Broncos Strong: Swift Current to Pay Tribute to Humboldt on November 2nd

April 6, 2018 is a day that will stick in the hearts and minds of Saskatchawanites and Canadians for years to come. On April 6, a typical team trip turned into a terrible tragedy as the Humboldt Broncos bus crashed on the way to a playoff game against the Nipawin Hawks. With 16 dead and 13 injured, the event marked perhaps the most poignant hockey tragedy since the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash in 2011 that left 44 dead.

As much as Humboldt lost that day, the tragedy served as a reminder of how close the hockey community can be, from the Sticks out for Humboldt movement that saw sticks left out on porches and patios across the continent to the NHL's Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks playing an entire game with the Broncos name emblazoned on the back of the jerseys of each player on the ice in place of their last names.

via @SCBroncos on twitter

This reminder continues this week, as Humboldt's Saskatchewan neighbors and fellow Broncos in the WHL, the Swift Current Broncos pay tribute to the those lost in the 1986 Swift Current and 2018 Humboldt bus crashes. On November 2nd, Swift Current will don specialty jerseys complete with a special Broncos Strong logo on the chest.

via @SCBroncos on twitter

The jerseys feature a Saskatchewan-centric color pallet adopting the yellow and green of the provincial flag. The right shoulder pays tribute to Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff in a clover leaf patch that includes each of their jersey numbers reminiscent of the four-leaf clover memorial at the site of the crash. All four of those numbers are retired by the team. The left shoulder pays tribute to the Humboldt community with the ribbon that has become synonymous with the event.

via @SCBroncos on twitter

The chest logo unites the two Broncos communities through their commonalities. Each cities location is prominently marked by stars in the logo, a Bronco stands proud on both sides, and a bold B anchors the logo at its center. Two banners rest at the logo's top and bottom, the former reading "Swift and Bold" in Latin and the latter highlighting the two Broncos community. At the base of the logo sits a Canadian maple leaf, a simple reminder of the community that offered so much support to both communities.

After 7 months, it can be easy to forget, and you could blame you if you did. Fortunately, the Swift Current Broncos aren't giving us the chance and instead offering another reminder of how tight-knit the hockey community is. We all know how much we love the game, but none of us know how long we'll get to love it.