Cal U Hockey Player Dies: 'Without Him, It Will Never Be The Same'
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
CALIFORNIA, Pa. (KDKA) - Cal U is mourning a hockey player who died over the weekend.
Twenty-three-year-old Branson King passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, the Vulcans said. He had just finished the fall semester of his junior year as an assistant captain.
We are sad to announce the sudden passing of current Cal U hockey player Branson King. Our hearts go out to his family, friends & the hockey community in this extremely tough time. https://t.co/q6hxE03YJO pic.twitter.com/158kfHs3St
— CalUHockey (@VulcansHockey) December 13, 2021
"Branson was the heart and soul of the team; he approached hockey like everything in his life with passion and 100% commitment," Vulcans head coach Jason Greenway said on Cal U's hockey website.
"He was a true leader who was selfless and would sacrifice anything he had to do for our team's success. He epitomized our team culture with passion, hard work, and a huge heart; he was a coach's dream."
King, a native of Hamburg, Pennsylvania, was majoring in education with a concentration in social studies.
"Without him, it will never be the same; we want to honor him by playing the way he expected us to play every time we take the ice," said Greenway. "Branson and I were close on and off the ice; I love him as a player but, more importantly, as a person."
The family asks for any donations to go towards the scholarship that will be set up in his name, the Vulcans said.
Visitation and funeral details haven't been announced yet.