People flocked to the community arena in Allan, Sask., on Saturday, but not for a hockey game.
Former local and Humboldt Bronco Logan Schatz was honoured at the community hockey rink, where its new name was unveiled as the Logan Schatz Memorial Arena.
The rink is the one Logan used growing up. It means a lot to his parents for this to be where his legacy lives on and is backed by the town of 600.
“It’s where he started playing. This is where he ends his playing (career) in that aspect. The town has been great to us with the funeral and everything, offering support. It’s just kind of fitting,” said Logan’s father, Kelly Schatz.
The idea to rename the rink came to Allan Mayor Les Alm shortly after the crash and has been in motion since last fall.
“I went the day after the crash. I went to Bonnie and Kelly’s to pay my respects and said that eventually, we needed as a community to do something to support their family,” said Alm.
Logan’s father says he knew from the first time Logan stepped onto the ice at a young age that we would excel in hockey.
“He was a very natural skater when he first started and if you are a good skater you can usually play a pretty good level of hockey,” said Schatz.
Logan was a natural leader. He was named the captain of the Broncos at age eighteen — a rare accomplishment, something his parents weren’t surprised by.
“Even when he was younger, he was a captain of every hockey team he was on. It wasn’t me picking it, it was the other coaches picking who would be the best one. He was a natural leader,” said Schatz.
The new signs and Logan memorials around the rink will serve as reminders for later generations as to who Logan Schatz was and what he meant to the Allan community.
“The next generation and future generations will know about Logan and remember him (forever),” said Alm.