Saturday, April 7, 2018

Too Young

After I had made my post yesterday, we, as a province learned some heart rending news. A junior A hockey team bus had been involved in an accident, there were fatalities, and serious injuries needing our air ambulance services.

I woke up to learn this morning that 13 boys ranging in age from 17 to 20, their head coach and the play by play announcer were dead. Four more were in critical life threatening condition, and the remaining 11 had injuries ranging from paralysis to a few broken bones. Later today we learned of another death.

This has devestated communities across the prairies. When you reach this level of hockey, you move around in order to play. Our junior A team here in Estevan is made up of not only players from around here and our province, but from Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, and the United States.

Our boys grew up playing hockey in the winter. Hey, we live in Canada and I think it is expected. While neither of them played A hockey, travel in the winter was just something we did. I can not remember a game being canceled because of the weather or the road conditions. Hardy prairie folk like us just hopped in their cars and drove. We did travel together so we could help one another out, I do remember stopping to pull someone out of the ditch that and taking another boy to the rink when his mother hit a deer and needed to wait for the RCMP.  Back in the day every small town and village had a hockey team or 4. Travel was a way of hockey life, something you just did.

Now I shudder to think of the miles we put on every winter and am so grateful that nothing happened.

My thoughts an prayers are with the Humboldt Broncos management, the families of those boys who have died or been injured.

4 comments:

  1. Oh Jackie isn’t it just devastating. We in Manitoba feel it hard also. All of our kids 2 boys 1 girl all grew up playing hockey. Driving to games was just the norm. My cousin lives in Humbolt and knows all the families/billet families involved. I am so thankful for all the support they are getting. They will need support for a long time to come. So, so sad.

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    1. Today it was announced that everyone will get the support they need for as long as it is needed.

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  2. I thought of you and the people affected from your province when I heard this news. So sorry for the incredibly sad loss of talented young people. Thinking about their families at this very sad time.

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  3. That accident was a heart-wrenching event. Many teams are in the middle of season play-offs and the conversation recently involved the travel through all kinds of weather and road conditions.

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