Every year thousands of young athletes across our city, province, country and beyond climb onto buses and head down the highways to their next game.
It is something that is completely ingrained to the point of being as much a part of our sport culture as tensor wraps and hockey pucks.
So when the news broke Friday that a bus filled by the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Humboldt Broncos had been in an accident as they travelled north to play Nipawin in a playoff game, we all collectively held our breaths hoping that the accident was not a serious one.
That sadly was not the case.
As the details began to be released we learned that the accident had been a severe one, bad enough that STARS air ambulance sent three helicopters to the scene to help transport the seriously injured.
Fourteen could not be helped, dead in the accident, and a 15th would die over the weekend.
The province, country and sporting world were shocked and in disbelief. The tragedy for teammates, the SJHL, billets, families and anyone who has ever ridden a team bus was immense. The death and destruction was too close to home for so many of us we could not help but feel the hurt of the situation personally.
But amid the pain, the tears, the fear and the sorrow there was hope we could feel because of the strength of these young men.
Hours after emerging from surgery, Ryan Straschnitzki, one of the seriously injured Broncos, faced with the prospect he will never walk again.
But he has already let it be known he does not see his situation as an end to his hockey career.
The 18-year-old defenceman, who broke his back in the accident has said he wants to get onto the Canadian Olympic sledge hockey team.
Hockey Canada has already come out saying it is ready to help him learn the sport of sledge hockey when the time comes.
And what about the spirit of Logan Boulet who survived just long enough to donate his organs, those going to six patients in need, before he was taken off life support this weekend.
Boulet signed a donor card shortly after his recent 21st birthday and while he was fatally injured in the accident, Boulet remained on life support until the organs could be harvested.
These young men showed the rest of us so much through this horrific event.
And then something equally amazing happened, as the world responded to the incident.
There was an out pouring of support for Humboldt, the Broncos and those most affected by people all around the world.
Hockey teams in far off Sweden held a moment of silence before their game.
The Toronto Maple Leafs added the Broncos logo to their backdrop for a morning press briefing.
The Calgary Flames had a team photo of the Broncos on a screen in their locker room.
The Philadelphia Flyers held a moment of silence for the victims before their game against the New York Rangers.
In Winnipeg, the Jets and the visiting Chicago Black Hawks stood in a circle of solidarity ahead of their game Saturday, the names on the back of their jerseys replaced by the word Broncos.
The National Team of Ukraine put flowers at the Embassy of Canada as a sign to honour the memory of the dead in the accident.
Then there are the words of former Yorkton Terrier Nathan Lutz, who headed into action Monday with Rosetown in the Allan Cup Tournament.
“Today we play our first game of the Allan Cup,” he wrote on Facebook. “It’s hard to think of playing a hockey game in light of the recent events that happened to the Humboldt Broncos hockey organization and everyone affected. But I will be dedicating my play to all those people whose lives were so horribly affected. I will play my heart out for them and it will bleed green and gold!”
And the response expanded beyond the extensive hockey family.
A moment’s silence was held before Texas hosted the Toronto Blue Jays Saturday. Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman had ‘Humboldt Broncos’ on his hat.
Canadian baseball player Joey Votto had the same words on his shoe.
The Saskatchewan Rush remembered the team before its lacrosse game Saturday.
The outpouring of support for those involved rippled on and on through the sport community.
While those hurting the most can hopefully draw some strength from knowing so many care, the outpouring of support has been more tangible as well.
A gofundme page had an initial target of $2 million, a goal quickly met. As of Tuesday morning, the crowdfunding initiative has raised more than $7 million, and is still climbing.
The money again shows the best of the broad support network sport provides. While we mourn the 15 dead, 14 survived, some with massively serious injuries. Those young men will face a long and difficult road in dealing with both their physical injuries and the emotional trauma. The money will at least lighten their financial burden.
So, while we begin to heal as a community, we can take some solace from the fact that in the midst of the chaos and hurt, we have shown some of the best of humanity in our efforts to help those most affected.
