EDMONTON -- The Humboldt Broncos bus crash left many Canadians searching for a way to heal.
"It was really hard," Oil Kings assistant coach Luke Pierce remembers. "Nobody really knew how to react."
The hockey community united in their grief and began giving back by giving blood.
"This is just another way that you can contribute," Pierce said. "It's a physical action and it's something of great need in our country, and it's given people another avenue to deal with tragedy."
In the months that followed, Hockey Gives Blood was formed by a handful of volunteers with a connection to the game and a belief that the community could make a difference.
The non-profit works in partnership with Canadian Blood Services to educate people about the importance of blood and stem cell donations.
"[They] wanted to start something that could be a long-lasting legacy for the families and the victims of that tragedy," Pierce said. He is now a volunteer director with the organization.
The group now includes four National Hockey League teams, the Canadian Hockey League, several university teams, junior players and Canadian celebrities like country music start Chad Brownlee and Letterkenny's Dylan Playfair.
Saving lives has become one of the many life lessons learned in the locker room. And it's capturing the minds of younger donors who can potentially give for decades and join the stem cell registry.
"That is exactly the target audience and demographic that we're looking for," said Sharon Willey with Canadian Blood Services. "That young male, healthy, 17 to 35."
The participation and donations have grown exponentially since Hockey Gives Blood launched in 2018.
They were the corporate partner for Canadian Blood Services' national stem cell campaign in February, and web registrations for males during that month exceeded their goal by 130 per cent.
Through the Player Ambassador program, teams choose a member to help promote the need for blood and to help inspire others to give.
Pierce said players of all ages and their families should feel proud of what the community has accomplished and the awareness it has created.
"Some good has come from this in some odd way," he said.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Erin Isfeld
