NCAA coach and former hockey player sadly passes away at 33 years old

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Gabriel Sami
October 5, 2024 (9:59)

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Chad Demers, an NCAA assistant coach, sadly passed away following a protracted fight with cancer.

After a long fight with cancer, Chad Demers, an exceptional hockey player at the Air Force Academy from 2011 to 2015, sadly passed away on Thursday.

Between 2008 and 2015, Demers-who is married and a father of three-played in both the USHL and the AHA with the Air Force Academy.

Demers joined the Air Force after his playing days. Following a brain cancer diagnosis in 2018, he was medically released. His coaching career took off shortly after, and he worked in several roles during that time.

Demers played for three seasons as a player, including one as the team captain from 2010 to 2011, with the Fargo Force in the USHL. Before going back to Fargo in 2022-2023 as the Assistant Head Coach, he also served as the Academy's Director of Hockey Operations for a further term.

Garrett Raboin, the head coach of Augustana University, issued a statement regarding the tragedy.

"Chad was so much more than a coach for us. He was a brother, a husband, a father. Those are the things that were most important to him. He just cherished his wife and kids. That's what makes this so hard."

His former colleague Pierre-Paul Lamoureux also spoke about his good friend:

"I am really going to miss him. You don't have many friends in life as loyal and trustworthy as Chad. He had courage when it came to coaching. Our staff spent so many long days and nights together. We knew what he was going through, but he never complained or felt sorry for himself.

Chad is a great example of how to deal with adversity and tough times. He truly loved to coach for the right reasons. He cared about the team and especially the players. He was a great young coach with so much promise. More so, he's an unbelievable father and husband - a true leader of men and a mentor."

«Chad touched the lives of all who knew him, with his kindness, his love for sports, and his genuine ability to make others feel special,» per Demers's obituary.

«He was always up for a call to catch up or a trip to explore new places. His memory will forever remind us that the greatest achievements in life are the strong connections we share with others. He will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him.»

The Fargo Force, who have been beloved in every stop along his hockey career, recently organized a "Rally For Demmy" in which they raised over $66,000 for the Demers family.

The Demers Family is in our thoughts and prayers during this extremely trying time.

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OCTOBRE 5 \| 77 ANSWERS NCAA coach and former hockey player sadly passes away at 33 years old Deepest Condolences to the Demers family, friends and loved ones.
Deepest Condolences	77	100 %
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