South Shore Lumberjacks right winger McKullen Astill was just returning home from his playoff game against Yarmouth last Friday when he received a text from his friend.
The 19-year-old says it was news he couldn’t have imagined.
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A bus carrying 29 people from his former team, the Humboldt Broncos in Saskatchewan, had collided with a semi-truck while en route to a playoff game. Fifteen people died in that crash, including young hockey players and their coach.
“I was in shock. I didn’t really believe it happened at first,” Astill said. “We ride the buses all the time so you never think something like this is going to happen.”
Astill, who was born in Edmonton but grew up in Norway, played eight games with the Broncos this season. He was traded just this past January and is currently playing with the South Shore Lumberjacks Junior-A team based in Bridgewater.
He recalls spending countless hours with his Broncos teammates — often times on that team bus.
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“They were brothers to me and I knew them extremely well that month that I spent with them,” he said.
“Any teammate you have, you’re together all the time. We spent hours on that exact same bus, in the dressing room. It really hit me hard.”
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Astill says he believes the accident has resonated with people across the country — especially parents — because hockey is such a beloved pastime.
“Kids grow up playing sports. Almost every kid does. And once you get to a high enough level, you travel on the bus to all your games, so I think a lot of parents can relate to it,” he said.
“It could happen to anyone at any time. You never know when it’s going to happen.”
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Astill says he’s been honouring his former team by marking his hockey sticks with the initials “HB.”
He admits the tragedy is not far from his mind at any point. “I’m just sending all my prayers and thoughts to my past teammates and their families and friends, hoping that everyone will stay strong and stick together through this tough time,” he said.
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