19
April
2018
|
14:48 PM
America/New_York

Hershey Bears Honor Humboldt Broncos

More than $11K in proceeds raised

On April 14, the Hershey Bears showcased just how generous the Central Pennsylvania community is. On an emotional evening, the Bears honored the Humboldt Broncos, a Saskatchewan junior hockey team that experienced a grave tragedy when they were involved in a bus crash on April 6 that took 16 lives. The Bears, in partnership with the Hershey Bears Booster Club, raised over $7,000 for the Broncos that night, with the total proceeds raised that week exceeding $11,000.

That evening Hershey hosted the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and in a sign of unity, both teams, as well as members of the Central Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League, participated in a touching pre-game ceremony that honored and remembered all the individuals lost. O Canada, the Canadian national anthem, was also performed, and fans were encouraged to sing along.

The Bears roster features three players from Saskatchewan, including rookie defender Connor Hobbs. Hobbs’ younger brother, Declan, is a goalie for the Nipawin Hawks, the team the Broncos were traveling to play at the time of their bus crash.

Among the 16 individuals killed in the bus crash was the team’s broadcaster, Tyler Bieber. Broadcasters across the AHL, including the Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, took part in a 16-second moment of silence to honor Tyler and those who had passed in the crash.

Hershey would go on to win the game, 2-1, at Giant Center in front of 10,039 fans.

If you’d like to help support the Broncos, a "Support the Humboldt Broncos" GoFundMe page has been established.