Funeral for son had to be at a rink, dad of killed player says
On Monday, Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre arena will host its second memorial service in 30 years, and its first public funeral.
The previous memorial service was held in September 2016, when the ashes of hockey legend Gordie Howe were set in the base of a statue made in his likeness. That was a private affair held outside.
Monday ’s funeral for Humboldt Broncos forward Evan Thomas promises to be a much different event, as much about honouring what the 18-year-old accomplished as mourning what might have lay ahead.
Sharing a distinction with Howe, known as Mr. Hockey, resonates for Evan’s father, Scott.
“It makes me feel honoured for my son’s memory, absolutely,” Scott said in an interview at his home Wednesday. “(Evan) spent a lot of time in a rink and when we first started tossing around the ideas of proper venues for him, it was a rink somewhere. We had to be in a rink.”
Thomas said when family members started discussing numbers, they figured as many as 3,500 people might show up. That made SaskTel Centre, with a capacity of more than 15,000 for hockey, the only option.
He said SaskTel Centre officials have been “fabulous” in accommodating his family.
Although the funeral service will focus on the life of Evan Thomas, his father said he wants to make sure everyone who feels they have been affected by the Broncos bus crash knows they are invited. The funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saskatoon Transit is offering special bus service from downtown to SaskTel Centre, indicating a large crowd is expected.
“It’s affected hockey people so hard because any Canadian who’s ever played the game, any parent who’s ever put their child on a bus, probably realizes that that could have been their son or daughter,” Thomas said. “It could have been their child. It could have been any highway on any stretch of road in any part of Canada. It could have happened — and it was so random and so violent.”
Thomas was remarkably composed Wednesday, although he paused at times and his voice trailed off at others.
The Saskatoon chiropractor has done broadcast interviews with CBC’s The National and Sportsnet. His son Evan also excelled at baseball, but chose to pursue hockey.
Thomas said he cherishes the opportunity to tell his son’s story.
A cluster of vehicles were parked outside the Thomas home in the Silverspring neighbourhood on Wednesday. Extended family members have come from as far away as Calgary. Thomas’s brother flew in from Tokyo.
The main floor is running out of space for flowers. On a table next to the living room window stands a photo of Evan skating in his Broncos uniform, along with a package of Kraft Dinner, a football, a pair of dress shoes and a brown belt.
Evan’s remains were cremated Wednesday morning, and the family planned a trip Thursday to the intersection of highways 35 and 335 south of Nipawin. That’s where the Broncos’ bus collided with a transport truck Friday afternoon. Evan was one of 16 people on the bus who died as a result of the crash.
Thomas was about 40 minutes behind the bus, travelling to a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff game in Nipawin. He was being driven by the parents of Nipawin Hawks goalie Declan Hobbs, on whom Evan was going to try to score.
“I think hockey parents in general follow the bus, especially in the playoffs,” Thomas said. “Nobody wants to miss a playoff game.”
The parents’ vehicle had reached Melfort when Hobbs called to tell them the playoff game had been cancelled. The call was placed on Bluetooth, so everyone could hear when Hobbs told them there had been a “horrific bus accident.”
Hobbs broke down when his father told him Thomas was in the car with them.
About six vehicles carrying parents and fans stopped within about 90 metres of the crash scene, Thomas recalled. He and Paul Labelle, father of Broncos defenceman Xavier Labelle, tried to approach the scene, but were turned away by police.
Xavier was originally announced as among the dead, but was later revealed to be alive at Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital.
Thomas said he surveyed the crash scene and knew his son was dead. Having played junior hockey himself, he knew that rookies always sit at the front of the bus.
“My son was a rookie and I knew where he’d be sitting,” Thomas said. “And I saw the front of the bus was gone.” Thomas said he immediately dismissed a police officer’s suggestion at the scene that the semi driver’s vision was obscured by the sun. The bus had the right of way on Highway 35, while the semi would have faced a stop sign with a flashing light.
Any parent who’s ever put their child on a bus, probably realizes that that could have been their son or daughter.
“He went right through that stop sign, didn’t touch the brakes,” Thomas said.
Since the crash, he has heard from nearly every general manager in the Western Hockey League, he said. His friend, Calgary Flames coach Glen Gulutzan, texted him. Thomas said he has been contacted by teams from Ontario, “and all they do is cry.”
When former Chicago Blackhawks and Saskatoon Blades coach Lorne Molleken, who coached Scott Thomas in junior hockey, called him on Saturday, all he heard was sobbing. Thomas said. The two men cried together for about five minutes, barely uttering a word.
“It’s ripped the hearts out of so many people,” Thomas said.
Despite the heartache, he “absolutely” supports the decision to continue with the SJHL playoffs, he added.
“The game of hockey needs to move forward. My child was such a small piece of the big puzzle…
“And so I hope that they proceed as normal — and it won’t be normal, but I hope Estevan and Nipawin have a seven-game series and it comes down to overtime in Game 7, and it’s some of the best hockey that people have ever seen.”