Humboldt Broncos bus crash: Several Alberta players on hockey roster
Ten players on the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team roster call Alberta home. The team’s bus was involved in a horrific crash with a semi-truck on Friday in Saskatchewan.
Fourteen people were killed in the crash on Highway 35, according to the RCMP.
Fifteen others were injured — three were in critical condition. RCMP have not released the names of those involved, nor specified whether they are coaches, players or drivers.
READ MORE: 14 dead, 15 injured after Saskatchewan junior hockey team’s bus collides with semi-truck
RCMP said 29 people were on the bus at the time of the crash, including the driver.
Ten players from Alberta are listed on the Broncos’ roster.
A photo showing three players lying in side-by-side hospital beds, holding hands was shared on Twitter by RJ Patter early Saturday. He’s the father of Derek Patter, a Broncos player from Edmonton.
“Derek, Grayson and Nick bonding and healing in hospital,” RJ wrote.
Graysen Cameron of Olds, Alta. and Nick Shumlanski of Tisdale, Sask. are listed on the team’s roster.
Maple Leafs’ Mike Babcock emotionally reacts to Humboldt Broncos crash
The head coach of the Broncos, Darcy Haugan, is among the dead.
His wife Christina George-Haugan confirmed his death to The Canadian Press.
READ MORE: Humboldt Broncos team captain among 14 killed in fatal Saskatchewan crash
Mike Fosty worked with Haugan for 10 years as part of the North Peace Navigators before Haugan took a position with the Broncos.
“He was a terrific mentor to the young men who went through our program. He is just one of those character type of guys you find in the hockey world.”
Fosty called Haugan a “straight shooter” who made great things happen for the teams he worked with.
“He was very successful here. In 12 years as head coach and GM, he directed the organization to a league championship 10 times, won five league titles, directed the team to eight provincial tournaments, won three bronze, one silver.”
Fosty said he’s been talking with other members of the Alberta hockey community about Haugan and the impact he had.
“The outpouring of support for this man is just tremendous … We became very close friends. I thank him for what he brought to my coaching, what he’s taught me.
“My heart is truly, truly broken right now and I truly feel for Darcy’s family right now.”
Broncos president Kevin Garinger says the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team includes players from Edmonton, Slave Lake and Airdrie in Alberta, and from Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Garinger said the Broncos are a close-knit team from the small city of about 6,000 people 110 kilometres east of Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior ‘A’ hockey league under Hockey Canada, which is part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. It’s open to North American-born players between the age of 16 and 20.
The Humboldt Broncos hockey team is scheduled to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Uniplex in Humboldt.
— With files from Global’s Phil Heidenreich and Marney Blunt and The Canadian Press