Second teen from Renfrew hockey team dies after crash
A second teenager has died after a single-car crash outside Renfrew early Friday and another “has the game of his life to battle,” according to his hockey team.
The Renfrew Timberwolves of the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2 confirmed in an email Saturday that Alex Paquette had died.
Four 18-year-old men, all players on the Renfrew team, which cancelled its weekend games, were involved in the crash.
Brandon Thomas Hanniman of Admaston Bromley Township was pronounced dead at the scene. An air ambulance took one man to hospital and paramedics transported two men.
The team said in a statement that Ben Scheuneman, one of the other two players involved in the crash, remained in intensive care.
It said Jake McGrimmon had serious injuries and was waiting for surgery. “He too has a tough road ahead but we are hopeful for his full recovery,” the team said.
Condolences from friends, neighbours, the league and other area junior hockey teams continued to stream in on social media on the weekend.
“Sending heart warmed condolences to the family and friends of Alex Paquette & the @RenfrewJRWolves. #RIP #WolfPackStrong,” the league wrote on Twitter after news broke that Paquette had also died.
“We appreciate everyone’s concern and are doing our best to stay strong and united as a team,” the Timberwolves said.
On Saturday, the team, saying, “Players, coaches, family and friends are devastated,” shared memories of the two young men who died.
Hanniman, who was known as “Hanny” on the team, was “a cowboy at heart with his boot and hat, a true Ontario farmer and proud of it.” He played in the Renfrew minor hockey system his entire life, according to the team, which said he had a “contagious smile.”
The team nicknamed Paquette “Package” and at least one hockey dad thought it was because the teen was the complete package on the ice. He was a “firecracker” on the ice, according to the team, which also described Paquette as “a strong, kind, compassionate and caring kid off the ice.”
This was Paquette’s third season with the Timberwolves. His older brother, Nynch, also plays on the team.
According to Renfrew County OPP, a motorist called 911 just after midnight after discovering the crash scene on Calabogie Road, about two kilometres southwest of Burnstown, which is southeast of Renfrew.
Police said several occupants had been ejected from the 2006 car, which left the road and struck a rock cut. It was not immediately clear who had been driving or what had caused the crash.
The Ontario coroner’s office is leading the investigation with the OPP. Police want to talk to any witnesses or anyone who spoke to the young men earlier in the evening before the crash. They can be reached at 1-888-310-1122.