Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip have sent a message of condolence to the families of the victims of the recent bus crash which involved the Humboldt Broncos ice hockey team in Saskatchewan, Canada. The message was sent in both English and French – the two official languages of Canada.
Her Majesty, who is also the Queen of Canada, stated, “Prince Philip and I were saddened to hear word of the crash involving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost so much, with their families and with all Canadians who grieve with them at this difficult time.
“Le prince Philip et moi avons été profondément attristés en apprenant la nouvelle du très grave accident dont a été victime l’équipe de hockey des Broncos de Humboldt. En cette période difficile, nos pensées et prières accompagnent ceux qui ont subi de grandes pertes, et vont aux familles ainsi qu’à tous les Canadiens qui sont affligés par cette tragédie.”
The bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos to their next game on Friday night crashed when a lorry collided with them. The crash occurred close to 17:00 local time on Highway 35, north of Tisdale, Saskatchewan. The bus was carrying 29 people including players, coaches, the play-by-play announcer and driver. 15 have been confirmed dead with the head coach, Darcy Haugan, as one of the first confirmed fatalities. Players on the team ranged from age 16 to 20.
There has been an outpouring of grief across Canada and the hockey world. The Nashville Predators faced off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night in Nashville with the Canadian national anthem being played in memory of the victims. Other NHL teams did the same before their games across the United States and Canada.
Many also sent words of support like the Boston Bruins who tweeted, “Our hearts are heavy this morning. The Boston Bruins send our thoughts and deepest condolences to the Humboldt Broncos, their families, and the entire Humboldt community. The hockey world is with you during this difficult time.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for the victims and their families. As of the time this article was published, over 4.5 million Canadian dollars have been raised with several National Hockey League (NHL) teams and players donating. The GoFundMe can be found here.
