The full Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League schedule might not be out yet, but the Humboldt Broncos are starting to piece together parts of their schedule.
The Broncos announced on June 21 that they would be opening their exhibition schedule in Peace River, the home of late head coach and general manager Darcy Haugan.
The Broncos will play a two-game series, their first games since the April 6 accident, against a pair of Alberta Junior Hockey League clubs, with the Broncos set to take on the Whitecourt Wolverines on Sept. 1 and the Grande Prairie Storm in a matinee on Sept. 2.
“The North Peace Navigators are humbled by the Broncos decision to host the pre-season games in Darcy Haugan’s hometown, where he spent 12 years as Head Coach and started his legacy of developing great athletes and young men of character,” noted the Navigators in a press release.
The two-game series was the idea of the Broncos, with assistant general manager Jason Neville noting he felt it was a great way to honour Haugan.
“He coached and had a ton of success in Peace River and to be able to go up there in the arena he coached in, in front the crowds and people that followed him when he was so successful coaching there, that’s a big piece. It allows them to celebrate Darcy as well.”
Of course, the trip will also be a great chance for the Broncos, with a roster full of new players, to get to know each other before the start of the regular season, noted Neville.
“We’re going to have a lot of quality players that haven’t played together so it’ll just be a great opportunity for coaches and players to start developing the culture we want.”
Just one day later, the Broncos, in partnership with TSN, announced plans for their home opener.
With circumstances surrounding the Broncos’ first game of the year being different than in past seasons, the Broncos’ season opening schedule has been altered, switching from the traditional Saturday-Sunday home-and-home series with the Notre Dame Hounds to a Wednesday-Friday home-and-home with the Nipawin Hawks.
The Broncos first game of the season will come on home ice on Sept. 12, with the game broadcast live on TSN and CTV Saskatchewan.
“We recognize that our Humboldt Broncos community extends far beyond the borders of Humboldt. In gaining the wonderful support to broadcast our opening game of the 2018-19 season, we will be able to ensure that the rest of Saskatchewan and Canada are also able to continue their healing journey with us. We thank TSN, and are humbled by their willingness to support our needs and the needs of our nation,” noted Broncos president Kevin Garinger in a release.
The TSN broadcast will open with an hour-long pre-game show, which will be used to honour those lost and affected by the April 6 tragedy.
“We are incredibly honoured to partner with the Broncos and SJHL to bring this game to Canadians, as we continue to support the team, the community, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” said Mark Milliere, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, TSN in a press release. “We have and will continue to tell these important stories with the upmost respect as the healing process continues.”
TSN also announced plans to release a documentary in the fall as part of their TSN Originals series, which will “honour those who lost their lives and the process of moving forward for those left behind.” TSN has already begun work on the documentary, which began with exclusive access to the Broncos’ spring camp in Saskatoon last month.
