SMALL TOWN SUPPORT BUOYS FAMILY OF BRONCOS CAPTAIN
Home of Logan Schatz filled with friends, food, and stories of ‘kind-hearted’ teen
ALLAN, SASK. This past Wednesday, Logan Schatz pulled up at the Humboldt Tim Hortons drive-thru and bought himself a cup of coffee. He paid for his bill and that of the vehicle behind him, in a small act of random kindness.
On Monday morning, the home where Schatz grew up is overflowing with the 20-yearold’s favourite Timmies, from cardboard coffee vats to doughnut and muffin boxes. Yet they remain virtually untouched, as his parents and siblings attend to a revolving door of visitors.
The handsome young man with a penchant for sporting bow ties on game day is also present, if only in spirit. On the dining table, a makeshift shrine with several photographs and team jerseys, can be seen from the front entry.
Schatz, the captain of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team, died on Friday, one of the first of the staggering losses to be publicly confirmed after the team’s bus was hit by a semi-trailer en route to a playoff game in Nipawin, Saskatchewan.
Along with the Tim Hortons bounty, the counters of the kitchen where Kelly and Bonnie Schatz raised their five kids are covered with foil-covered casseroles and other food items. It’s just one of the myriad ways their neighbours in the small town of Allan, Saskatchewan, have expressed their compassion and shared grief over the sudden and tragic death of a favourite son.
“We’ve run out of freezer space, fridge space,” says Bonnie, almost by way of apology for the justifiable clutter of her home, less than 72 hours after she heard her youngest child had been in the horrific crash just north of Tisdale. “There’s just been an enormous amount of love that’s been given to us by friends, neighbours and total strangers.”
Few in this part of the world would be surprised to learn that the Schatz family, during its time of greatest suffering, is receiving so much love and support. Kelly Schatz is the third generation of a local farm family. When Logan was just a baby, they moved into town, says Bonnie, “because we needed a bigger house for all of us.”
The town of Allan, population about 700 and an hour’s drive from Humboldt, has watched kids grow up in this placid place dotted with century-old buildings along its main street.
In town, there is high regard many had for the Humboldt Broncos’ hockey captain, a young man who his proud dad says was a born leader.
“He was the captain on just about every team he ever played on,” says Kelly. “He was just an outgoing kid; everyone respected him.”
That appreciation can be seen over at their son’s alma mater, Allan School, its sign reading “In Loving Memory of Logan Schatz — Humboldt Strong ”; flags outside the church and town office remain at half-staff, in honour of the death of the young man and 14 of his fellow players and team support staff.
Those gestures, along with social media posts and messages sent via text and email, are buoying family members as they struggle to comprehend the staggering loss.
“We found out things we didn’t know,” says Kelly of his son, whose hockey-playing career took him across Canada and as far afield as Russia. “Little things, like buying that coffee for a lady at Tims.”
Kelly and Bonnie Schatz didn’t need any further confirmation, though, that they had a great kid. “When we’d go to parent-teacher conferences, it was just a visit,” says Bonnie with a teary laugh. “They adored Logan, like they did all our other kids.”
The next few weeks were supposed to be busy ones for Logan and his parents. He had been hoping for a college scholarship, so he could keep playing his beloved game, and had some promising prospects from colleges in Alberta and Alaska.
“I always thought he’d become a sports commentator,” says his mom. “He knew sports stats like no one else.”
Instead, his parents and older siblings will spend the better part of the next little while planning a memorial for the young hockey captain, whom one friend described as “one of the most kind-hearted, respectable guys” around.
“It’s not just about Logan, it’s about all of them,” says Kelly, his generous sentiments proving the old adage that the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. “We’re going to need a big venue for his memorial service … and we hope to attend as many of the other services that we can.”