HARTFORD, Conn – The stunning news out of Providence again emphatically demonstrated how precious life is.
Tom Cavanagh, the all-time leading scorer for the Worcester Sharks (46 goals, 92 assists in 202 games), was found dead Thursday of an apparent suicide inside the parking garage of the Providence Place mall. He was only 28.
Police said Cavanagh’s body was discovered near the garage’s Level C around 11:25 a.m. Later in the day, his car was discovered in another part of the garage with his wallet inside. Health Department spokeswoman Annmarie Beardsworth said an autopsy by the state medical examiner showed Cavanagh died from “multiple traumatic injuries due to blunt force impact.”
In a statement Friday night, Cavanagh’s father, lawyer Joseph Cavanagh, said: “Our son, Tom, was a young man who bravely fought the demons of mental illness for many years. This private struggle far surpassed his public athletic accomplishments. Our family will celebrate and always remember his beautiful but short life. We hope that his friends and supporters will pray for him and for us during these difficult days. We already have felt the love of so many people of our community.”
Cavanagh was a sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2001 NHL entry draft after an outstanding career at Harvard, where he became the first player to play in every game (138) at the school where his father is considered one of Crimson hockey’s all-time greats. Cavanagh, a native of Warwick, R.I., spent four seasons in the Sharks organization with the Cleveland Barons and Worcester and had one goal and two assists in 18 NHL games with San Jose.
“I’m still numb, to tell you the truth,” Worcester Sharks coach Roy Sommer told Worcester Telegram writer Bill Ballou, who has covered the team since Day 1. “He was quiet, but he was the ultimate team guy, and his teammates all liked him. He played with injuries, and every time he went over the wall, you knew what you were gonna get from him. He willed himself to do a lot of things.”
Cavanagh played for Sommer in Cleveland and went to Worcester when the franchise relocated for the 2006-07 season. Ballou wrote Cavanagh was “a quiet but personable and articulate presence in the dressing room.”
The feelings were similar 3,000 miles away in San Jose, Calif.
“I got to know him through hockey at Worcester, and I got the privilege of spending a Christmas together here,” Sharks left wing Jamie McGinn told reporters. “It’s kind of a big shocker. I’m still in shock; it’s really sad. He’s a great guy.”
Defenseman Jason Demers called Cavanagh “a happy-go-lucky guy.”
“He always came in happy,” Demers said. “He never brought a bad mood to the rink. That’s for sure something that he’ll be remembered for, and that’s what I remember most about him.”
Cavanagh, who turned pro in 2005, had a memorable first NHL shift on April 3, 2008, when he assisted on Joe Thornton’s goal and set a franchise record by registering a point only 36 seconds into his career. Last season, Cavanagh played for the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs and Springfield Falcons but wasn’t playing professionally at the time of his death.
From this writer and the entire Connecticut Whale family, condolences to the Cavanagh family for someone who fought bravely and died far too soon.
Developed by Bruce Berlot of Connecticut Whale
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