Canucks fans will pay tribute Wednesday to Rick Rypien, the diminutive Canucks forward who "never backed down."
Richmond's Alexandra Ransford and her mom Ellen have organized a Celebration of Life for today, from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Roger Neilson statue outside Rogers Arena.
"I just wanted to do something everyone can be together for to celebrate Rypien's life," said Alexandra, 17.
Rypien, 27, was found dead Monday in his Coleman, Alta., home. The cause of death has not been released.
Alexandra and Ellen will bring books of condolence, which they hope the Canucks will give to Rypien's family.
"We just wanted the Rypien family to know that we loved him, and we want the Canucks to know we love them, too," said Ellen, who regularly visited Canucks practices with her daughter during last spring's run to the Cup final.
Rypien - a 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward - played in six seasons for the Canucks, all the while battling personal demons that forced him to the sidelines twice in his tenure in Vancouver.
Fans of "The Ripper" flocked to Rogers Arena Monday and set up a makeshift memorial in his honour.
One of those fans was 22-year-old Calvin Ng of Port Moody, who brought tealight candles and a framed picture of Rypien that reads, "Forever a Canuck, #37, R.I.P. Rick Rypien."
Ng returned to the site Tuesday morning, wearing his home blue Canucks jersey and waving a large Canucks flag.
"It's kind of sad because everyone was hoping he would come back - if not with the Canucks, with the Jets," said Ng. Rypien had signed a deal as a free agent this summer with the Winnipeg Jets.
Vancouver resident J.T., 33, stopped by the memorial on his way to work Tuesday and re-organized Ng's candles that read "R37R."
He says Canucks fans should pay Rypien - a diminutive forward who fought heavyweights with regularity - the respect he deserves.
"He never backed down from nothing. No matter what our fight is in life, you don't back down from nothing."
A Facebook event page has been set up called "Rick Rypien Celebration of Life." It can be found at theprov.in/Rypien.
