Alex Graham ice hockey: Memorial campaign launched for Sheffield Steelers star after tragic death aged 20

Fans have launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay for flags and on-ice tributes to the player whose death at the age of just 20 has shocked the ice hockey world.

The GoFundMe page, titled Alex Graham #21 Memorial Flag, has already received pledges of £480, and aims to raise £5,000 for tributes.

It states: “Today, The world lost an extremely special young individual. Alex Graham was a promising, talented young man with his whole life and career ahead of him. He'd had a fantastic few seasons on the ice which led to this year, securing Alex his first full-time professional Ice Hockey contract with the Sheffield Steelers.

“As a club, a fan base, and the whole region - we've lost something really special. Let's all try to club together to purchase some memorial items for Alex. We have already started some design and sourcing projects for Flags and on-ice tribute additions (For Alex and Marek Trončinský).

“Any Monies donated will fund these mutually-decided projects, with all remaining monies being passed directly to Alex's family.”

Marek Trončinský was another Steelers player who died young, aged just 32 in 2021.

Dronfield athlete Alex had been euphoric last month having been awarded his first full-year professional contract with top-flight club Sheffield Steelers.

But the prospect - who had featured in 81 games for the EIHL club over the last couple of years - died at the weekend.

Among many tributes, Best of British Ice Hockey Camps UK said in a statement yesterday: “This is a truly heart-breaking loss of an amazing hockey player with a very bright future, but also a lovely lad we have known since we started hockey camps in Sheffield in 2006.

“Alex was a participant on our camps for many years from a young age and was one of the finest talents we ever had the pleasure to work with – to watch him blossom into the player and man he became was a privilege. Alex was recently a coach within our program, working with the kids who aspired to be like him.

“Words cannot express the sadness we feel today – the hockey world has lost one way too young.”