Athletes’ deaths in crash devastate tight-knit town

HUMBOLDT, Saskatchewan — A hockey arena became the epicenter of grief for a small Canadian town on Sunday, as friends and relatives gathered to mourn 15 people killed after a semitrailer slammed into a bus carrying a youth hockey team.

Fourteen were also injured, some critically, in a collision Friday night that left a country, its national sport and the hockey-obsessed town of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, reeling.

Residents of the town of fewer than 6,000 have been leaving flowers, team jerseys and personal tributes on the steps of the arena’s entrance, forming a makeshift memorial. One tribute included a Kraft dinner box, which was a favorite meal of deceased forward Evan Thomas.

Canadians have become mourners as they have learned more about the identities of the deceased on the bus that was driving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team to a playoff game Friday against the Nipawin Hawks.

Not all the victims have been identified, but family members and others have named several: team captain Logan Schatz; Jaxon Joseph, who is the son of former NHL player Chris Joseph; Logan Hunter; Stephen Wack; Adam Herold; Xavier Labelle; bus driver Glen Doerksen; stats keeper Brody Hinz; Broncos head coach Darcy Haugan; and radio announcer Tyler Bieber.

“We’re devastated,” said hockey club Vice President Randolph MacLEAN. “At the center of this, we have 15 souls who’ll never go home again. We have 29 lives that will never be the same.”

Canadian police said the truck driver, who was not hurt, was initially detained but has since been released and provided with mental health assistance.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Curtis Zablocki said it’s too early to state a cause for the crash. Police said a lot of issues have to be investigated, including weather conditions at the time and any mechanical issues with the vehicles.

The Broncos are a closeknit team whose members dyed their hair blond for the playoffs. While most of the players were from elsewhere in western Canada, they were put up by families in Humboldt.

“We’re all hurting,” said hockey arena cook Diane Sawatzky. “We’ve become like a family.”

Humboldt Mayor Rob Muench, wearing a Broncos jersey, hugged people as they came to the Elger Petersen Arena to comfort each other.

“It’s overwhelming. It’s been tough on everybody,” Muench said. “Some of those kids have been on the team for a number of years. A lot grew up in the community, and everybody knows each other.”