Moncton hockey community mourns loss of 5-year-old Tate 'Tater Tot' Hughes

Tate Hughes just turned five a couple weeks ago. But "Tater Tot," as he was affectionately known, managed to touch a lot of hearts in the greater Moncton area during that time, before he died suddenly Tuesday.

Neil McGillis, a close family friend, says it could have been his big, blue eyes. Or maybe his little, button nose.

But mostly, he thinks it was his "infectious personality."

"Tate was always smiling anytime I saw him," said McGillis. He was "always happy" and lit up any room he walked into.

"He was the type of kid, he'd just come running at you with his arms wide open for a big hug. It didn't matter if you were 60 years old, six years old, or somewhere in between. He was just that type of guy."

Speaking on behalf of Tate's parents, Craig and Talia, on Friday, McGillis said he could not comment on the cause of death or the circumstances.

"I do know that things transpired quickly, and it was all a shock for everyone and very sad."

The family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, particularly from the hockey community, said McGillis, who coaches Tate's nine-year-old brother Austin on the Moncton Minor Hockey Association's U11 AA Hawks.

The Hawks had "adopted" Tate as their mascot and his mother had found him a costume with wings and a beak in the team's red, white and black colours. "He would show up at the rink dressed up in that, and we'd let him into the dressing room like he was one of the boys and he'd come in before the games and after the game," said McGillis. "We loved having him around."

Tate recently started playing for the U7 Blue Jays and during a Hawks practice Wednesday night, his brother's teammates all wore helmet stickers of Tate's blue #6 jersey and wrote "Tate" on their hockey stick