Injured Humbolt Bronco Layne Matechuck Finally Returns To The Ice And My Eyes Are Watering
.@HumboldtBroncos‘ @LayneMatechuk back on the ice for the first time since the accident
(via @KevinMatechuk) pic.twitter.com/ElcdIOCFRh
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 9, 2019
Ugh.
To understand how incredible video this is, consider the injuries Matechuck suffered in the horrific crash that claimed 16 lives.
His parents posted a note some months ago about Layne’s injuries and condition.
— Kevin (@KevinMatechuk) January 8, 2019
Aside from some broken bones, Layne suffered a life-altering brain injury spending 6 months in the hospital prior to being released before Thanksgiving.
Yesterday the truck driver in the crash helped families get some closure too. Jaskirat Singh Sidhu pled guilty to all 29 charges associated with the accident in a Saskatchewan courtroom yesterday saying he made a mistake and didn’t want the families of the tragedy to go through a painful trial. He faces significant jail time, but that wasn’t important to some parents and players.
Scott Thomas whose son Evan was killed in the crash was just happy it was over before it began and Sidhu took responsibility.
“If he spends a day if he spends ten years, time is irrelevant,” Thomas said, fighting through his emotions. “He was guilty. He acknowledged that. That’s all I needed to hear.”
From stories like Layne’s, and Sidhu’s, I feel good about the world today. Tragedy doesn’t define us. Genuine acceptance and accountability of where you are is an accurate measure of who we really are.
This brutal event will be seared into the minds of every Canadian for years to come. The lessons of forgiveness and victory we take with us, like Matechuck skating and Sidhu humbling himself for his mistake, will be the real change agents we should take from the tragedy itself.
Dean Blundell
Dean Blundell is a Canadian radio personality. Best known as a longtime morning host on CFNY-FM (The Edge) in Toronto, Ontario. In 2015 he was named the new morning host on sports radio station CJCL (Sportsnet 590 The Fan). Dean started his career in radio in 2001 and for nearly 20 years been entertaining the radio audience. Dean’s newest venture is the launch of his site and podcast which is gaining tremendous momentum across North America.