Syracuse, N.Y. -- The hockey community across the world has joined in a heart-tugging tribute to the victim of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash by leaving sticks outside their doors at night.

Fifteen people on that bus died in Friday's accident in Saskatchewan, and the thinking is some of them might need the equipment for the afterlife.

"They were putting sticks outside for wherever they are. If they wanted to play they could come pick one up, I think was the idea,'' said Syracuse Crunch goalie Connor Ingram.

Ingram, as a netminder, thought a different gesture was appropriate for him.

"I left my helmet outside my door in my apartment. I know one of the goalies passed away, so I thought I'd leave a little something for him,'' Ingram said. "It was still there in the morning.''

But if there was ever a time to look toward the healing powers of hope, faith and hockey, this is it.

Especially for players like Ingram.

Ingram grew up in Imperial, Saskatchewan, a little more than an hour from Humboldt. He played two seasons of youth hockey in the Broncos' program, as a 13- and 15-year-old.

"Growing up, it was the closest team to me. Everybody wanted to play for them,'' Ingram said. "I think Saskatchewan as a province is probably one of the most tight-knit places in the world. It seems like you know everybody.''

Ingram, 21, said he knew four players on the Broncos' bus. One who died, Logan Schatz, was captain of the team.

In the picture that Ingram tweeted below from their days as teammates in junior hockey, Schatz is the one wearing the 'C.' Ingram is the goalie lying down in front.

Heaven gained a captain, leader and one of the best guys I know. Til we meet again my friend #prayersforhumboldt pic.twitter.com/8Hm1AX24OP — Connor Ingram (@CBIngram1) April 7, 2018

Another player on the bus, Kaleb Dahlgren, is so close to Ingram that Ingram said Dahlgren would likely be his best man if he got married tomorrow. Dahlgren is recovering in the hospital.

"Connor's a tough guy. Certainly he's feeling a lot of emotion. There's no playbook or instruction for how you stickhandle through something like this,'' said Ingram's older brother, Bryce.

"It's something I've never experienced before. I lost grandparents when I was younger. But that's about the only real loss I've experienced in my life,'' Connor said. "This is something that's new to me. I think everybody goes through it at some point in your life. This one happened to be on a bigger stage that a lot more people are going to talk about.''

As an added painful twist, Ingram's career is for now keeping him far away from the support group of his friends and loved ones. He can't just take a weekend trip to Humboldt to mourn, and the Crunch could potentially be playing several more weeks into the postseason.

"You can do everything you can to get past it. But it's not something you're just going to forget about,'' Ingram said. "It's good to be at the rink. It's good to get away from it for a little while. I know I get to put my phone away for three or four hours a day, which is nice.''

Hockey and teammates have always been important to Ingram, of course.

But they may never have served as vital a role as they do now.

"You mature quite rapidly in this particular business,'' said Ingram's father, Brent. "I think it (the rink) is actually the best place he can be. You get to the rink, and you get immersed in all those other players, you get immersed in your job.''