Former Surrey, B.C. player among 15 dead in Humboldt Broncos junior hockey bus crash

A hockeyplayer whoonceplayed for a junior hockey team in Surrey, B.C., has been identified as one of 15people who died when theHumboldt Broncos team bus collided with another vehicle on Friday.

Jaxon Joseph, who was 20 years old, played for the Surrey Eagles for the 2015-2016 season, said the team'sgeneral manager and former head coach BlaineNeufeld.

Neufeld said Josephwas a forward on the team, andhe was originally from Edmonton.

He was the son of former Edmonton Oilers defenceman Chris Joseph.

"Something particular aboutJaxonwas that he had a particular smile. He lit up the room," he said.

"His positivity, his excitement, his energy, his work ethic, brought a positive energy and experience to the guys.AndIthinkthat's why so many of them are so heartbroken to see the news.I think people that aren't part of JuniorHockeycan't quite understand how tight these guys can be."

'We're still a team'

Paul McAvoy, 21, a former Surrey Eagles player, has manyfond memories of Joseph.

"He made a tremendous impact not only on the ice, as a person in the locker room. He kind of lit up the room everywhere he went," McAvoy said, echoing his former coach's words.

Now a freshman at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., he said he learned of the crash Friday night, then heard the news about Joseph.

"We had a group chat going with the rest of the former teammates to say 'we can get through this together. We're still a team,'" he said.

'Isn't supposed to happen'

Neufeld said the Surrey Eagles typically travel by bus 30 times a season. He said as general manager, he tries to minimize team travel when driving conditions are dangerous.

"The sad part about it is, the bus trips are the ones that are supposed to be special for the boys," said Neufeld.

It is a hockey story, but it's not a hockey story, it's the story of the whole country- Vancouver Giants president RonToigo

McAvoysaid the bus trips are "honestly one of my favourite parts of playing hockey. But you just never think something like this is going to happen."

Vancouver Giants president RonToigosaid that goalie, Jacob Wassermann, who started the year with the Vancouver Giants was on the bus, but survived the crash. He said histeam has nineboys from Saskatchewan on their roster.

"The hockey community is very small, it's very intertwined."

Any player from Saskatchewan is going to know those players if they're of a similar age," he said.

"It is a hockey story, but it's not a hockey story, it's the story of the whole country. Hockey is the fabric of the whole Canadian community and I think everyone is feeling extreme sorrow today for the whole province of Saskatchewan and the players of Humboldt."