Islanders put hockey sticks out to remember Humboldt victims

Islanders have been paying tribute to victims of the Humboldt bus crash by putting hockey sticks outside their front doors, joining a campaign that has spanned the continent — #PutYourStickOut.

Fifteen people were killed and 14 injured in the crash outside of Tisdale, Sask., on Friday.

'It's the least we could do'

Nicole Morrissey shared the image of her front porch in Tignish, P.E.I., and explained that the tragedy hit close to home. She said her son, Brad Morrissey, plays for the Notre Dame Hounds Midget AAA team in Wilcox, Sask., and that one of his teammates' cousins, Adam Herold, is among the players who died in the crash.

'[Adam] played against our team all winter. A few others on our team played with Adam in their earlier years of hockey," she said.

"However, even without the connection to the tragedy, it's something I would have done anyway as we are a big hockey family and it's the least we could do to support this team."

'We hope those impacted by this tragedy feel the embrace'

Jillian Power called the initiative "small in nature, but powerful in volume."

"I am a (fairly) rookie hockey mom — my son has been playing for three years — but already in this short time, I have already been exposed to the 'family' this sport creates among players, coaches, teams and parents," she said.

"We hope those impacted by this tragedy feel the embrace of their extended hockey families, as we hold them in our thoughts and prayers during this time of suffering and grief."

'Everyone is thinking about them'

Andrew MacKay of Cape Traverse, P.E.I., shared an image of three hockey sticks — his own, his 9-year-old son's and his three-year-old daughter's.

"I've played hockey my whole life, I coached hockey for 13 years. The hockey community is such a close knit community, people really come together when there's an unfortunate event such as this one — they really come together and unite and support one another," he said.

"It's more of a symbolic gesture I suppose, just to show that everyone is thinking about them."

Hockey brings us together

Paul Ledwell shared that himself and his wife, Shelia Morrison, put a stick on their front porch together.

"The Humboldt tragedy has touched us all as Canadians," he said. "There are many things that bring us together in our country, and hockey is one of them. #PutYourStickOut is a symbolic way as communities across Canada to remember those who perished and to pray for those who have survived, their families and the people of Humboldt."

'It's just a part of you'

Margaret Gallant said she was clearing snow off her porch in Charlottetown when she found a hockey stick laying there — not an unusual occurrence for her house.

"We do have hockey sticks on our doorstep. My husband sometimes he lets people borrow them or whatnot," she said.

She had seen the #PutYourStickOut campaign on Twitter, and propped the stick up along with one of her husband's goalie sticks from inside the house.

Her husband Jamie Blanchard was a hockey player and then hockey coach, and the tragedy hit close to home for her family.

"For him, that would be a way of life for him. He spent many years travelling on buses … it's just a way of life, it's just a part of you, if you're a hockey player," she said.

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