Ex-Jays ace killed in plane crash
HOLIDAY, Fla. (AP) — Roy Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who pitched a perfect game and a playoff no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies, died Tuesday when his private plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. He was 40. Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said during a news conference that Halladay’s ICON A5 went down around noon off the coast of Florida. The sheriff’s office marine unit responded and found Halladay’s body in shallow water near some mangroves. No survivors were found.
Police said they couldn’t confirm if there were additional passengers on the plane or say where it was headed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Halladay, who retired after the 2013 season, was an amateur pilot who often posted on social media about small planes.
“I have dreamed about owning a A5 since I retired! Real life is better then my dreams!!” Halladay tweeted on Oct. 13.
Icon aircraft had posted a video with Halladay trying out a new plane. — see ‘HEART, page 10
“We are very excited for Liam and his commitment to Colgate University,” said Spruce Kings head coach Adam Maglio in a media release. “Liam is a dedicated student of the game and has developed into a very good 200foot defenceman who competes extremely hard every night.”
Watson-Brawn has appeared in 87 games over three seasons with the Kings. During his tenure with the team, which included an eightgame stint in 2015-16, he has recorded six goals and 25 points. He has made a substantial offensive jump this season, as he already has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 22 contests. With three more points, he will better his production from all of last season.
Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes called Watson-Brawn “a very dedicated young man” who is always striving to improve.
“He has been a very dependable player for us since joining our team to start last season,” Hawes said. “He will continue to work hard to develop his game with us to prepare himself for NCAA hockey with a great program at Colgate.”
The six-foot, 180-pound Watson-Brawn hails from Vancouver.
The Spruce Kings (10-7-2-3, third in the BCHL’s Mainland Division) have a tough weekend coming up with three road games in three days. They’ll be in Trail on Friday, Wenatchee on Saturday and West Kelowna on Sunday.