Bus carrying Alberta junior hockey team crashes, several hurt and two hospitalized
Photo credit: Edit from Athabasca Advocate
A bus carrying the Athabasca Rivermen, a junior team from the province of Alberta, crashed today, injuring multiple players and sending two to the hospital.
Several Junior A hockey players were injured early Friday morning after their team bus crashed on a snowy and icy highway south of Athabasca, Alberta.
The RCMP said the team bus lost control on Highway 2 and slid into the ditch before hitting some trees along the roadside.
What likely led to the crash of the team's bus
The crash occurred in extreme cold, with temperatures around minus 37 Celsius and roads partially covered in snow and ice. At those temperatures, roads are extremely slick.
The team was later identified on social media as the Athabasca Rivermen, who were traveling for a scheduled weekend series in Crowsnest Pass. Players aboard the bus who play for the team are between 15 and 19 years old.
Two teenage players of the team were transported to a hospital in Edmonton with injuries described as not life-threatening, which is definitely good news.
Several others reported minor injuries or some soreness and were treated right away at the scene by emergency responders. Images circulating show quite a bit of damage to the bus, and the RCMP is still investigating.
Why this year is so special for the Athabasca Rivermen
The Athabasca Rivermen are a Junior A hockey team based in the town of Athabasca and are competing in their inaugural season in the National Junior Hockey League, which began very recently in the fall of 2025.
The Rivermen represent the town's first-ever junior hockey franchise and have quickly become a point of pride for the local community, as the number of fans continues to rise with each passing day.
We wish everyone a very speedy recovery.
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