Langley Rivermen retire jersey number worn by teen killed in Surrey crash

Vancouver -

As the Langley Rivermen took to the ice for warmups before their BCHL season opener Friday night, every single player wore Ronin Sharma's number 25.

The same number now hangs from the rafters at George Preston Arena, a testament to a fallen teammate remembered for being a leader both on and off the ice.

“He was going to be a pro hockey player," Langley assistant coach Mike Thompson told CTV News Vancouver.

"He had what we call the it factor. He could score. He worked hard. He tried to be the best at everything he could, every day.”

Sharma died in a car crash in Surrey in August, along with friends and fellow hockey players Caleb Reimer and Parker Magnuson. Friday would have been Sharma's 17th birthday.

"It's just been such a difficult month and a half," Sharma's uncle Tarsem Nath told CTV News at the arena Friday night.

“He was taken way too soon and there’s a lot more to the story that could have been written," Nath said.

Earlier in the day, family members released a dove at the scene of the tragic crash.

Then, in a special pregame ceremony with Sharma's family looking on, the Rivermen retired the teenager's number, a permanent testament to the mark he left on the game, and on his team.

"To have his number retired at the age of 16? That’s incredible," Nath said.

The Rivermen defeated the Chilliwack Chiefs 7-5 in Friday's game, but it wasn't the numbers on the scoreboard that mattered on the night.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ben Miljure