Oshawa Generals remember Alex McKeown

The Oshawa Generals are saddened by the news of the passing of eight-year-old Alex McKeown, whose battle with cancer has come to an end. Alex, or better known around the organization as Ali, bravely battled acute myeloid leukemia.

On February 2nd, 2020, the Generals signed Ali to a one-day contract with the team, but the legacy he is leaving behind will last a lifetime.

“It’s amazing what effect a young person can have on your life in such a small amount of time,” said Generals general manager Roger Hunt. “I only had the pleasure of being with Ali and his family for a few hours and I will never forget that day. Our players and staff embraced Ali the same way he embraced us. We meshed right away and he had us in his corner to the end. Sleep tight Ali and heaven, please take care of that beautiful smile.”

Ali touched every single person he met that day, truly defining what it means to be an Oshawa General. His teammates proudly wore “Ali’s Army” t-shirts around the rink, and even planned on wearing them during the OHL playoffs last season.

In one of many tweets from his teammates, Allan McShane expressed what Ali meant to him and the team.

“We are grieving the loss of a member of our Generals family. Alex McKeown, a true symbol of strength and positivity that inspired our whole organization. We will keep Ali close to us while battling on the ice, to honour his memory and the impact he had on us all.”

Ty Tullio, David Jesus, and McShane each wrote “4Ali” on their gloves while they play out the remainder of their games in Slovakia.

Rest in peace, Ali. Once a General, Always a General.