I'm in tears much of today. A hockey team from Humboldt Saskatchewan was in an accident last night, and 15 people, most of them young teen hockey players died, and another 14 are in the hospital, some never to play the game again.
When I was in another life I was a newspaper reporter in Saskatchewan, and I covered the games from that team. I actually made one bus trip with our team. The distances in Saskatchewan are huge, and players ride the buses for up to seven hours going from one town to another, sometimes a route that takes them to several different cities at a time. This is the first major accident since the 80s, when four players died in Swift Current, also in Saskatchewan. This accident was far worse.
Most of these boys were from out of town, so they had two sets a parents. Their natural parents in the distant city, and billet parents in Humboldt, who volunteer to look after the boys, rooming and feeding them, and getting as close to them as real parents. Two families to grieve over each of the boys. Two sets of friends. Two sets of classmates.
There are less than 6000 people in Humboldt, with a surrounding area of wheat farms. Over 2000 of them would be fans, at least in the playoffs.
The entire town will be grieving. Perhaps the whole country is grieving. I know I am. Over a dozen young players struck down in the prime of their lives, all with their dreams of pro hockey careers gone (that league is probably the lowest one that a young man can go through and still make it to the pros).
I must go and cry some more. Just writing this has been hard.
Dawn
Comments
Family and community
This story hit hard around the world. For me it brought back the day we lost the crew of of a local lifeboat on the south coast of England so my thoughts and tears have been with your community in Canada.
Rhona McCloud
I would
I would like to add my own condolences to your town, the loss of several people on a crew I headed in another life and career came roiling back to me when I read about your boys. I am saddened to see that it happened and feel grief for their families both blood and non blood parents.
Charlotte Van Goethem
opinor ergo sum
Charlotte Van Goethem
been crying about this too
I went on a bus trip with a basketball team back when I was in high school, so I could picture what those kids were feeling and doing just before the crash.
sighs ...
Minor League Hockey
My roommate in college and a young man I coached in soccer both played minor league hockey in Canada. A lot of young men from Minnesota go that route to try to find their way to the NHL. It is sad when any young person is struck down before they experience what life has to offer. My condolences.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Tragic
Reminds me of the plane crash that took out much of the Red Army Choir. My hobby may be music rather than hockey, but that doesn’t blind me to the magnitude of such tragedy as that was and this is. Indeed, the reality that these hockey players were both teens and civilians makes it all the more tragic. Not to mention it being far closer to home.
May they Rest In Peace.
Dona eis requiem.
Pour ils, je souhaite seulment paix.