The sudden death of Canadian actor Alan Thicke caught friends and industry colleagues off guard.

But everyone from Hollywood stars to NHL teams were quick to pay tribute to the Ontario-born star who rose to prominence for his role in the 1980s classic Growing Pains.

One of Thicke’s longtime friends, Jeffrey Latimer, told CTV’s Your Morning about his experience working with him on the 2012 musical “Queen for a Day.”

“He was incredible with the cast,” Latimer said of Thicke’s starring role in the play he co-wrote. “He was funny. He was fun. He worked with all of the artists.”

Latimer also fondly recalled visiting Thicke’s beloved ranch and spending hours just talking with him in the backyard.

“He was just a really good guy,” Latimer said Wednesday. “He was so Canadian.”

Latimer said one thing fans should know about the star is that he loved music. He said Thicke was an amazing composer and often collaborated with his son Robin Thicke.

“He loved being in the studio, which I think was fascinating,” Latimer said.

The Canadian actor died from a heart attack while he was playing hockey with his son. Thicke’s well-known love of the game and his connection to both the Edmonton Oilers and Wayne Gretzky were apparent in the many tributes that poured in for him online.

Members of Thicke's family posted memories of him online.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences to Thicke's family on Twitter on Wednesday.

Hollywood stars, singers and former co-stars also paid tribute to the Canadian.
 

Thicke had recently performed in an episode in the Netflix series Fuller House, and cast members were quick to pay tribute.