A Victoria, B.C. man is auctioning off a valuable piece of hockey memorabilia and donating the proceeds to Humboldt Broncos families affected by a tragic bus crash in Saskatchewan.
Rod Hurst is offering the seat from the original 1928 Boston Garden arena that's been lovingly restored and autographed by 42 players over the years. He's donating the proceeds to an online fundraising campaign to help victims and their families.
"It touched my heart, what's going on [in Humboldt]," he told CTV News. "I remember going to [my kids'] sporting events. You don't think about that kind of thing until you see something like this happen."
On Friday, a transport truck collided with a bus that was carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team to a playoff game in Saskatchewan. Fifteen people died, and 14 more were injured.
"I wish I could do more for them than give them money," Hurst said. "It'd be nicer if we could bring those boys back."
But he understands money can help as families take time off work to help their injured or grieving loved ones.
Hurst has worked as a long-haul mover for 40 years, and he got the autographed seat and back of the chair from a friend in Calgary. He went online to source other Boston Gardens parts and put it together himself. He said it comes with a Certificate of Authenticity that the autographs were collected in person.
"You can find [seats] for $1,600 on eBay, but good luck finding one that's autographed," he said.
On Sunday afternoon, the highest bid for the chair was $5,600 from a Saskatchewan man who lives an hour from Humboldt and has hosted Broncos billet players before.
"I'm kind of hoping he gets it," Hurst said. "I told him I'd deliver it in person."
The auction for the seat will close at midnight Sunday night.
Hurst has spent his fair share of weekends travelling to sporting events and following his kids to theirs. Like many Canadians, the Saskatchewan crash has impacted him deeply.
"I remember when I was younger and I played soccer. My dad made a big deal about me going to this tournament in Portland," he said. "I couldn't understand why. But now I do."
