Athletics Community Honors Beloved Student-Athlete

Athletes across campus celebrated Evan Armit’s legacy of kindness in game action this fall.

By Krystyanna Ramsdell

In August 2025, Evan Armit, a beloved member of the men’s ice hockey team, passed away following a lengthy battle with metastatic melanoma. Ever since, nearly every team in the Worcester State Athletics Department has been honoring his memory in its own special way. These acts of remembrance include hanging his jersey at games, collecting donations for his family, and donning uniform patches emblazoned with his jersey number.

His passing has also brought students, coaches, and friends together, not just in mourning, but in reflection. In remembering Armit’s kindness and infectious smile, athletes across campus have said they’ve begun thinking more about what really matters in life. As Kate Stedronsky ’26, senior captain of the women’s volleyball team, put it: “Losing someone in our community has allowed us to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.”

“As an athlete, you have to think about the person standing next to you,” she said. “We have been reminded, though, that sports aren’t just about wins and losses. They’re about the relationships we build, and the impact we have on one another.”

As for Armit, the impact he had in his short time at Worcester State was huge. Junior Jessica Forbes ’27, a member of the women’s soccer team, was a classmate of Armit’s. She said she was lucky for having had the chance to sit next to him in their financial accounting class. “I instantly sensed he was a great person with an amazing outlook on life,” she said. “Seeing him around, he always had a smile on his face and never failed to say hello.”

Jude Hadi ’27, a men’s hockey player, teammate, and friend, recalled that Armit showed him “what it meant to say yes to life.” “Evan was all in, always, for a new adventure,” he said. “What made him truly irreplaceable, though, was the fact that he was a friend to everybody. No matter where we were, he would make friends with complete strangers.”

Armit’s impact was not just felt in the Athletics Department, but across campus. As a sophomore, he was selected to serve the campus community as a residential advisor, in part for his “ability to connect with others and make every person feel valued,” said Director of Residence Life Kristen Nelson. “Evan was more than just a first- year RA, dedicated athlete, and outstanding student,” she said. “He brought a contagious energy to our community, one grounded in kindness, inclusivity, and a genuine passion for helping others.”

Given Armit’s impact on campus, teams across the university rallied throughout the fall semester to honor his legacy. The women’s soccer team dedicated a “Black Out” game in his honor. During the game, players wore yellow ribbons marked with Armit’s jersey number 11 in black, the symbolic color for melanoma awareness. His jersey also was hung along the sidelines during the match, surrounded by donations collected for his family. The women’s volleyball team, meanwhile, hung his jersey on their sidelines during matches, while players wore black ribbons on their shoes. Even before his passing, the community was rallying around Armit. The Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund, for example, partnered with the university’s hockey teams to auction jerseys and made a donation to the hospital where Armit was treated.

“Evan was one of those rare people whose presence impacted everyone around him. He embraced the values we preach as a student-athlete community,” continued Stedronsky, who, in addition to captaining the women’s volleyball team, is a NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president. “Honoring Evan’s legacy is extremely important to us, as it serves as a constant reminder that we are lucky to be a part of something greater than ourselves.”

Armit grew up in Dryden, Ontario, where he played junior league hockey for the Winnipeg Freeze and Islander Hockey Club, before enrolling at Worcester State and becoming a member of the men’s ice hockey team. While a student, he studied business. After his initial cancer diagnosis, he underwent surgery to remove a lesion on his heel, which left him determined to come back stronger than ever. Unfortunately, in October of 2024, his cancer returned, which he fought valiantly for nearly a year before passing.

Today, his legacy of kindness is still felt around campus, while across the Athletics Department, the number 11 now serves as a shining symbol of the selflessness, empathy, courage, compassion, determination, and perseverance his loved ones say he so embodied.

“We will never forget the remarkable person Evan was,” added Forbes, of the women’s soccer team. “And we will continue to honor him, knowing he is watching over all of us.”