A few days after Jaxon Joseph鈥檚 death 鈥� one of 16 in the Humboldt Broncos鈥� bus crash April 6 鈥� Blaine Neufeld, former coach with the Surrey Eagles, said what he wanted, more than anything, was for the 20-year-old hockey player.
Now, the Eagles have found a way to do just that 鈥� by retiring Joseph鈥檚 No. 10 jersey.
Team president Chuck Westgard confirmed to Black Press this week that the number will go up into the rafters, but said official plans to honour Joseph 鈥� who played for the Eagles during the 2015/16 season 鈥� were still being worked out.
After his time in South Surrey, Joseph moved on to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, first with the Melfort Mustangs and then with Humboldt. The Broncos were on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin when their team bus collided with a semi truck.
Westgard hopes the gesture will serve as a way not only to honour Joseph, but his , as well.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tragedy that hit everyone hard, especially those of us in the hockey community,鈥� Westgard said Tuesday. 鈥淣umber one, this is a way to honour Jaxon, but number two, it鈥檚 a way to acknowledge what happened and make sure people don鈥檛 ever forget.
鈥淲e need to remember those kids, and those people.鈥�
Speaking with Black Press a few days after the bus crash, Neufeld said the tragedy hit home with everyone involved in the sport, calling it 鈥渉eartbreaking, horrific 鈥� it鈥檚 about as bad as it gets.鈥�
Though Joseph only played part of one season in Surrey, he was one of the team鈥檚 most well-respected players, Neufeld said.
鈥淏eyond the game of hockey, he was a young man who was built to succeed in life, and it鈥檚 just a shame he isn鈥檛 going to get that chance,鈥� he said at the time.
Joseph鈥檚 number will be the second retired by the club. Former forward 鈥檚 No. 8 jersey was retired after he was killed in a bike accident on Vancouver Island in 1999.
Caige Sterzer wore No. 10 last season with the Eagles, and while the team brass hasn鈥檛 spoke with him yet about making a switch, Westgard said 鈥渉e won鈥檛 have any problem with it.鈥�
