The Santa Clarita Flyers, a girls’ 12AA hockey team was traveling to a tournament in Littleton, Colo., last Thursday when a Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow drove over the median and collided with the team’s shuttle bus and two other vehicles.
According to The Signal, several youth athletes were injured in the crash along with their family members, and one parent — the driver of the shuttle bus — was killed.
“The driver swerved around the [plow truck] and rolled down the hill. Three of our players have been released. They’re OK. The moms are still in surgery, and so is one of the siblings. Unfortunately, one of the fathers did pass away, and this has been a wreck for the girls,” Flyers’ head coach Todd Stelnick said. “We’ve had so much support from the Santa Clarita Flyers Hockey Club, the city of Santa Clarita, all of California, the Los Angeles Kings. There’s been so much support out here.”
After much discussion among the youth athletes, coaching staff and families, the Flyers decided to compete in the weekend’s games. Even with a short bench, the Flyers won their game against the Utah Lady Grizzlies at the Edge Ice Arena.
Prior to the puck drop, the teams and spectators took a moment of silence to remember the recovering athletes and their families.
“The Utah Grizzlies made all these ribbons for our players, and gave it to them after the game. It’s not just about hockey — it’s about these girls just playing with each other. They love the locker room talk, the outdoors, the hotel, and just hanging with each other,” Stelnick said. “I can’t say enough; it was nice to see it. I’m also a dad, so it’s been super hard.”
In addition to the kindness shown by other 12AA teams at the tournament, the Flyers have also received support from an online fundraiser. As of Feb. 2, more than $70,000 has been raised. Those funds will be allocated to athletes and their families’ medical costs.
