By Canadian Press

‘People just relate’: Americans remember seven months after Humboldt crash

Nov 25, 2018 | 3:43 PM

DENVER — It’s been seven months since the Humboldt Broncos bus crash and Americans are still closely watching the aftermath of the tragedy.

The April 6 accident on a Saskatchewan highway claimed 16 lives and injured 13 others when a semi-trailer crashed into the bus which was on its way to a playoff game.

Survivor Ryan Straschnitzki recently dropped the puck at a Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey game. He and fellow survivor Jacob Wassermann were also invited to a University of Denver game, a Colorado Avalanche game and were guests on the field at Sunday’s NFL battle between the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers, where they were named ‘Broncos country heroes of the game.’

Wassermann believes Canadians and Americans aren’t so different when it comes to their kids.

“Anybody who has played sports growing up. You’ve ridden on a bus and I mean lots of people just relate to that. It could very well have been anybody,” he said.

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“Parents feel that about their own kids. People who have been on a bus with a sporting team feel that about themselves. I mean you connect on more than just the hockey level through this. It’s bringing the world together.”

Survivors of the accident were invited to the NHL Awards in Las Vegas in May.

Tom Straschnitzki, Ryan’s father, had expected public interest to have dropped off by now.

“We thought it would die down for a little bit there but it hasn’t,” he said.

Jacob’s father, Kirby Wassermann, is touched that there has been an outpouring of support from south of the border.

“You see how many people are aware of what happened and are following these boys and will recognize them and come and give them a pat on the back. We had someone come over to us at supper last night and called them heroes,” he said.

“Everybody wants to know the stories and the stories of how they’re carrying on, moving on and what they’re doing next. So even as a dad it’s inspirational to me to watch what all these guys are doing.”

Marty Richardson, who founded the Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation, invited Straschnitzki and Wassermann down to Denver. He said what happened in Saskatchewan has “catapulted” past just being something that impacts hockey fans.

Dawg Nation helps adult hockey players and their families in times of crisis caused by catastrophic injury or illness.

“They’re young men but those are kids and it’s horrible, and anyone who has a child or a nephew or a niece can relate,” Richardson said.

“They see this incredibly tragic story and the heartbreak of all these families and honestly the whole entire community was crushed. How can you not feel for them?”

Richardson said the rise of social media has also made Americans more aware of what is happening outside their borders.

He said 76,000 football fans were there to hear that Straschnitzki and Wassermann were heroes of the game.

“It’s a big deal. We do a lot of ‘hero of the games’ and with the Broncos I think this might be the very first time it’s not military. And then for it to be not military, not American, it’s amazing. That’s how big this is.”

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Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press