Swift Current Broncos bus crash

Swift Current Broncos bus crash
Swift Current Broncos bus crash
Details
Date	December 30, 1986; 15:45 (CST)
Location	Saskatchewan Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), Swift Current No. 137, Saskatchewan
Cause	Black ice on road
Statistics
Bus	Western Flyer D600 motorcoach
Passengers	28
Deaths	4

Last updated September 04, 2024

The Swift Current Broncos bus crash occurred in December 1986, killing four members of the Swift Current Broncos ice hockey team.

Accident

On December 30, 1986,^[1] the Broncos' bus, a mid-1960s Western Flyer D600 Canuck, left the Centennial Civic Centre in the 3:00 PM hour, bound for Regina. The team was on its way to play the Regina Pats. Shortly after entering eastbound Saskatchewan Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway), the bus, travelling at a speed of 53 km/h (33 mph), hit a patch of black ice in the eastbound lanes of Highway 1 as the road curved to the right over the Canadian Pacific main line. It then slid off the overpass and hit an embankment on a nearby access road, causing the bus to go airborne, and then flipped on its side sliding about 100 metres before coming to rest in a ditch.^[2]^[3] Many players were able to extricate themselves from the wreck before first responders arrived, giving first aid and attempting to identify where individuals had landed and what their injuries were.^[4]

Four players who were sitting at the very rear of the coach, Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff (younger brother of then-Buffalo Sabres captain Lindy Ruff), were killed; Mantyka and Ruff were crushed by the rear of the bus and Kresse and Kruger were catapulted from it.^[5] Eyewitness Leesa Culp was the first person to arrive at Kreese and Kruger's sides after the accident to see if any aid could be given.^[6]

Aftermath

Following the incident, the four players' jersey numbers were retired by the team. The Broncos still wear a commemorative patch in remembrance of the four players to this day. The rest of the team, led by future NHL star Joe Sakic, who recorded 60 goals, played out the season despite the loss. Future NHLer Sheldon Kennedy was also a member of the team.^[7] Shortly after the accident there was confusion between Trent Kresse and recently traded Trent Kaese, who shared the same jersey number, leading many to offer condolences to Trent Kaese's family.^[8]

Years later, following the 2018 Humboldt Broncos crash, Kennedy recalled the silence after the accident claiming: "Everything was in slow motion. It was eerily deaf. There was just no sound at all. I remember us standing in the snow, in stocking feet, in shock..."^[9] Kennedy has become involved in raising awareness across Canada for children and young adults experiencing trauma and/or abuse, after recognizing the trauma from the accident.^[10]

Multiple survivors and their families allege that then coach Graham James would not let mental health and other based individuals help the players after the crash, due to James` fear of his history of sexual abuse being exposed. Bob Wilkie claimed: "We weren't allowed to talk about it....My mom wondered for years why we were never given any of the resources we need to cope properly. Those who wanted to help were told 'no' by Graham. Now we know why."^[11] However, while professional help was out of the question, player Dan Lambert stated that the entire team banded together and created a support network to deal with the questions, doubts, guilt, and other thoughts.^[12]

Memorials

After the accident the team and town created a large memorial at the rink, and teams from across the Western Hockey League came to pay their respects along with family, friends and residents of Swift Current.^[4]

Four Broncos memorial 4broncos.jpg — Four Broncos memorial

A memorial for the four killed in the accident was mounted on the back wall of the Swift Current Broncos arena, on the 20th anniversary, with photos of the deceased and hockey sweaters bearing the players numbers, encased in glass.^[4]

During the game that would become known as the Punch-up in Piestany, a moment of silence was held for the players who were killed at the start of the second, and ultimately final, period.

On the 30th anniversary of the crash, December 30, 2016, a memorial was unveiled near the site of the accident. The memorial is a two-metre granite structure in the shape of a four-leaf clover, with each player featured in one segment of the clover. The memorial is accessible travelling eastbound on Hwy 1, about four kilometres east of Swift Current, and when viewing the memorial, the raised overpass over the CP Rail Line can be clearly seen.^[7]

In a move to memorialize the fallen players, the WHL awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to the league's Player of the Year.^[13]

In popular culture

In 2013, Trilight Entertainment secured the rights to produce a feature film adaptation of the book Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos.^[14] The book is written in collaboration of three individuals who are connected to the incident; defenseman Bob Wilkie, WHL Historian Gregg Drinnan, and witness to the crash Leesa Culp.^[15]

Reaction to other crashes

Bathurst, N.B. Phantoms Basketball

After the crash, a survivor of the Swift Current crash, Joe Sakic, weighed in on how the crashes were similar and how the town would possibly overcome the accident.^[16]

Humboldt Broncos crash

Shortly after the 2018 crash involving the Humboldt Broncos, surviving members of the team flew to Saskatoon to meet with injured players and their families.^[17] Sheldon Kennedy offered his thoughts on the grieving process that all those involved should talk about the tragedy and the feelings that it invokes, as the collective trauma is far-reaching and residual.^[18]

Related Research Articles

The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada, alongside the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times. The WHL is composed of 22 teams divided into two conferences of two divisions. The Eastern Conference comprises 11 teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, while the Western Conference comprises eleven teams from British Columbia and the American states of Washington and Oregon.

Joseph Steven Sakic is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He played his entire 21-year National Hockey League (NHL) career, which lasted from 1988 to 2009, with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. Named captain of the team in 1992, Sakic is regarded as one of the greatest team leaders in league history and was able to consistently motivate his team to play at a winning level. Nicknamed "Burnaby Joe", Sakic was named to play in 13 NHL All-Star Games and selected to the NHL First All-Star Team at centre three times. Sakic led the Avalanche to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, earning the most valuable player (MVP) in the 1996 playoffs. In 2001, Sakic earned both the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award as MVP of the NHL. He is one of six players to participate in the first two of the team's Stanley Cup victories and won the Stanley Cup a third time with the Avalanche in 2022 while serving as the team's general manager. Sakic became the third person, after Milt Schmidt and Serge Savard, to win the Stanley Cup with the same franchise as a player and general manager.

The Saskatoon Blades are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1964, the Blades were a charter team of the then-Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966, and are the only club that has played every season in the league in its original location. Today, the team plays in the East Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and hosts games at the SaskTel Centre. Despite five regular season titles and five appearances in the championship series, the Blades have never won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league playoff champions. The team has twice hosted the Memorial Cup tournament, in 1989 and in 2013.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Lethbridge, Alberta. The Hurricanes play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and play their home games at the ENMAX Centre. The team replaced Lethbridge's first major junior team, the Broncos, who played in the city from 1974 to 1986. When that team relocated to Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the city acquired the Calgary Wranglers franchise and the Hurricanes began play in 1987.

The Swift Current Broncos are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1967, the Broncos relocated to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1974, and were known as the Lethbridge Broncos, before returning to Swift Current in 1986. The team plays in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and hosts games at Innovation Credit Union iPlex. Swift Current is the smallest city with a team in the WHL, and the second smallest across the entire Canadian Hockey League. The Broncos are three-time WHL playoff champions, and won the 1989 Memorial Cup. Before any of their championships, the Broncos were known for a 1986 team bus crash that resulted in the deaths of four players.

The Prince Albert Raiders are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1971 as a member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the Raiders have been members of the Western Hockey League since 1982. They play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference and host games at the Art Hauser Centre.The Raiders are two-time Ed Chynoweth Cup winners, and won the Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions in 1985.

Sheldon Kennedy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League (NHL). Kennedy was drafted by the Red Wings in the fourth round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft while playing with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In the WHL, Kennedy helped the Broncos capture the 1989 Memorial Cup, and was named to the tournament all-star team. Kennedy represented Canada internationally at the World Junior Championships in 1988 and 1989. He helped Canada win a gold medal at the 1988 tournament. Kennedy was born in Brandon, Manitoba, but grew up in Elkhorn, Manitoba.

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

The Humboldt Broncos are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Established in 1970, the Broncos play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Broncos have won the SJHL ten times while winning the ANAVET Cup seven times to advance to the Centennial Cup, which they have won on two occasions in 2003 and 2008.

The Four Broncos Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the Western Hockey League's Player of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of WHL history</span>

This is a timeline of events throughout the history of the Western Hockey League (WHL), which dates back to its founding in 1966. The league was founded by a group of team owners and managers in Saskatchewan and Alberta, including Bill Hunter, Scotty Munro, Del Wilson, and Jim Piggott, who thought a larger western league would help western teams compete for the Memorial Cup against teams from the larger associations in Ontario and Quebec. Since the league's founding, it has expanded to include 22 teams across the four Western Canadian provinces along with the Northwest United States, and it has produced 19 Memorial Cup championship teams.

The Ed Chynoweth Cup is an ice hockey club championship trophy awarded to the playoff champion of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Originally called the President's Cup when the league was founded in 1966, the trophy was renamed in 2007 to honour Ed Chynoweth's long service to junior ice hockey in Canada. The WHL champion earns a berth into the Memorial Cup tournament, Canada's major junior hockey championship. The Kamloops Blazers have won the most WHL championships with six, followed by the Medicine Hat Tigers with five. The Spokane Chiefs were the first team to win the renamed trophy in the 2007–08 WHL season. The current (2023–24) holders of the Ed Chynoweth Cup are the Moose Jaw Warriors.

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The 1986–87 WHL season was the 21st season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). While the Kamloops Blazers won their second Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions, the Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup as playoff champions before going on to win the 1987 Memorial Cup tournament.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Memorial Cup</span> Canadian junior mens ice hockey championship

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References

↑ Ryan Switzer (2011-12-30), Bronco Bus Crash Clips from Dec. 30 1986 , retrieved 2018-05-09
↑ Mike Kane (Dec 31, 1986). "Four Junior Players Killed In Bus Accident". Schenectady Gazette. Retrieved 13 March 2018– via news.google.com.
↑ AP (31 December 1986). "Bus Crash Kills 4 Hockey Players". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
1 2 3 "ESPN.com - E-ticket: Denial of Death". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ Gare Joyce (Dec 30, 2006). "E-ticket: Denial of Death". ESPN.com. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
↑ Culp, Leesa; Drinnan, Gregg; Wilkie, Bob (2012). Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1968 Swift Current Broncos. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Dundurn Toronto. ISBN 978-1-4597-0545-6.
1 2 "Memorial unveiled on 30th anniversary of crash that killed 4 Swift Current hockey players". CBC News. December 30, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
↑ "Humboldt Broncos bus crash causes Vancouver Island family to relive 1986 bus crash". CHEK. 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ "Duhatschek: Survivors of 1986 crash understand 'the length..." The Athletic. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ ""I Remember the Silence": Sheldon Kennedy Recalls 1986 Bronco Bus Crash - SwiftCurrentOnline.com". SwiftCurrentOnline.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ "Swift Current survivors determined to give help they were denied - Macleans.ca". Macleans.ca. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ "'Why not me?': Survivor's guilt and the cruel trick of what-ifs in tragedies such as the Humboldt crash". National Post. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ "WHL Awards". Western Hockey League. 2024-09-02. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
↑ "Story of fatal WHL bus crash to become movie". Sportsnet.ca. January 29, 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
↑ "The Blair Necessities: Broncos Bus Crash Book To Be Turned Into A Movie". The Blair Necessities. 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ "Lessons from Swift Current: Twenty-one years ago, Joe Sakic lost four teammates in a bus crash. Today, he breaks his silence to Roy MacGregor in hopes of helping those in Bathurst heal" . Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ "Fatal Humboldt Broncos crash brings back memories for survivors of similar crash". Global News. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
↑ "Sheldon Kennedy speaks of the psychological impact to all involved in Humboldt bus crash". National Post. 2018-04-07. Retrieved 2018-05-08.