It’s the rink that Logan Boulet loved — one that saw him play for the U15 Lethbridge Hurricanes and one that now holds a meaning deeper than just hockey.
Families wearing green gathered at his namesake arena to highlight the importance of organ donation.
“To be able to share the message about organ donation and transplantation at Logan’s arena, it means a lot,” said Bernie Boulet.
Bernie and Toby Boulet lost their son in the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018, which took the lives of 16 people.
Logan had registered to become a donor weeks before the crash, and his donated organs saved six lives. Since then, his story has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to register as organ donors in a movement called the “Logan Boulet Effect.”
“Even if you just register, it gives hope to people that are waiting,” said Bernie.
Canadian Blood Services estimates that each year, more than 250 Canadians die while waiting for an organ. Right now, around 4,400 Canadians await that call.
“It was actually life saving,” said Kaidyn Fortin, an organ transplant recipient.
At just two-years-old, Kaidyn needed a kidney after a complication of infection with E. coli. His mother, Elicia Fortin gifted one of her own.
“He was plugged into a wall, on life support, couldn’t live without it, three days a week. There’s a lot of dietary restrictions,” said Elicia. “When he got the kidney, it was like a brand new life.”
Now eight-years-old, Kaidyn is playing hockey and gets to enjoy a healthy life.
This hockey game between Logan’s old team, the U15 Lethbridge Hurricanes, and the Taber Golden Suns is a precursor to April 7, the anniversary of Logan Boulet’s death — a day now known as Green Shirt Day in Canada.
The day honors the victims and families of the fatal crash and inspires Canadians to keep the conversation going and register as organ donors.