Former Winnipeg Jets draft pick Jason Cirone passes away at 53

Drafted in 1989 after a stellar four seasons in the OHL (where he scored 130 goals and 150 assists in 212 games) primarily for the Cornwall Royals, before spending his final 23 games as a member of the Windsor Spitfires. He then went on to be drafted by the Jets ahead of names such as Nicklas Lidstron, Wes Walz, Kris Draper, Sergei Fedorov and Pavel Bure. Cirone only spent three games with the Jets and didn't register a point in those games before bouncing around between North American (with stints in the AHL, IHL and ECHL) and European (Italy and Germany) teams until he retired in 2007-2008 as a full-time player and mainly focused on helping Team Italy whenever international hockey games were played.

Never able to find his footing in the NHL, it's surprising he didn't get more opportunities. His statistics in the ECHL and IHL were impressive, including a season where he put up 42 goals with Kansas City in 1998-99. He may not have been a household name but could clearly hold his own in the world of professional hockey and it's a shame he never got a chance to shine in the NHL. Cirone didn't let his talents go to waste though, as in 2013 He was hired by Midland University to be their head coach of both men and women's teams.

It's an unfortunate piece of news as many anticipate the start of the regular season. We here at Hockey Patrol would like to offer our condolences to the family of Jason Cirone; a national hero for Italian hockey taken too soon.