The bus crash that killed ten players, two coaches, a statistician, a driver and a broadcaster from the Humbolt Broncos junior hockey team may have happened on a stretch of road in rural Saskatchewan, but the reverberations were felt across Canada and beyond.
Aside from the tragic fact that the players were between 16 and 21 years of age, riding on buses from hockey game to hockey game is such an intrinsic part of the Canadian game that even NHL players with no connection to the area struggled to come to terms with the loss. Tributes took place across the league: Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, who grew up in Saskatoon, choked up during a press conference, saying, “I can’t even imagine being a parent (of one of the victims). It’s got to rip the heart out of your chest.” In Winnipeg, players for the hometown Jets and the visiting Chicago Blackhawks replaced the nameplates on the back of their jerseys with the word “Broncos” in honor of the victims.
“All seven Canadian teams play tonight in five cities but tonight all of us are in one city and one city only – Humboldt, Saskatchewan,” Ron MacLean, the host of Hockey Night in Canada, said on his pre-game show Saturday night.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
