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Humboldt tragedy brings back bad memories for junior hockey coach

Chilliwack Chiefs bench boss Jason Tatarnic was involved in a bus accident with Woodstock in 2007.
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There is a little voice in the back of Jason Tatarnic香蕉视频直播檚 head that yells at him every time he gets on a bus, reminding him about the time he almost lost his life on a junior A hockey road-trip.

It香蕉视频直播檚 a voice that香蕉视频直播檚 gotten a lot louder this week, in the wake of a horrible bus accident in Saskatchewan that claimed the lives of 16 people connected with the Humboldt Broncos.

Tatarnic has watched the news coverage and seen the photos, and heard from members of the Woodstock Slammers who were on a bus with him in 2007, a bus that flipped in the snow on the way to a game in Prince Edward Island.

香蕉视频直播淚t was a neutral-site game and it was windy with whiteout conditions,香蕉视频直播 Tatarnic recalled. 香蕉视频直播淥ur tire went off the road, kind of got caught and away we went.

香蕉视频直播淲e were fortunate there was a lot of fresh snow on the ground, so when the bus flipped we weren香蕉视频直播檛 getting dragged over hard ground. The windows popped open and we got a ton of snow in the bus, but it was soft snow and we didn香蕉视频直播檛 get any injuries that way. And we slid perfectly through two concrete barriers. What are the odds of a bus sliding perfectly between two concrete barriers?香蕉视频直播

According to a news report from that day, 22 players, five team officials and the driver were on the bus when it flipped near Days Corner, PEI.

香蕉视频直播淲hen I looked to the back of the bus when we came to a stop, I wasn香蕉视频直播檛 expecting to see香蕉视频直播 a good sight,香蕉视频直播 Tatarnic admitted. 香蕉视频直播淏ut things worked out.香蕉视频直播

The report mentions Tatarnic sustaining minor cuts. Assistant coach Bob Vail had to be freed from the bus by the Jaws of Life and airlifted to hospital in critical condition. But he eventually pulled through, leaving the Tatarnic to consider the what ifs of life.

What if the bus hit one of those concrete barriers flush. What if Woodstock香蕉视频直播檚 opponent that night hadn香蕉视频直播檛 been following just a few minutes behind, arriving on the scene quickly to aid the Slammers and summon help.

What if, what if, what if.

香蕉视频直播淧layers love to play and coaches love to coach and travel is part of being in junior hockey,香蕉视频直播 Tatarnic said. 香蕉视频直播淚t took a while, but the first time I had to jump back on the bus in Woodstock, it was nerve-wracking. It wasn香蕉视频直播檛 easy, but we got over it. It香蕉视频直播檚 not even close to what happened in Humboldt in terms of the outcome, but it香蕉视频直播檚 always in the back of your mind. Even to this day, I have thoughts whenever I jump on a bus.

香蕉视频直播淚t was tough for me to get back on the bus and tough for my players, and I香蕉视频直播檝e had some of them reach out to me this week expressing how lucky we were.香蕉视频直播

Tatarnic hopes some good can come out of a very bad situation, starting with the design of the buses that ferry hockey teams from place to place.

香蕉视频直播淢aybe one thing is how they香蕉视频直播檙e built, and why do we need all those windows and why can香蕉视频直播檛 air bags can香蕉视频直播檛 be part of a bus?香蕉视频直播 he said. 香蕉视频直播淲hat香蕉视频直播檚 the reason for seat-belts not being on coaches? Why can香蕉视频直播檛 we make buses safer? Maybe that could have saved one or two live in Humboldt, and maybe it香蕉视频直播檚 time we started asking those questions.香蕉视频直播

Honestly, it香蕉视频直播檚 a wonder these accidents don香蕉视频直播檛 happen more often. Not to the degree of the Humboldt crash, but given the miles hockey teams cover every year in inclement weather as they criss-cross the provinces, the risk is constant.

Tatarnic香蕉视频直播檚 Chilliwack Chiefs make winter road trips to Prince George, Vernon, Penticton, Salmon Arm, West Kelowna, Wenatchee, Trail, Merritt and the Coquihalla Highway is so bad its the subject of a TV show called Highway Thru Hell.

香蕉视频直播淥ur accident changed how we traveled in Woodstock, where we didn香蕉视频直播檛 hesitate to cancel games because of weather,香蕉视频直播 Tatarnic said. 香蕉视频直播淚 look at the travel schedule we have now, and I香蕉视频直播檇 like to see changes. I know you can香蕉视频直播檛 accommodate everything, but we have teams going to the Interior and I think those games should be played as early in the season as possible to avoid the winter months.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 hard to see how anything good can come of this, but maybe there are things we should be looking at.香蕉视频直播



Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
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