Junior hockey returns to Humboldt
Broncos don’t score a win, but it was a night those in attendance won’t forget
HUMBOLDT The past, present and future were intertwined for the Humboldt Broncos here Wednesday night.
While paying respects to their fallen colleagues from this past season, the Broncos forged ahead by opening the new Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season against the visiting Nipawin Hawks at Elgar Petersen Arena.
With a new season upon them, the new-look Broncos have no choice but to move forward.
They’ll have to wait for their first victory of the regular season, however, after a 2-1 setback to the reigning SJHL champion Hawks.
“We played a pretty good game for the first one as a group,” firstyear Broncos head coach and general manager Nathan Oystrick said during a post-game conference.
“It’s a step forward. Now we keep building on that.”
The Broncos — 10-time SJHL and two-time national champions — are back for another junior A hockey campaign after a devastating team bus crash that killed 16 people on April 6.
“It was an emotional game,” Oystrick said. “It was nice to see the community behind us and the building packed. We had a really good first period. The second period, we had some tough times but, all in all, I thought it was a really good game.”
A pre-game ceremony introduced the new-edition Broncos as well as the surviving players from the bus crash.
Of the 13 survivors, 10 attended Wednesday’s game.
Xavier Labelle, Graysen Cameron, Matthieu Gomercic, Bryce Fiske, Kaleb Dahlgren, Tyler Smith, Nick Shumlanski and paralyzed goalie Jacob Wassermann joined on-ice players Brayden Camrud and Derek Patter prior to the opening faceoff.
Two surviving players, Layne Matechuk and Morgan Gobeil, remain hospitalized and were unable to attend along with paralyzed Ryan Straschnitzki.
A capacity crowd paid tribute to those who died with a minute of silence following the player introductions.
The pre-game faceoff ceremony broke tradition by having the two Broncos assistant captains and crash survivors, Camrud and Patter, face off, with Smith dropping the puck with his teammates at his side.
Then, to start the game, Camrud and Patter were joined by Humboldt native Reagan Poncelet, who saw action in 21 games with the Broncos last season.
“Obviously, we started Camrud, Patter and Poncelet for a reason — they deserved it and they earned it,” Oystrick said.
“I thought the first shift for every line went really well.”
Head coach Darcy Haugan, assistant coach Mark Cross, athletic therapist Dayna Brons, volunteer statistician Brody Hinz, radio playby-play announcer Tyler Bieber and bus driver Glen Doerksen all perished as a result of the crash along with players Logan Schatz, who was the team captain, Conner Lukan, Jaxon Joseph, Logan Hunter, Stephen Wack, Logan Boulet, Evan Thomas, Jacob Leicht, Adam Herold and Parker Tobin.
Brons died in hospital five days after the crash.
The Broncos were on their way to Nipawin for a SJHL semifinal playoff game when the team bus collided with a semi-trailer unit.
A post-game banner ceremony was held to honour the 29 passengers of the Broncos team bus on April 6.
All the numbers of players from that team will be retired and never worn again by the Broncos. BRONCOS SCORE FIRST
Humboldt opened the scoring at 2:08 in the second period on the power play, with a two-man advantage, when newcomer Michael Clarke, an assistant captain, finished off a backdoor play on a pass from Owen Guenter.
Nipawin answered back on a goal by rookie Cole Beamin, a Saskatoon Contacts product, during a delayed penalty call with 5:22 left in the second period. The Hawks went ahead when Jeremy Bisson scored with 1:53 remaining in the second.
“I think we lost the game in the last five minutes there,” Oystrick said.
The Broncos had the first quality scoring chance just 2:18 into the game but Jackson Kobelka was denied, point blank, by Nipawin goalie Declan Hobbs.
At the other end, Humboldt goalie Dane Dow stopped Jake Tremblay on a partial breakaway.
Dow faced a flurry of chances midway in the middle frame and Hobbs denied Byrson Cecconi on a breakaway before the Hawks tallied back-to-back goals.
Both goalies came up big in the third period with numerous saves on good scoring chances.
“We battled through it and I thought the guys did a really good job,” Oystrick said.
“Once the puck drops, the guys know what they have to do.”
Humboldt out-shot Nipawin 4026 as Hobbs, a Saskatoon product, made 39 saves for the win.
Three stars were 1) Camrud, 2) Patter and 3) Dow.
It was an emotional game. It was nice to see the community behind us and the building packed.