THUNDER BAY – As news began to circulate on Friday night that the Humboldt Broncos hockey team had been involved in a deadly bus crash, Josh Laframboise panicked.
The rookie Lakehead Thunderwolves forward was good friends with one of the Broncos, captain Logan Schatz.
The two had played ball hockey together with Team Canada and the former linemates remained close as their hockey careers took them in different directions, Laframboise back to his hometown to play the university game, while Schatz blossomed into the Broncos leading scorer and beloved leader on and off the ice.
Tragically Schatz’s life was cut short on Friday night, along with 14 other members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team’s family, the team bus ripped apart in a violent collision with a tractor trailer while en route to a playoff game against the Nipawin Hawks.
Laframboise, who briefly played in the SJHL in 2013-14, was devastated to learn his friend had died.
“I played ball hockey in the summer with him, played ice hockey with and against him. I was fortunate enough to know him very well. We were close friends. I’ve got a couple of other buddies on the team who are in the hospital right now and we really don’t know what’s going on with them,” a subdued Laframboise said on Saturday.
“You see the pictures on Twitter with the guys holding hands, it’s really moving stuff. I know one of the guys in the picture and I’m glad he’s good. My other buddy, my mom just texted me and told me he’s awake and knows where he is.”
It was a rough first 24 hours.
“I had no idea what was going on,” said Laframboise, who didn’t find out about the crash until about 1 a.m. on Saturday, alerted by a friend in Regina.
“We were waiting to hear what was going on and we got the phone call at about 4 in the morning that it was true that Logan passed. I just thought it was a dream. I couldn’t sleep. I was bawling my eyes out just thinking about all the times that we hung out. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago, just to see how hockey was going.”
Thunderwolves teammate Justin McDonald grew up in Saskatchewan and spent two seasons in the SJHL before landing at Lakehead.
He was in shock after learning of the horrific crash.
“You don’t even have to be from hockey to understand. You’re just expecting to go there and play hockey that night, come home to your bed and unfortunately multiple people never made it back,” McDonald said.
“That trip’s made hundreds of times a year … It’s not a good feeling.”
The Thunder Bay North Stars and Thief River Falls Norskies, fellow members of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, wore Broncos stickers on their helmets and lined the red line together for a moment of silence prior to their Superior International Junior Hockey League playoff game at Fort William Gardens on Saturday night.
North Stars forward Ryan Mignault, who started the season in the SJHL, said just about every hockey player can relate to life on the road.
“It’s just a terrible tragedy. Obviously it hit home with us,” Mignault said.
Thunder Bay coach Rob DeGagne said the hockey world stands together as one in support of the Broncos.
“It’s just a sad situation. Our hearts go out to everybody involved. It’s a nightmare. It really is. Hopefully, God-willing, everything will work out for them. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families right now.”
A GoFundMe account has been set up and raised more than $3.1 million for the players and their families.
