An Alberta junior hockey crew returned to the ice on Sunday evening for the primary time because the lack of their teammates in a deadly collision on Feb. 2.
The Southern Alberta Mustangs hosted a memorial recreation in opposition to the Stavely Spurs Alumni crew in honour of JJ Wright and Cameron Casorso, each 18, from Kamloops, B.C., and Caden Positive, 17, from Alabama.
The three hockey gamers had been on their solution to observe final Monday morning when the car they had been travelling in collided with a semi-truck pulling gravel on the intersection of Freeway 2 and fifty fifth Avenue, the north entrance of Stavely. The three youngsters died on scene.
“We honour our boys by doing what they beloved, and earlier than we even requested the query, our gamers had been begging to return on the ice,” Mustangs proprietor Lisa Could mentioned.
“That is going to be a tough one for them, however an important to me is that I must get them on the ice as a result of if I don’t, my concern is that they’ll by no means return on the ice.”
The memorial recreation was the primary of a number of fundraisers to be held in honour of the gamers, with proceeds going in the direction of the price of funerals and help for his or her teammates and households.
“We’re going to be travelling to all of the funerals, together with Alabama,” Could mentioned. “We can be holding our memorial right here, so protecting the associated fee for that. And ensuring our gamers get time to grieve, in addition to not having to fret about paying their charges subsequent season.”
Forward of Sunday evening’s recreation, the Mustangs mirrored fondly upon the kids, sharing some perception into their very completely different personalities.
Ahead Tyson Tozer was a billet brother to all three. He describes Casorso because the “gentle of the crew.”
“He introduced pleasure, he introduced motivation, he introduced vitality to each recreation,” Tozer mentioned. “I shared a room with Caden and there wasn’t a day that glided by the place I didn’t have a smile on my face due to that child.”
Defenceman Taydon Perkins says Casorso was soft-spoken and good.
“He’s very well-educated, you wanted him to do one thing, he did it, like he was an incredible child, and I’ll all the time keep in mind him for that,” Perkins mentioned.
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Defenceman Kayne Anderson remembers Wright because the quieter of the three.
“JJ was extra of a shy sort of man within the room, however when he wished to be heard, he was heard,” Anderson mentioned.
The return to the ice might have been tough for the Mustangs, however the crew was met with an outpouring of help on the Stavely enviornment, with a whole bunch in attendance at Sunday evening’s recreation.
“It’s undoubtedly not going to be straightforward, however I believe we’re all going to determine to stay it out for the three as a result of they had been brothers,” Perkins mentioned. “We’re shut and it actually hurts once we’re not on the market, so we’re going to stay it out.”
“I’m excited to go symbolize them and present that we’re going to go play hockey for them,” Tozer mentioned.
The households of Wright and Positive had been current on the recreation and echoed the gamers’ sentiments.
“I’m astounded by the help and ideas and prayers of so many individuals, however particularly the hockey neighborhood and particularly this Mustangs crew and the communities of Stavely and Nanton,” mentioned Wright’s father, Chris Wright.
“It has been wonderful. It looks like a heat hug to be right here throughout an terrible, terrible time.”
Chris Wright says he and his household travelled to Stavely from Kamloops the day after the collision and haven’t returned residence since.
“A part of me can’t wait to get residence and a part of me is truthfully afraid to go residence as a result of we are able to really feel him right here and I do know we’ll at residence too, however it might be exhausting to drive away from this, fairly truthfully,” Wright mentioned.
Positive’s father, Daniel Positive, travelled to Stavely from Birmingham, Ala.
“All people on the market, the love and help have simply been overwhelming. It’s simply wonderful. It’s overwhelming, nevertheless it’s wonderful. All people that we’ve are available in contact with is so good and really supportive,” Daniel Positive mentioned.
“I’m going to overlook seeing my son on the ice.”
The sport kicked off with a memorial service for the three gamers. Their teammates laid their jerseys, gloves and helmets of their respective positions on the ice.
Wright and Positive’s fathers stood of their sons’ locations through the ceremonial puck drop following a second of silence within the enviornment.
The memorial recreation resulted in victory for the Mustangs, who defeated the Spurs 9-6.
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