KENT, Ohio -- The center position was vacant when Brush High School's hockey team took the ice Saturday, symbolizing the void created by the unexpected death of teammate Alec Kornet.
The gesture was part of a pregame memorial for the junior honors student, who died unexpectedly Tuesday after he collapsed during a team practice in Cleveland Heights.
His family -- including his brother, sophomore Mike Kornet, who started in goal in the team's regional tournament game against Lake Catholic High School --participated in the memorial by dropping a puck at center ice before the game.
The teams also observed a moment of silence in honor of Alec.
"This was awesome," Alec's father, Scott Kornet, said after the game. "I didn't know what to expect. Obviously, he's touched a lot of lives. This was overwhelming."
Brush High School's 10-0 loss did not dampen the spirits of the several hundred students, teachers and parents who packed the stands at Kent State University's Ice Arena.
Hockey players wore black armbands in addition to stickers with Alec's jersey number -- 4 -- on their helmets.
The school district also plans to hang a large memorial banner at Cleveland Heights Recreation Center.
Alec's family urged the team to take the ice, and the school district wanted to give him a fitting tribute, Brush High School athletic director Mike Murphy said.
"Everyone here in support, it's all because of [Alec], and who he was as a person," Murphy said Saturday. "He made a tremendous impact on everyone he came in contact with."
Brush High School honors hockey player Alec KornetBrush High School junior Adam Turk played with Alec on the school's baseball team. The two became friends in middle school.
"Alec was the ultimate friend," he said. "The way he lived life, he was always a happy kid. He always wanted everyone to be happy."
Alec experienced trouble breathing and collapsed Tuesday during hockey practice at the Cleveland Heights Recreation Pavilion on Monticello Boulevard. He died after paramedics took him to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office said.
The medical examiner's office has not determined how he died. Scott Kornet said Wednesday that Alec did not have any diagnosed medical conditions that would explain his unexpected death.
Alec had also not suffered any injuries or taken any serious hits during recent hockey games or practices, his father added.
"He didn't seem disoriented or anything," he said. "Everything seemed normal."
Alec was the second of three boys, with a 19-year-old brother and a 15-year-old brother, Scott Kornet said. He was a member of Brush High School's band and its soccer, hockey and baseball teams.
Alec's wake will be held Sunday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the DeJohn-Flynn-Mylott funeral home at 28890 Chardon Road in Willoughby Hills. The family will hold a private funeral service Monday at 11:30 a.m. at the funeral home.
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