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Humboldt Broncos: 14 Dead in Tragic Crash

By Phyllis Hunter |
The Nipawin Hospital is viewed on April 7, 2018 after a bus carrying a junior ice hockey team collided with a semi-trailer truck near Tisdale and Nipawin, Saskatchewan province, killing 14 people.Hockey-mad Canada was in mourning on Saturday after a bus carrying a junior ice hockey team collided with a semi-trailer truck in Saskatchewan province, killing 14 people.In a country where love of the sport is almost a religion, the crash sparked an outpouring of grief among players and fans on social media, while national political leaders expressed their sympathies.'We can now confirm 14 people have died as a result of this collision,' the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement, which did not say how many of the victims were players or coaches of the Humboldt Broncos team. / AFP PHOTO / Kymber RAE (Photo credit should read KYMBER RAE/AFP/Getty Images)
The Nipawin Hospital is viewed on April 7, 2018 after a bus carrying a junior ice hockey team collided with a semi-trailer truck near Tisdale and Nipawin, Saskatchewan province, killing 14 people.Hockey-mad Canada was in mourning on Saturday after a bus carrying a junior ice hockey team collided with a semi-trailer truck in Saskatchewan province, killing 14 people.In a country where love of the sport is almost a religion, the crash sparked an outpouring of grief among players and fans on social media, while national political leaders expressed their sympathies.'We can now confirm 14 people have died as a result of this collision,' the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement, which did not say how many of the victims were players or coaches of the Humboldt Broncos team. / AFP PHOTO / Kymber RAE (Photo credit should read KYMBER RAE/AFP/Getty Images)

In a deadly crash, the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior League have suffered great losses

The  NHL playoffs start in less than a week, and my team, the Philadelphia Flyers can clinch today. I should be writing about them. But today, my heart is with a Saskatchewan Junior League Team, the Humboldt Broncos.

Here’s how it happened. The Broncos team bus was carrying 29 people, including players and coaches, to a playoff game in Nipawin. A tractor-trailer hit the team bus on Highway 35 north of Tisdale at approximately 5 p.m. ET on April 6, 2018.

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While specifics were not made available, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed that there were 14 fatalities. As of the 1 p.m. ET press conference, it has been confirmed Head Coach Darcy Haugan and radio station personality Tyler Bieber are among the fatalities.

14 others were taken to local hospitals, with three of those injuries being reported as critical. It was not clear if the driver of the tractor-trailer was included in the reported injuries. Nor is it clear who the other casualties are.

14 families have lost a son, a brother, maybe a father. As I prepare to watch the most important game of the Flyers season, 14 families are preparing for funerals now. They are saying goodbye, not to a season, but to a child.

14 other families now must deal with injuries that may end promising careers. Young men who were at the top of their game just a few short hours ago are now bruised and broken. Hospital beds and bandages now replace hockey sticks and jerseys.

The Broncos trailed the Nipawin Hawks three games to one. The two teams had played a triple overtime game in Humboldt on Wednesday, with Nipawin winning 6-5. Friday’s game was canceled. There was no immediate word on the game being rescheduled.

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The Humboldt Broncos entered the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in 1970. The team has won numerous regional championships, as well as two Royal Bank Cups. As this situation develops, we’ll be sure to keep you updated here at Puck Prose.

If you’d like to donate to help the victims, here’s a link to a Gofundme.

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