Remembering the Humboldt Broncos Tragedy on This Day in 2018

On this day in 2018, the hockey world was rocked by a tragedy that shook communities across Canada and beyond.

The bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team collided with a transport truck at a rural intersection near Armley in Saskatchewan, killing sixteen people and injuring thirteen others as the team was travelling to a playoff game. Most of the deceased were players, along with coaches, staff and the bus driver, leaving families and the hockey community in mourning. 

The driver of the truck failed to stop at a flashing stop sign and the collision occurred mid‑intersection, in what became one of the deadliest road accidents in Canada in recent decades. 

The tragedy prompted vigils and tributes across the country and around the world, with people leaving hockey sticks outside their homes and offered condolences and support for the hearts of Humboldt and all the families affected.

The crash moved many Manitobans as well with memorials and moments of silence observed at hockey games and gatherings. At NHL games in Winnipeg and other cities across the province, players and fans honoured the victims with tributes that included wearing Broncos jerseys and pausing to keep the memory of those lost alive.

Manitoba’s law enforcement agencies also drew on the experience after similar tragic crashes, consulting investigators who had learned from the Humboldt crash response to aid families and manage communications with loved ones.

In the years that followed, April 6 has become a day of remembrance. Cities like Humboldt proclaimed tributes to those lost and encouraged moments of silence to honour the victims and recognize the ongoing healing of survivors and families. Today we remember those who died and we think of the families who continue to cope with loss, and the survivors who still carry the physical and emotional scars from that heartbreaking day.