Canadian town mourns 15 deaths

A hockey arena became the epicenter of grief for a small Canadian town on Sunday as friends, relatives and those who housed members of a youth hockey team gathered to mourn 15 people killed when a semitrailer slammed into the team bus. Fourteen were also injured, some critically, in a collision that left a country, its national sport and the hockey-obsessed town of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, reeling. The bus had 29 passengers, including the driver, when it crashed about 5 p.m. Friday on Highway 35, police said. Among the dead are Broncos head coach Darcy Haugan and team captain Logan Schatz. Residents of this 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 macaroni and cheese dinner box, which was a favorite meal of deceased forward Evan Thomas. While most of the players were from elsewhere in western Canada, they were put up by families in the small town of Humboldt. Dennis Locke, his wife and three young children came to the arena to hang posters of forward Jaxon Joseph, who is the son of former NHL player Chris Joseph. The Locke family housed Joseph and treated him like a son. “Best person ever,” Locke said. “Down to earth, loved playing with the kids.” A vigil was scheduled on the hockey team’s home ice Sunday night. “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.