Colby Cave's hockey brethren are hoping for the best as the forward remains hospitalized following a brain bleed.

"This is devastating news," Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Thursday. "Colby is such a strong guy, he's a good Saskatchewan boy, so he's as tough as they come and if anyone is going to get through it, I think it's going to be Colby Cave. I think all the fans out there (and) everyone needs to keep Colby, Emily his wife, and the entire family in their thoughts and prayers and send out good vibes for them because that's all we can do. ... We can just think and pray that he comes out of this and pray that the family can get through it as well. ... I can't imagine how hard it is on them."

McDavid added, "Colby is a guy that's so well-liked in our dressing room and I’m sure he's been so well-liked in any room he's been in, he's such a good guy. ... You just pray that he wakes up and the family is OK."

Cave played his first five pro seasons with the Boston Bruins organization before Edmonton claimed him off waivers in January 2019. Many Bruins players sent cards, gifts, and supplies to Emily and the family, judging by an image she posted to her Instagram story Thursday.

Cave, who has spent the majority of this season with the Oilers' AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, is in a medically induced coma. He was admitted to hospital Monday and was later airlifted to Sunnybrook in Toronto. The 25-year-old underwent surgery Tuesday to remove a cyst that was causing pressure on his brain, the Oilers said Thursday.

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