Family, friends and hockey community pay tribute to former OHL player and Guelph Gryphon Jacob Winterton

Former Ontario Hockey League player and Guelph Gryphon Jacob Winterton is being remembered by family, friends and the hockey community.

Winterton, 25, died Tuesday after battling cancer. A fundraising page for a Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser in November called Gryphons Hockey Fights Cancer said he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 bone cancer after he felt pain in his shoulder. The cancer then spread to his lungs.

His brother Ryan Winterton, who plays in the National Hockey League for the Seattle Kraken, posted on Instagram that he had "lost my best friend."

"You weren’t just someone I loved, you were someone I looked up to, someone who guided me, believed in me, and helped shape the person I am today," Ryan Winterton wrote.

"I’ll miss your voice, your advice, and the way you made everything feel a little less heavy. Some days will be harder than others, but I’ll hold on to the love, the lessons, and the memories you left me with. You’ll always be a part of me, in everything I do," Ryan Winterton wrote in his Instagram post.

Other NHL players from various other teams are offering their condolences on the Instagram post. The Kraken had previously posted that Ryan Winterton has taken a leave of absence from the team and asked people to respect his privacy.

On Wednesday, the team said they were "deeply saddened by the passing of Jacob Winterton, brother of Ryan Winterton. We are sending love and support to Ryan, the Winterton family and all of Jacob's loved ones."

The Ontario Hockey League issued a statement Wednesday saying Jacob Winterton was "taken far too soon."

Jacob Winterton grew up in Whitby, Ont., and played U16 AAA and U18 AAA hockey as a member of the Ajax-Pickering Raiders.

He was selected in the 10th round