Joel Edmundson posts tribute to his father, Bob, who passed away on Friday

Montreal Canadiens defenceman Joel Edmundson announced today that his father, Bob, passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer.

In a post on Instagram, Joel said, "Oct 20th 1960 - Jan 7th 2022 ❤️

Early yesterday morning we lost my dad to cancer. He was first diagnosed with lung cancer In the summer of 2020, but the cancer kept spreading all over his body. From the lungs to his bones, brain, pelvis and more.. His whole life he was a tough man. Mentally and physically. And he continued to prove that during his fight with cancer. He never wanted to show signs of weakness, however we all knew he was in a lot of pain. The first picture shown was the last picture I ever got with him. About 2 weeks ago during Christmas break. Deep down, I had a feeling that it might be our last picture together. I knew he was struggling and I didn't want to leave him. But he wanted me to get back to Montreal to continue my injury rehab so he could watch me play again.

That was one of his favourite things to do, watch hockey. He is the main reason that I'm able to play hockey for a living. He taught Jesse and I everything we know about hockey and baseball. And I will forever be grateful for that. He was my favourite coach ever, but also my #1 fan. Anyone who was lucky enough to meet him knows how proud he was of his boys. Didn't matter if you were a friend or a stranger, he would always have time to talk. Especially about hockey. That was the kind of man he was. He would never judge a book by its cover. He had time for everyone. That's one of the many things I've learned from him over the years. To be kind, humble, accepting, and respectful. And I will continue to try to be the man he was. We're going to miss him a lot. Thankfully our family has the best group of friends who have helped make this a little easier. I'm going to miss him like crazy, but continue to make him proud.

Rest In Peace dad, I love you❤️"

Joel's dad was a huge Habs fan and was really happy when his son signed with the team in 2020.

"I do not know how much Joel has in mind, Montreal is my favorite team, but I'm so happy he's signed there," Bob Edmundson said.

Our thoughts are with the Edmundson family at this time.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joel Edmundson (@jedmundson3)

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