The Toronto Maple Leafs are hosting bantam AAA team Don Mills Flyers at their morning skate on Saturday, following the tragic passing of Flyers goalie Roy Pejcinovski earlier in March.
Pejcinovski, 15, was found dead in his Ajax home along with his mother and sister in an alleged triple homicide. He was known as a standout young netminder, and was expected to be selected in the OHL Draft.
Before their game against the Winnipeg Jets, the Leafs, as well as several Jets players, paid their respects to a fallen member of the local hockey community
The Flyers will also have the chance to enter the Leafs’ dressing room, and later run a practice on the Air Canada Centre ice. At the end of the day, they'll be in the stands for the match-up
Leafs forward Mitch Marner, an alum of the Don Mills Flyers himself, has been a particularly vocal supporter of the Pejcinovski family on social media, sharing a link to the family’s fund against domestic violence:
It’s a nice gesture by the Leafs and Jets, one that reminds us that the hockey community transcends the sport and is there to support each other across all levels.
Symbolically, there may be no better representation of this unity across the community than a game earlier in the month in which the Flyers, who normally wear jerseys similar to the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, played against their opponents with both teams adopting a special jersey emblazoned with 'R' for Roy.
If you'd like to donate to the Pejcinovski family, you can do so here.
