Craig Spence: 2002-2024

Tributes and memories are pouring in for a young man who died in a in a collision Tuesday on Highway 401 near London.

Craig Spence, a 22-year-old from Chatham, was a skilled hockey player. He was captain of the Blenheim Blades hockey team and was named defenceman of the year in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Stobbs Division this past season, as he put up video game numbers, notching 74 points in just 36 games.

Spence was lauded for his leadership skills in a social media post by the Blades, noting that Spence was a leader on and off the ice.

“…to the Blades family, he was Spence, easy with a smile, always willing to step up if help was needed, he was a dedicated teammate, brother and a friend to all of us in the Blades family.”

An OHL draft pick of the Mississauga Steelheads, Spence also played for the Chatham Maroons, where he was a key player assistant captain on the Maroons’ Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Western Conference championship-winning team in 2021-22.

The Maroons also praised Spence on social media for his leadership and his presence on and off the ice

“Craig was more than just a stellar athlete on the ice; he embodied the essence of what it meant to be a genuine and wonderful human being. His presence graced not only the rink but also the lives of everyone fortunate enough to know him.”

A GoFundMe campaign was started by a neighbour to help family with expenses. It has raised $2,720 of its $5,000 goal in just a few hours.