The Four Broncos – The Story of the Tragic Bus Crash That Killed Four Hockey Gamers

It sent a deafening silence all through the hockey world and beyond.

On December 30, 1986 at 3:45 PM, the unthinkable happened. Two times after the Xmas crack, the Western Hockey League Swift Existing Broncos have been embarking on a two and a 50 {4794e2a5af98421425d757e3e406e9ebc22e0d7579733cf825e9c79e4a650b20}-hour push to Regina, Saskatchewan when their staff-owned bus, a 1968 Western Flyer, skidded off the highway overpass, hit a indication then slid down an embankment nose to start with. It flew around 50 ft in the air, landing on its side when it skidded to a halt.

Four players have been dead: Scott Kruger, Trent Kresse, Brent Ruff, and Chris Mantyka.

The scene was chaotic. The ditch was strewn with sleeping baggage, blankets, pillows, and personal things. Two ambulances drove back again and forth to the Swift Recent Union Healthcare facility, and passing motorists had been flagged down by law enforcement to help transportation the considerably less seriously injured for health-related interest.

The day before, temperatures had been unseasonably heat – pretty much t-shirt weather, but there was a weather advisory in impact at the time of the crash – chilly and blizzard conditions. The club’s regular trainer, Gord Hahn, was in Winnipeg with Crew Western, a pre-Olympic scouting method with participant Dan Lambert. Ryan McGill also missed the vacation due to a bout with tonsillitis.

The approach was to have the bus loaded and prepared to go by 3:00 PM in order to get there at the rink in Regina by 6:45. Having said that, Scotty Kruger forgot his gown clothing and was requested to go dwelling and get them. (The players generally traveled in comfy clothing then transformed on the bus when they attained their vacation spot.)

The bus by itself was probably in have to have of mend. It nevertheless experienced the previous inexperienced and blue from when it served the Lethbridge, Alberta team. There was no toilet on board, some of the windows ended up taped with each other, and the seats had tears and quite a few stains.

Dave Archibald (who was cleared of any carelessness) experienced just pulled the bus on to change for the overpass on to the freeway, when it strike a patch of black ice. In the aftermath, inside of the bus was a scene out of a horror film.

One particular of the gamers, donning shorts, a t-shirt, and no footwear, was knocked out and woke up on top of an additional. The bus was on its facet. In hunting for his sneakers, he went back to where by he was sitting, lifted up a seat that had been torn off, and saw the legs of a teammate, whose torso experienced been buried beneath the bus. He then found one more participant, whose higher overall body was pinned within with his legs beneath the bus – his arms achieving out for enable as he died in entrance of him.

Kruger and Kresse played on the identical line, had adjacent lockers, were being mates and normally alongside one another. They have been discovered two toes aside from each and every other. At the time, the two were being both were being tied for next in staff scoring, guiding Joe Sakic.

Sakic received out of the bus by climbing through the shattered windshield.

“I was sitting down at the entrance of the bus. Sheldon Kennedy and I ended up likely chatting about the Xmas holiday seasons we just had.”

The four players had been playing a card activity at the back again of the bus. The coroner reported they died of trauma to the spinal twine.

The Regina recreation was cancelled, as ended up three extra.

“It was midway by the yr, so it was difficult receiving back again into the time,” adds Sakic. “That was tough – the very first video game back again. The time right after, we did actual properly. I feel we completed 2nd or 3rd and obtained knocked out in the next spherical.

“It pulled the complete town even nearer. All people, appropriate from day just one, was so very good to all the players. It was our 1st year there. They tried out to make us feel at property. Even soon after that, they pulled jointly even far more.”

The Memorial Services

Near to 4,000 attended the services held at the Swift Existing Centennial Civic Centre on January 4, 1987. Every single division and WHL staff was represented by players and officials. Just about every player was buried in his dwelling town.

Sadly, the Krugers’ uncle, Herman Kruger (67), endured a fatal heart assault on the way to the funeral.

The Aftermath

In the following two seasons, the Broncos established a number of group and league records and gained the Memorial Cup in 1988-89.

According to one of the mothers and fathers, there was no coverage and no psychological assist.

A whole lot of gamers experienced a complicated time. Some became reckless and ran wild via the town, stop hockey, were being depressed, or suppressed their thoughts. All remain haunted by the encounter.

Joe Sakic saved it to himself. He will not often converse about it. “The most effective issue was in the course of techniques and games – that was the ideal time to get absent. You just concentrated on hockey.

“It was the initial time a tragedy occurred in my everyday living. Sort of reality checks in. You might be a minor additional watchful about the things you choose to do. You weigh the selections, I guess.”

This incident was the initially fatal crash in WHL heritage but not the initial shut get in touch with. Freezing rain prompted the Kamloops Chiefs’ bus to crash in the mid-1970s and the Victoria Cougars’ bus to roll in the vicinity of Butte, Montana in 1980. One more bus carrying a team of Canadian Pacific rail workers crashed and claimed 22 lives near Swift Present-day just six several years before the Bronco crash.

Luckily, these days, teams training extra warning. Calgary Hitmen public relations director and participate in-by-perform person Brad Curle has in fact talked to a several motorists about it. “The body weight of the bus has nearly amplified to the stage the place it is really virtually extremely hard for it to skid off the freeway. I guess in the way it really is crafted and structured, it just hugs the freeway.”

Groups, for the most portion, charter. Of the several groups that individual busses, they’re more recent designs – 2000 moreover and refurbished.

Given that the Bronco incident, the Western Hockey League has positioned a strong emphasis on security. “If the road is not great, games are cancelled,” provides Curle. “No for a longer period do you unquestionably have to trudge by way of the snow. Teams are much more eager to terminate video games.”

The Crash Victims

# 9 Scott Kruger: centre, born March 31, 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan … played 1 12 months with the Prince Albert Raiders … in 36 games, scored 19 targets, 37 helps for 56 details and 32 penalty minutes

# 11 Brent Ruff: left wing, born Feb 17, 1970 in Warburg, Alberta … rookie season, in 33 video games, scored three plans, three assists for six factors and two penalty minutes … may have experienced the most effective shot at a professional contract

# 22 Chris Mantyka: still left wing, born November 9, 1967 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan … rookie time, three targets, two helps for five factors and 101 penalty minutes … experienced the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League penalty report for 502 minutes … experienced just returned from a 3-activity suspension

# 8 Trent Kresse: left wing, born April 1, 1967 in Kindersley, Saskatchewan … was engaged to be married, played all star caliber baseball for the Swift Current Indians … initially 12 months with Swift Recent but next in WHL, in 30 online games, scored 28 objectives, 28 helps for 56 points and 27 penalty minutes