As the death toll rises to 16 from the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, reaction continues to roll in from those affected.
Fraser Rodgers does play-by-play for the Prince George Cougars now but spent one season as the voice of the Broncos.
He recalls how he felt when the news first came up.
“I was just physically, I think, numb and shocked and your heart sinks into your stomach and you just hope for the best but know there might be the worst coming,” explains Rodgers.
“You really just don’t know what to think or say, it was pretty tough. I don’t have any family involved, I can’t imagine that, but it was a pretty tough weekend.”
Rodgers is no stranger to long bus travels, as the Cougars are one of the most-travelled teams in the Western Hockey League. He notes this will leave a lasting impression anytime any team gets on a bus.
“Every team now I think going forward, even teams still in the playoffs, I think it’s going to be in the back of their mind a little bit,” he says.
“I don’t think being on a bus and being a team that travels that way, I don’t think you’re ever going to forget or not have that in the back of your mind.”
The GoFundMe raising money for the affected families is now over $9-million.