The Humboldt Broncos will open their season this fall in front of a national audience.
TSN and CTV announced Friday, in partnership with the team and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the Broncos’ Sept. 12 season opener against the Nipawin Hawks will be shown live on CTV Saskatchewan and TSN.
“We are incredibly honoured to partner with the Broncos and SJHL to bring this game to Canadians, as we continue to support the team, the community, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” Mark Milliere, senior vice-president and general manager, said in a news release. “We have and will continue to tell these important stories with the upmost respect as the healing process continues.”
The Broncos bus was travelling to Nipawin for a playoff game April 6 when it collided with a semi-truck at the intersection of Highway 35 and Highway 335. Sixteen people — including 10 players — were killed in the crash. Thirteen others were injured.
Tributes for the team and the crash victims poured in almost immediately after the collision, and more than $15 million was raised via a GoFundMe page for the victims and their families.
The team is currently working on rebuilding for the upcoming season. A dispersal draft earlier this month added 10 players to the Broncos roster.
“We recognize that our Humboldt Broncos community extends far beyond the borders of Humboldt. In gaining the wonderful support to broadcast our opening game of the 2018-19 season, we will be able to ensure that the rest of Saskatchewan and Canada are also able to continue their healing journey with us,” the team’s president, Kevin Garinger, said in a statement.
The Sept. 12 broadcast is set to start at 6:30 p.m. CT, with TSN also offering a pre-game show beginning at 5:30.
