Tom Cavanagh found dead at a Rhode Island

Sad news: Former Sharks prospect Tom Cavanagh found dead at a Rhode Island mall

This is not  the kind of news that any of us like to pass along.
Former Sharks propsect Tom Cavanagh, who played at Harvard before turning pro and had 18 games with San Jose over two seasons, was found dead at a Providence, R.I., mall. A statement from his father in the Providence Journal-Bulletin indicated the 28-year-old player had “fought the demons of  mental illness for many years.”
The Sharks just issued the following statement:
“We are shocked and saddened by the news today of Tom’s passing.  Tom was an extraordinary young man and a terrific teammate who spent four seasons with our organization.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time.”

Cavanagh was drafted by San Jose in the sixth round (182^nd overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft following a stellar collegiate career at Harvard University.
He spent four seasons within the Sharks organization, including Cleveland (2005-06) and Worcester (2006-2009) and remains the all-time leading scorer for the Worcester Sharks with 138 points (46 goals, 92 assists) in 202 games.
Cavanagh played in 18 NHL games with San Jose over two seasons (2007-09), picking up three points (one goal, two assists) and four penalty minutes.
And here is the text of the story that appears on the Providence Journal-Bulletin web site:
Tom Cavanagh, who skated his way from rinks in Rhode Island to Harvard and then to the National Hockey League, was found dead Thursday inside the parking garage of the Providence Place mall.

The police said the body of the 28-year-old athlete was discovered in the vicinity of the garage’s Level C at around 11:25 a.m. Thursday. His car was discovered, with his wallet inside, later that day in another part of the garage.
Health Department spokeswoman Annmarie Beardsworth said Friday that an autopsy by the state Medical Examiner showed that Cavanagh died from “multiple traumatic injuries due to blunt force impact.”
His father, lawyer Joseph Cavanagh, said in a statement Friday night: “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.”
Tom Cavanagh was a graduate of Toll Gate High School in Warwick, where he was an All-State hockey player. After playing four seasons in the NCAA as part of the varsity hockey team at Harvard, from where he graduated in 2005, he entered the world of professional hockey, playing first for the Cleveland Barons and then the Worcester Sharks.
He made his National Hockey League debut at the end of the 2007-2008 season, playing with the San Jose Sharks. Released by the Sharks organization the following year, he began playing for the American Hockey League’s Manchester, N.H., Monarchs and with the Springfield, Mass., Falcons. A shoulder injury pushed him into free agent status in the 2010 season.
His agent, Matt Keator, who represented Cavanagh his whole career, said Friday night that Cavanagh was “one of the hardest-working, intelligent kids I’ve ever known.” He said Cavanagh was still recovering from his shoulder injury and, the last time they talked, was undecided whether to continue with his hockey career or to go into some other field.