University of Guelph athlete played for Broncos during 2014-15 season
On the afternoon of Friday, April 6, at an intersection in northern Saskatchewan, a semi-trailer truck collided with the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus. The force of the collision sent both vehicles into the ditch on the other side of the intersection tragically killing 15 of the 29 people on the bus. University of Guelph student and varsity hockey player, Matt Kenney, played for the Humboldt Broncos in the 2014-15 season, and shared his thoughts about the collision with CTV News Kitchener.“[Road trips] are where you get that tight bond. It’s where you make your friends — you’re on that bus, you’re laughing, you’re telling jokes, you’re singing songs with each other,” Kenney said. “It’s just heartbreaking to hear.”
Support has been flooding in from around the world. A GoFundMe page started by a resident of Humboldt has raised over $5 million in two days, which is one of the top five highest-ever GoFundMe campaigns, and is still growing.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to the town on Sunday to attend the remembrance service for the victims, along with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, and Hockey Night in Canada personalities Don Cherry and Ron MacLean.
The team and their families have also received public support from the professional hockey sphere and the NHL, as well as prominent political leaders like Queen Elizabeth and President Donald Trump. Moments of silence were held in hockey arenas all over North America on Saturday night, with players sporting Broncos stickers on their helmets and jerseys. People have also been using #PrayForHumboldt on social media to commemorate the athletes and bring attention to the tragedy.
At the time of writing, the RCMP declined to comment on the cause of the crash, saying that it was too early to comment.
#PrayForHumboldt