The Humboldt Broncos post-season journey came to an end on Tuesday night in an overtime loss to the Estevan Bruins.
The 2018-2019 Broncos accomplished what seemed like an impossible task, making it into the playoffs with only two returning players on their roster.
“From my side, I’m proud of each and every one of those kids,” Broncos coach Scott Barney said after the Game 7 loss. “I told them [to] keep their heads up.”
After what can only be described as a remarkable season in the face of adversity, the Broncos finished just one goal short of returning to the third round of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs.
“It’s a pretty good group in there,” Barney said. “It’s a special group that formed a bond pretty quick. Those guys went through a season that most Junior A hockey players never go through.”
Nearly one year ago, the Broncos team bus was travelling to Nipawin to take on the Hawks when it collided with a semi-truck, killing 16 and injuring 13 others.
While there were questions about whether or not the Broncos would even return this year, a dispersal draft and expanded training camp helped rebuild a roster that put the team into playoff contention.
Brayden Camrud and Derek Patter returned to play for the Broncos for the entire season after the crash. Tyler Smith came back for several games, but decided to step away to focus on healing.
“Can’t describe it, just everything that happened last year and for the boys to come in and fill those shoes and play the hell of the season that we played, I can’t describe how proud I am of the boys,” Broncos goalie Rayce Ramsay said. “Humboldt’s a hockey town and to not have a team or something, that wouldn’t cut it. It just shows how even in the darkest times, Humboldt can come back and bounce back from something like that. Having the team we did this year shows that.”
The Bruins fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the series to force a Game 7 — and won 3-2. Tristyn DeRoose closed out the series with the winning goal 4:54 into overtime.
“There’s tons of adversity in a series and lots of things going against you,” Bruins coach Chris Lewgood said. “But with this group of guys, we’ve come to expect them to dig in when they need to the most and to find a way to win Game 7 in overtime just speaks to what we’ve gone through all year.”
Last year, the Bruins lost the finals to the Nipawin Hawks and Lewgood says the team has unfinished business.
The Bruins move on to play the Melfort Mustangs in the SJHL semifinals.
Based on a report by CTV Regina's Claire Hanna
