A bus carrying more than two dozen Canadian junior hockey players and their coaches collided with a tractor-trailer late Friday afternoon outside of Tisdale, Saskatchewan, killing at least 15 of the 29 people on board. The Humboldt Broncos were on their way to play a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff game against the Nipawin Hawks, a routine two-hour bus trip familiar to anyone who has played in the Canadian junior hockey circuit.
It's the type of trip many NHL players made themselves as teenagers, chasing their dreams of playing professional hockey, one small town to another.
“It’s terrible,” Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher told reporters Saturday. “It hits home for a lot of people in the hockey community. Regardless of what level you play, you always go on these long bus trips — some of them overnight — and you don’t think of a scenario like that happening.”
MORE: NHL teams honor victims in regular season finales
The crash killed Humboldt head coach Darcy Haugan and team captain Logan Schatz, 20, family members confirmed to the Canadian Press. Royal Canadian Mounted Police has not released names of the other victims killed in the crash. Broncos players ranged in age from 16 to 21, per the team's roster.
NHL teams, coaches and players, many preparing for their final regular season games Saturday, encouraged donations to aid the victims and families affected by the tragedy.
Gallagher said he and each of his Canadiens teammates pledged to a GoFundMe page set up late Friday as news of the incident spread to hockey communities North America. The site, which states all money "will go directly to families to help with any expenses incurred," raised more than $2.2 million as of 9 p.m. ET Saturday.
Elsewhere in the NHL, the Blackhawks and Jets said they would each match a $25,000 donation by the NHL made to the Humboldt hockey club.
The Blackhawks and @NHLJets will honor the Humboldt Broncos by wearing "BRONCOS" on the back of their jerseys in place of name plates tonight. Also, the #Blackhawks will match a $25,000 donation from both the Jets and @NHL to The Humboldt Broncos Hockey Club. #PrayersForHumboldt
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 7, 2018
T-shirts also are for sale by the Nation blog network, with entire proceeds dedicated to the victims.
The Humboldt Broncos charity tee is now live with 100% of the profits going directly to the victims of this horrible tragedy. If this is not for you, please lend a hand by helping us spread the word. Thank you in advance. 💚💛 https://t.co/zORrNfHx6M #HumboldtBroncos pic.twitter.com/QnImjXFZjT
— OilersNation.com (@OilersNation) April 7, 2018
