When Princess Diana died in 1997, Elton John rewrote the lyrics to Candle In The Wind in a musical tribute to the late Princess of Wales.

When Garrett Paquette passed away, his friends and family arranged a different sort of tribute ‘ chucking a large salmon onto the ice during an NHL hockey game.

Paquette, a Maple Leafs fan, had planned to toss a salmon onto the ice as a stunt during the much-anticipated match-up between the Vancouver Canucks and the Toronto Maple Leafs before he died in an ATV accident in November.

Roger Paquette, Garrett’s father, planned the trip and salmon-toss in memory of his son.

“Roger brought three fish with him. He had these wild ideas in his head and was committed to doing it and Garrett was the same way,” said Joey Smith, one of three friends who volunteered to strap a five-pound salmon to their stomach and smuggle it into Rogers Arena. 

With four minutes left in the third period, Smith’s friend tossed the five-pound salmon from the lower bowl onto the ice.

Smith was injured in the same ATV accident in which Paquette died and was unable to throw the fish himself.

“I think (Garrett) is incredibly proud,” said Smith. Wherever he is, he’s looking down on us smiling.

“It’s these little things like this that help us remember him better, a tribute to him and the amazing guy that he was.”