Fans of former Vancouver Canuck, Rick Rypien, have organized a memorial to celebrate his life outside of Rogers Arena on Wednesday afternoon.
Organizers will be setting up a book by the Roger Nielson statue at 2 p.m. for attendees to sign with notes of condolences for Rypien's family.
The 27-year-old forward was found dead in his Coleman, Alta. home on Monday. RCMP in Crowsnest Pass said they received a call concerning a "sudden and non-suspicious" death.
Following the news, there has been an outpour of grief from former teammates and fans.
"In disbelief about Ripper. Sat beside him in the locker room in Van. Such a good kid with a huge heart Thoughts with his family," former teammate Brendan Morrison said on Twitter.
On a Facebook memorial page, Linda Clarkson wrote "R.I.P Rick Rypien. You are a Canuck forever and you will be missed."
The six-year NHL veteran played in nine games with the Canucks last season before leaving the team for personal reasons and eventually being put on injured reserve.
Rypien had signed with the newly returned Winnipeg Jets in July.
This is the second death of an NHL player in the last three months. Former Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers tough guy Derek Boogaard died in May because of a fatal mix of alcohol and oxycodone.
With files from TSN - The Sports Network and The Canadian Press
