Eleven months after atragic accident claimed the lives of many of their players, the Humboldt Broncos hockey team is making a run for the championship.The team, which is part of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in Canada, finished the season in sixth place out of 12 to make it to the league playoffs, according tothe Canadian Press. It’s a significant accomplishment for the Broncos, as the club had to be completely rebuilt in the months following the devastating accident.In April 2018, the team’s bus collided with a tractor-trailer in western Canada’s Saskatchewan province while en route to a playoff game in the town of Nipawin. Of the 29 people who were on the bus at the time of the crash, including team members, coaches, support staff, and the bus driver, 16 were killed — 10 of them being players. Thirteen others were injured. At the time, the team was made up ofplayers aged 16 to 20.According toESPN, defenseman Morgan Gobeil, 19, survived the crash and was recently released from the hospital, though he is unable to walk or talk. Former player Kaleb Dahlgren, who also survived, enrolled in York University and joined their collegiate hockey team.Only two players who survived the accident, Brayden Camrud and Derek Patter, ended up returning to the team, and both would take to the ice for thefirst time since the tragedy in September.Now, they are hoping to rally the team, and their community, to a championship.“The guys came together pretty quickly out of training camp,” Scott Barney, interim head coach of the team, told theCanadian Press. “It seems like they are all playing for each other.”Alternate captain Michael Clarke said the players faced some chemistry issues due to so many new additions to the team, according to the outlet.RELATED VIDEO: 14 Dead After Bus Carrying Junior Hockey Team Crashes in Canada“I don’t think many of us knew what we were getting ourselves into coming into the year,” he said to the Canadian Press. “Just with what happened and with so many new players being on the same team and not playing together, it was a bit of a learning curve.”The driver of the tractor-trailer has pleaded guilty to 29 criminal charges related to the crash, according toBleacher Report. He will be sentenced on March 22.For the first round of the playoffs, the Broncos will face off against the Estevan Bruins on March 15.
Eleven months after atragic accident claimed the lives of many of their players, the Humboldt Broncos hockey team is making a run for the championship.
The team, which is part of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in Canada, finished the season in sixth place out of 12 to make it to the league playoffs, according tothe Canadian Press. It’s a significant accomplishment for the Broncos, as the club had to be completely rebuilt in the months following the devastating accident.
In April 2018, the team’s bus collided with a tractor-trailer in western Canada’s Saskatchewan province while en route to a playoff game in the town of Nipawin. Of the 29 people who were on the bus at the time of the crash, including team members, coaches, support staff, and the bus driver, 16 were killed — 10 of them being players. Thirteen others were injured. At the time, the team was made up ofplayers aged 16 to 20.
According toESPN, defenseman Morgan Gobeil, 19, survived the crash and was recently released from the hospital, though he is unable to walk or talk. Former player Kaleb Dahlgren, who also survived, enrolled in York University and joined their collegiate hockey team.
Only two players who survived the accident, Brayden Camrud and Derek Patter, ended up returning to the team, and both would take to the ice for thefirst time since the tragedy in September.
Now, they are hoping to rally the team, and their community, to a championship.
“The guys came together pretty quickly out of training camp,” Scott Barney, interim head coach of the team, told theCanadian Press. “It seems like they are all playing for each other.”
Alternate captain Michael Clarke said the players faced some chemistry issues due to so many new additions to the team, according to the outlet.
RELATED VIDEO: 14 Dead After Bus Carrying Junior Hockey Team Crashes in Canada
“I don’t think many of us knew what we were getting ourselves into coming into the year,” he said to the Canadian Press. “Just with what happened and with so many new players being on the same team and not playing together, it was a bit of a learning curve.”
The driver of the tractor-trailer has pleaded guilty to 29 criminal charges related to the crash, according toBleacher Report. He will be sentenced on March 22.
For the first round of the playoffs, the Broncos will face off against the Estevan Bruins on March 15.
source: people.com
