CTV News has confirmed four players with St. Albert ties were among the 15 killed in the crash involving the Humboldt Broncos in northern Saskatchewan late Friday afternoon.
Stephen Wack, 21, Logan Hunter, 18, and Jaxon Joseph, 20, son of former NHLer Chris Joseph, have been confirmed dead by multiple sources.
“It’s almost hard to comprehend how difficult it is with such young lives being lost,” St. Albert mayor Cathy Heron told CTV News.
Slave Lake native Conner Lukan, 21, also lost his life in the crash. He played minor hockey in St. Albert before playing for Jason McKee and the Spruce Grove Saints.
“There’s no words that can help right now,” McKee, now the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, told CTV News. “We’re all going to miss [Lukan], and we’re just going to have to get through this.”
Broncos head coach Darcy Haugan, captain Logan Schatz, 20, player Adam Herold, 16, and team radio announcer Tyler Bieber have also been confirmed to be among the dead in the tragic collision.
There were 29 people on the bus, including the driver.
Teens from Edmonton, Airdrie, and Stony Plain are among the survivors, their parents confirmed on social media.
Derek Grayson and Nick bonding and healing in hospital pic.twitter.com/DzesIoT27B
— R J patter (@rjpatter) April 7, 2018
This is one of the hardest posts I have ever had to make. Parker is stable at the moment and being airlifted to Saskatoon hospital. Thank you all for your kind words and messages. Please continue to pray for his Humboldt family.
— Rhonda Clarke Tobin (@clarketobin) April 7, 2018
Family friends of Leduc’s Tyler Smith told CTV News he’s in intensive care and underwent surgery Saturday.
RCMP said a semi-trailer truck collided with the Humboldt Broncos team bus on Highway 335, approximately 30 kilometres north of Tisdale, at around 5 p.m.
The Broncos were on their way to play Game 5 against the Nipawin Hawks Friday night.
With files from CTVNews.ca and The Canadian Press
