A NATION IN MOURNING
The Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy
HUMBOLDT, SASK. — Family and friends of 15 lives lost in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash shared more stories Sunday of tears, fond memories, and unbreakable bonds forged by a love of hockey.
While a vigil was set for Sunday night at the Broncos’ home arena, more names were confirmed of those killed Friday at an east-central Saskatchewan highway intersection in a collision with a tractor-trailer.
Broncos defencemen Adam Herold and Xavier Labelle, forwards Evan Thomas and Conner Lukan and assistant coach Mark Cross were confirmed as being among the dead. So was bus driver Glen Doerksen and statistics keeper Brody Hinz.
Scott Thomas remembered his 18-year-old son as a strong athlete — playing both hockey and baseball — and a good student. But he was a teammate first.
“He liked sports, but at times I think he tolerated sports so he could be a teammate. He just loved being a teammate. He loved his teammates and I think that was more important to him than the actual sport he was playing. He loved those boys. He really loved those boys.”
Thomas said that before Christmas he spoke with the team’s head coach, Darcy Haugan, who was also killed in the crash, about whether there would be any trades for the second half of the season.
“Darcy just said, ‘You know, Scott, there’s something about this group of kids that’s special,’ ” he recalled. “He didn’t want to make any changes because they are such a great group of kids.”
The Broncos’ president says the hockey team will do everything in its power to get back on the ice in the future. Kevin Garinger said Sunday that while the junior hockey team’s season is over, the organization wants to ensure the crash does not mark the end of the franchise.
Assistant coach Chris Beaudry was driving his own vehicle to the game the night of the crash.
He described Coach Cross as one of the happiest people he’s ever met. Cross was from Strasbourg, Sask., where he played hockey before joining the Broncos’ coaching staff: “He was a beautiful guy to be around.”
Hinz was 18. Golden West Radio said in a statement that he was being mentored by Tyler Bieber, the team’s play-by-play announcer, who was also killed in the crash. Another company statement described Hinz as an intern still in high school.
“Tragedy has hit our community and it reaches into every corner of life in Humboldt,” Lyndon Frieson, president of Golden West Radio, said in a statement posted on the station’s website.
The manager of Herold’s previous team, the Regina Pat Canadians, confirmed his death. The defenceman would have turned 17 on Thursday.
John Smith said Herold played for the Canadians until just a few weeks ago and, when their season wrapped up, he was sent to the Broncos for their playoff round.
Labelle, 18, was confirmed dead by his brother, Isaac Labelle, in an Instagram post.
“I have no words to describe what I’m feeling. Best friends, teammates, allies, brothers. We’ve been through so much together. We had a special bond from the day you were born.”
Doerksen’s employer, Charlie’s Charters, posted about the driver’s death on Facebook. Another team he drove for, the Kinistino Tigers, also issued a statement.
“In talking to him, he spoke at length of his time in rinks with his own family, and now how much he enjoyed being able to take and watch other teams from minor to senior to SJHL to their hockey games,” a spokesperson for the Tigers wrote on Facebook. “We will never forget the smile on your face as we left Allan after winning the Championship and got you to give two honks for the Cup,’ ” they wrote.
The names of the dead and injured have not been released by police, but most have been confirmed by family members and others. The others killed include the team’s captain Logan Schatz, defenceman Stephen Wack and forwards Jaxon Joseph and Logan Hunter. One player has been released from hospital.
Team president Kevin Garinger said the hockey team will do everything in its power to get back on the ice in the future. He said more than $3 million has been raised since the crash and the money will go to the survivors and the families of the deceased. The intersection in east-central Saskatchewan where the crash happened reopened to traffic shortly before noon on Sunday.
While the wreckage was gone, there were still playing cards and a broken DVD of the movie “Slap Shot” scattered in the ditch.
Pews were packed Sunday morning at the St. Augustine Catholic Church in Humboldt, where Rev. Joseph Salish told parishioners that if they feel like crying, they should.
“Our lives will never be the same again,” he said.
A vigil was scheduled for 7 p.m. local time at the Broncos’ home arena.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe were expected to attend.