Kemptville 73s GM Terry Nichols says it’s almost impossible to think about what happened to the Humboldt Broncos this weekend without getting tears in your eyes.
According to Nichols he was at the arena with a number of teams for a league run camp when the news broke and it caused silence throughout the rink. Nichols believes the pain from this incident will go much further than many would think. He says the team is a family and they’ll all feel the loss, but there are also billeting families and fans that will be deeply affected.
According to Nichols minor hockey staff are entrusted by parents to take great care of their children and they take the responsibility very seriously. He says he’d rather cancel a game than have something like this happen, so they’re very careful when sending their team onto the road. He adds that parents often put their children onto the bus before a game thinking how much safer they’d be riding with their team.
Nichols finished by saying there has been discussion amongst league officials about a formal tribute but since the wounds are so fresh they don’t want to intrude on the grieving in process. The league is going to do something but what, and when, has not be finalized yet.