Four Edmonton-area Humboldt Broncos players who were killed in a highway crash last week will be remembered at a public vigil at Edmonton’s Rogers Place on April 17, the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) confirmed on Wednesday.
Jaxon Joseph, Logan Hunter, Parker Tobin and Stephen Wack were among the 16 people killed last week when the Broncos’ bus crashed while on the way to Nipiwan, Sask., for a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) playoff game.
A release from the OEG says Tuesday’s family-hosted event will allow friends and family to share memories and celebrate the lives of the “beloved sons, grandsons, brothers, friends and teammates.”
Joseph, the 20-year-old son of former Edmonton Oilers defenceman Chris Joseph, was from Edmonton. He was among the leading scorers in the SJHL playoffs.
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Wack, from St. Albert, previously played in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The 21-year-old had been with the Broncos for the past two seasons.
Hunter, also from St. Albert, played for the St. Albert Raiders for several seasons before joining the Broncos. Joseph and Wack — along with Slave Lake’s Conner Lukan, who also died in the crash — also played for the Raiders.
Tobin, an 18-year-old from Stony Plain, was the Broncos’ goalie.
At first, Tobin was thought to be one of the survivors of the crash but the Saskatoon coroner’s officer later apologized, saying Tobin was accidentally misidentified as Xavier Labelle and that it was actually Tobin who had been killed. On Tuesday, Saskatchewan health officials said Labelle was recovering in hospital.
The event will begin at 1 p.m. and will be open to anyone wanting to come and pay their respects to the players. Attendees will need tickets but the tickets will be for general admission and not assigned seats. Floor seating will be reserved for family and invited guests.
Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Doors will open at noon on April 17 and those wishing to attend are encouraged to come early. There will be no food or beverage service during the event.
In lieu of flowers and sticks, the families are asking for donations to be directed to Stars Air Ambulance.
Ten people involved in the crash remained in hospital as of 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Dayna Brons, an athletic therapist for the team, passed away from her injuries earlier in the afternoon.
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