Conner Lukan was remembered on Wednesday afternoon in Slave Lake as a leader on and off the ice.
Lukan, who played for the St. Albert Raiders for one season, was one of 16 people who died as a result of the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy on April 6. Another 13 people were injured in the crash. The Broncos were on their way to game five of a playoff series against the Nipawin Hawks.
Broncos president Kevin Garinger and his wife Kathy billeted Lukan and said that they will “miss so much” about Lukan, including his smile that warmed their hearts.
“When Conner was at an away game there was a notable space in our home and we couldn’t wait for him to return,” Kathy said.
Kevin will miss talking about hockey and watching horror movies with Lukan and said it was “really no different than having my own sons living with me.”
One of Lukan’s former coaches, Mike Ringrose, travelled to Slave Lake for the funeral and said that the 21-year-old was “thoughtful, honest and incredibly sincere.”
Lukan’s mother Robin thanked everyone for honouring her “con-man” and said that he lived life to the fullest .
“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, forever and ever, my baby you’ll be,” Robin said.
Lukan’s funeral was one in a string of funerals for the Broncos victims, including the celebration of life held at Rogers Place on Tuesday afternoon. Jaxon Joseph, Logan Hunter, Parker Tobin and Stephen Wack were remembered together in a three and a half hour service with thousands in attendance. Broncos coach and general manager Darcy Haugan, who played for the St. Albert midget AAA Raiders in the early 1990s, was laid to rest on Saturday, April 15.
International support has poured in for the team through a GoFundMe page that raised $15.2 million dollars for the victims of the accident in 12 days. It brought in donations from more than 140,000 people in more than 80 countries.
Kevin Garinger said that the money would be moved to a Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund, which will be used to pay for expenses for the victims’ families. An advisory fund will be set up to help distribute the money. The team will continue to accept donations through the Humboldt Strong Community Foundation.
Meanwhile, the RCMP are continuing to investigate the incident that took place on a Saskatchewan highway near Tisdale. On Thursday in a press conference Saskatchewan RCMP commanding officer Curtis Zablocki said that given the “magnitude, scope and complexity” of the crash, the case is being prioritized.
The driver of the semi-trailer that was involved in the collision with the Broncos bus was not injured. He was taken into custody after the crash and was released later that night.
The RCMP have interviewed many people to try and learn more about the crash, including more than 50 witnesses, the driver of the semi and some of the victims. More than 5,500 photos were taken at the scene.
