contract.