Though the Humboldt Broncos weren’t on the ice at Canada's National Junior A Hockey Championships in Chilliwack Saturday, they were in the hearts of the players and fans who paid tribute to the team.
The tournament was one the Humboldt Broncos were trying to qualify for when their team bus collided with a semi-truck in rural Saskatchewan on April 6. The crash left 16 players, coaches and team staff dead.
This year, two teams from Ontario will face off at the RBC Cup. But organizers have made sure the team from Saskatchewan that touched hearts across Canada and around the world was well represented.
The Broncos' green and yellow could be seen on the players' helmets, the boards, the ice and even on the goalies' warm-up jerseys.
"It's incredible to be here and to see our logo," said Kevin Garinger, the Broncos team president. "We're honoured … it's certainly something our boys were pursuing … the opportunity to be here as well."
RBC Cup co-chair Ken Popove knew right away that the Broncos needed to be included in the tournament they were hoping to qualify for.
"I believe the accident happened on a Friday evening and Monday morning the conversations were already starting [about] what can we do," he said.
On Saturday, Popove sported a green shirt that many others in the audience also wore. At the faceoff dot, there was also a green and yellow Humboldt Strong ribbon.
"It's actually embedded into the ice, the actual ribbon," he said.
They also invited the Humboldt team's management for an opening night ceremony where they honoured Darcy Haugan, the Broncos' head coach who died in the crash.
It's a job the team is now looking to fill for the fall season.
"That's something that was hard on all of us, of course," said Garinger. "Because it tells us that things are going to be different. Our organization is going to have a number of new faces and that sort of thing will be extremely hard for us."
But in spite of it all, Garinger wanted everyone to know the Broncos will be back.
"As our boys would say let's get on with hockey and start the process of healing," he said. "Because hockey is healing."
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Shannon Paterson
