Junior hockey community mourns three Southern Alberta players killed in highway crash

The junior hockey community across western Canada is mourning the loss of three young players who were killed in a vehicle collision in southern Alberta while travelling to practice.

RCMP say the crash happened Monday in the community of Stavely, about an hour south of Calgary, involving a passenger vehicle and a semi truck. Police have confirmed that JJ Wright, Cameron Casorso and Caden Fine, members of the Southern Alberta Mustangs junior hockey program, died as a result of the collision. The investigation remains ongoing.

Tributes poured in from teams and hockey organizations across the country, including the Humboldt Broncos, who shared messages of condolence on social media. The tragedy has struck a particularly deep chord within the hockey world, reviving memories of the 2018 bus crash involving the Broncos in Saskatchewan that claimed 16 lives and injured 13 others.

Mike Gilroy, a former player co-ordinator with the Mustangs, described the three players as dedicated teammates who were passionate about the sport and supportive of one another. He said their loss is being felt not only by the team, but throughout the broader junior hockey community in Alberta.

On Monday night, the Calgary Flames and the Toronto Maple Leafs observed a moment of silence before their games, joining teams across the country in honouring the three players and their families during a period of profound grief.