For Clarkson's Moro, Humboldt Tragedy Hits Particularly Close

by Joshua Seguin/Staff Writer (@JoshSeguin24)

Like many hockey players on a Friday afternoon, the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League boarded a bus en route to a game.

But as the team headed to do what it loves, play hockey, the unthinkable happened — 15 people were killed when that bus collided with a tractor trailer truck just 36 miles from its destination.

The devastating tragedy shook the hockey world — anyone who is in the sport could relate to what it's like taking those long bus rides in all sorts of conditions. The hockey community was quick to come together to show its support, and do whatever little it could do, always knowing that it could have been any of them.

For Clarkson sophomore defenseman Greg Moro, who spent the better part of three seasons playing for the Broncos from 2014-16, this hits a little closer than that.

"When I first heard, I didn’t really know what to think,” Moro said. “I was really caught off guard like a lot of guys, because we didn’t really know what was happening. All we had heard was the bus had crashed and it wasn’t until I started getting a hold of old teammates that we realized that it was very serious. From that moment, I was up all night just trying to stay in touch with people, trying to find out what was happening and if everyone was OK."

For Moro, the only player currently in Division I who came directly from Humboldt, it goes even deeper than that — one of his best friends, Logan Schatz, was among the dead.

"I saw the numbers (of deaths) and that is when it really set in," Moro said, struggling to find the right words. "I did, eventually, fall asleep and I woke up to a text saying (Logan Schatz) had passed. Just hearing that news and finding out about Darcy, I realized it was real. Last night, there was a little bit of hope at least and I was holding on to that. But yeah, it is tough.

"The main thing I remember is the way he looked up to me. I got to know him from his first year there and I got play with him for a year and a half. He had this kind of glow around me. Before him, I hadn’t realized that I had that kind of impact on people. I loved seeing his admiration for the game and I loved watching his passion for the game."

Schatz was the captain the last two years. This regular season, he was also the second-leading scorer in the SJHL with 85 points.

"He was a phenomenal hockey player," Moro said. "Every time I was out there working on my stick handling or doing extra work, he would always be out there with me. He always wanted to learn from me and it always pushed me at the same time. He was an unbelievably happy kid and he brightened up my day every time I saw him at the rink.”

A kid leaving home to live out his dreams is always a bittersweet moment for a family; this was what every parent fears when their kids head to places like Saskatchewan to play. The families are the ones who will deal with this tragedy in its many stages.

“I know when I first left and moved there my parents were scared out of their minds that I was leaving home for the first time,” Moro said. “It is just tragic and I feel for all the families, especially of some of the guys I still know there that were kind of involved. It has hit all of us hard. I cannot even imagine what some of these families went through, looking for their sons wondering whether they were ok or whether they would come home and stuff like that.."

His ex-coach, Darcy Haugan, who played six games for Northern Michigan in 1996-97, was a victim in the crash. He was Moro's coach in his third year in Humboldt and facilitated the trade that sent Moro to Lloydminster of the AJHL. It was a tough choice for Moro, but made easier because Haugan's appeal to his players.

"I finished with Darcy in my third year and he was a fantastic coach," said Moro. "He wanted what was best for his players and did everything possible to prove that. When it came to my trade to Alberta, (Darcy) walked me through that process. He always took my goals into his mind and my best intentions throughout the process.”

The trade away was still tough for Moro considering he'd played 142 games for Humboldt, made many great memories there and many good friends. Moro, like Schatz and every hockey player that leaves home to follow a dream, they go to places like Humboldt to hone their skills. It becomes a second home, a community to them. Humboldt is just another special place that has now experienced a tragedy that will sting for a long time.

"I know when I got traded I remember sitting in the rink in the stands behind the players bench and I teared up,” Moro said. “I had a lot of good memories there and I cannot remember one time that I felt home sick or that I wanted to go home. Everyone made it a second home there, the coaching staff, the community and my teammates. My whole process there was kind of amazing.”

“I was up there for over two and a half years. It was really my only shot at junior A hockey and I realize I was pretty lucky that I was able to go there. The community takes you in right away and the community is very hockey-oriented. There are about 6,500 people there and for most games we had over 1,000 and 2,000 people; we had a lot of support. The families were all amazing and so were the coaches.

"I have been talking to a bunch of the guys that I used to play with there and we have been reminiscing throughout the last day; the family aspect is one of things that sticks out and the lifelong friendships that we made.”

For everyone that has been affected by this, they have the whole of the hockey community behind them. In times of great sorrow, hockey fans, players and parents have an unending bond. It is this bond that shows up in times like today and shows the wonderful support the hockey community bestows upon everyone that's involved.

"For hockey in general, you see the news blowing up across not only Canada but North America, and you see the power it has had," Moro said. "It is quite amazing to see the impact that it has had. It really just shows how the hockey community is and the kind of support it gives. It is a really close knit community."