Latest news with #HumboldtBroncos
Ottawa Citizen
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Corey Bailey, with new Broncos cap and baby Brooks in tow, wins Sask. mid-Am golf title
Article content HUMBOLDT — Over a decade had passed since Corey Bailey last handed in a winning Golf Saskatchewan scorecard. Article content A lot has changed since then. Article content Bailey has gone from a provincial champion teenager, to a short-lived college golf career, to a proud dad of a 14-month old toddler. Article content Back in 2014, Bailey was a 17-year-old teen from Shaunavon when he captured the provincial junior boys golf championship at the Evergreen Golf Course in Nipawin. Article content Article content Now, at age 28, he is a first-time Saskatchewan mid-Amateur champion (for men 25 years and older) at the Humboldt Golf Club. Article content Article content 'It's really fulfilling and I'm just so happy,' said Bailey, who calls Swift Current home. 'I've got to thank my lovely girlfriend (Alexa Wandler) for letting me practice and work on my game. I really appreciate her. She's my rock. She holds down the fort for me.' Article content Wandler was on hand to watch along with the couple's 14-month-old son, Brooks, decked out in a white Masters caddie jumpsuit. Article content Bailey's matching Broncos hat — Humboldt Broncos, not Swift Current Broncos — was also along for the winning ride. Article content 'I picked it up the local restaurant here in town and I thought it would be a good touch for today — maybe a lucky charm,' offered Bailey, who wore the hat for the very first time Thursday on his way to a two-shot victory over Humboldt hometown favourite Paul Raycroft. Article content Article content 'I knew it was going to be tough. I heard, from a few people, how good he (Raycroft) is, and how far he hits the ball. It's all true. He's a really good player. It sucked that things didn't go his way but it was tough out there with the wind and tournament golf is tough.' Article content Article content Bailey — who will continue on Friday searching for his first-ever Saskatchewan Amateur title — finished the mid-Amateur portion at 7-under-par (64-71-74—209). Article content 'Just sticking in the present and taking each shot at a time (was the key),' Bailey said when asked what the key was to his win. Article content 'The front nine was tough. I just kind of stayed with it through the back nine and hit some good shots coming in.' Article content After winning his junior title in 2014, Bailey went down south to attend college and play golf for a year in the Phoenix area at South Mountain Junior College.
Globe and Mail
12-06-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
‘I forgot how tall I was': Former Humboldt Bronco Ryan Straschnitzki walks using exoskeleton
It's been a while since Ryan Straschnitzki looked at the world from a different perspective. The former Humboldt Broncos hockey player has been using a wheelchair since 2018, when he was paralyzed from the chest down in a bus crash in rural Saskatchewan that killed 16 people and injured 13 others. On Thursday, he demonstrated an exoskeleton that allowed him to walk along a 12-metre track in Calgary. 'I forgot how tall I was. I'm usually sitting really low, so I don't see people above their heads. Now being here, I get to see everybody's head. It's cool,' Straschnitzki said while standing in the wearable device. 'I feel like Iron Man in this thing. Just missing the helmet,' he added with a laugh. Vancouver-based Human in Motion Robotic's XoMotion system enables people with spinal cord injuries and in neurological rehabilitation to stand and walk with robotic support. Straschnitzki had been in the device before but got to control it Thursday. He used a small remote to move the device forward, backward and turn sideways. It also helped him handle a hockey stick and throw a football to staff at the rehab centre. 'It's pretty cool. I'm glad I played video games growing up,' he said. 'I got to learn how to two-step in this thing. Someone here's got to teach me, and I'll bring it to Stampede.' Straschnitzki said the technology wasn't even an option when he was injured. 'It was more so, is my body going to heal? Am I going to walk again on my own?' he said. 'Over time, you come to terms with the extent of your injuries. And then you realize that science is expanding every day, and there's technology like this one that will allow people with spinal cord injuries to walk again. It's super incredible and I'm very fortunate to try it.' The cost of the exoskeleton is about $400,000. Uyen Nguyen, executive director of Calgary's Synaptic Spinal Cord Injury and Neuro Rehabilitation Centre, said the exoskeleton mimics human motions. 'I never thought this was going to be possible. It's almost a Cinderella story that's come to life,' Nguyen said. 'It is one of the most advanced, because it is the most human-like in movement. Biomechanically, it is smooth. So when Ryan gets into it, it feels great, it feels natural.' The device will be offered to other patients at the centre, including those with spinal injuries or health problems like Parkinson's disease. Siamak Arzanpour, CEO of Human in Motion Robotics Inc., said the goal has always been to help those dealing with injuries have more independence. He said the long-term goal is to have exoskeletons deployed in real life activities, but there needs to be a controlled environment to prove they're safe first. He said Straschnitzki was the inspiration for developing the device. 'In 2018, Ryan probably didn't think about us. But from the beginning, we were thinking about him,' Arzanpour said. 'We wanted to use this device, helping him to walk again.'
Toronto Sun
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
'I forgot how tall I was': Injured Bronco Ryan Straschnitzki walks using exoskeleton
Published Jun 12, 2025 • 2 minute read Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Ryan Straschnitzki tosses a basketball in Airdrie, Alta., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Photo by Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press CALGARY — It's been a while since Ryan Straschnitzki looked at the world from a different perspective. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The former Humboldt Broncos hockey player has been using a wheelchair since 2018, when he was paralyzed from the chest down in a bus crash in rural Saskatchewan that killed 16 people and injured 13 others. On Thursday, he demonstrated an exoskeleton that allowed him to walk along a 12-metre track in Calgary. 'I forgot how tall I was. I'm usually sitting really low, so I don't see people above their heads. Now being here, I get to see everybody's head. It's cool,' Straschnitzki said while standing in the wearable device. 'I feel like Iron Man in this thing. Just missing the helmet,' he added with a laugh. Vancouver-based Human in Motion Robotic's XoMotion system enables people with spinal cord injuries and in neurological rehabilitation to stand and walk with robotic support. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Straschnitzki had been in the device before but got to control it Thursday. He used a small remote to move the device forward, backward and turn sideways. It also helped him handle a hockey stick and throw a football to staff at the rehab centre. 'It's pretty cool. I'm glad I played video games growing up,' he said. 'I got to learn how to two-step in this thing. Someone here's got to teach me, and I'll bring it to Stampede.' Straschnitzki said the technology wasn't even an option when he was injured. 'It was more so, is my body going to heal? Am I going to walk again on my own?' he said. 'Over time, you come to terms with the extent of your injuries. And then you realize that science is expanding every day, and there's technology like this one that will allow people with spinal cord injuries to walk again. It's super incredible and I'm very fortunate to try it.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The cost of the exoskeleton is about $400,000. Uyen Nguyen, executive director of Calgary's Synaptic Spinal Cord Injury and Neuro Rehabilitation Centre, said the exoskeleton mimics human motions. 'I never thought this was going to be possible. It's almost a Cinderella story that's come to life,' Nguyen said. 'It is one of the most advanced, because it is the most human-like in movement. Biomechanically, it is smooth. So when Ryan gets into it, it feels great, it feels natural.' The device will be offered to other patients at the centre, including those with spinal injuries or health problems like Parkinson's disease. Siamak Arzanpour, CEO of Human in Motion Robotics Inc., said the goal has always been to help those dealing with injuries have more independence. He said the long-term goal is to have exoskeletons deployed in real life activities, but there needs to be a controlled environment to prove they're safe first. He said Straschnitzki was the inspiration for developing the device. 'In 2018, Ryan probably didn't think about us. But from the beginning, we were thinking about him,' Arzanpour said. 'We wanted to use this device, helping him to walk again.' Read More World Toronto Blue Jays World Toronto & GTA Celebrity
Winnipeg Free Press
06-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Highway tragedies signal urgent need for truck driver training standards, industry professionalization
A Humboldt Broncos hockey jersey hangs in the lobby of Jim Campbell's trucking business, serving as a daily reminder of the omnipresent danger on Canada's highways. The memory still lingers in the seven years since 16 members of the junior hockey team died and another 13 were injured when their playoff-game-bound bus was struck by a semi-trailer in rural Saskatchewan. 'There's carnage all across Canada,' Campbell says as he climbs the stairs to his second-storey office at First Class Training Centre. To offer further proof, he opens Facebook, pulls up a national trucking community page and scrolls through videos of crash scenes and semis in ditches. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS A Humboldt Broncos jersey at Campbell's truck driver training school serves as a constant reminder of the dangers on Canadian highways. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS A Humboldt Broncos jersey at Campbell's truck driver training school serves as a constant reminder of the dangers on Canadian highways. According to Statistics Canada, there were 307 fatal crashes and 5,851 injury collisions in 2021 involving straight trucks, tractor trailers and buses. Manitoba, meanwhile, was the site of one of Canada's worst mass highway casualty crashes in 2023, when a handi-transit bus collided with a semi-trailer near Carberry, killing 17 seniors en route to a casino. And last November, a mother and her eight-year-old daughter were killed when their vehicle was struck by a semi-trailer near Altona. The Ontario driver, accused of running a stop sign, has been charged with two counts of dangerous driving. He remains wanted after evading police since his release. A veteran of long-haul trucking, Campbell just shakes his head. He spent 43 years on the road — from northern Manitoba to the southern United States — later opening First Class in 2012 to train a new generation of drivers. Ten years later, he founded the Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada. He is part of a nascent movement pushing for trucking to become a Red Seal trade certified program with nationwide standards. Not everyone is onside with the idea. But industry associations, trucking companies, insurance corporations and drivers seem to be unified on at least one level — there's a need for better training before a driver gets behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler. The Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program for truck drivers took effect in the province in 2019, a year after the Humboldt tragedy. Manitoba's MELT programming covers 121.5 hours, split nearly equally between in-class, in-yard and in-cab training. Students get three opportunities to pass their Class 1 licence road test before requiring additional training in order to try again. Once obtained, drivers join an industry contributing $3.7 billion annually to the provincial GDP. Trucking encompasses more than 28,000 jobs and at least 2,800 employers in Manitoba. Several private vocational institutions in Manitoba, such as First Class, whose programming preceded MELT, offer double the amount of training, with 244 hours. Training varies widely by province. Ontario requires at least 103.5 hours of instruction; B.C. seeks 140 hours; and Alberta, previously, 113 hours. It's a fragmented system which has created an unsafe environment across Canada, Campbell says. Tired of waiting for change, he began contacting colleagues across the country who shared his concerns. Today, the Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada has 67 members and four key objectives: MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Jim Campbell and his peers across the country have been pushing for the industry to be trade-certified with nationwide standards. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Jim Campbell and his peers across the country have been pushing for the industry to be trade-certified with nationwide standards. In Manitoba, the number of driver-training schools ballooned during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, 21 Class 1 driver-training schools held active permits from Manitoba Public Insurance; by 2023, 34 did. The growth corresponded with a boom in demand for truckers. It also followed MPI's creation of the MELT program, which made it easier for operators to open schools. 'If somebody meets all (MPI's) requirements, they're basically handed the curriculum,' says Manitoba Trucking Association executive director Aaron Dolyniuk. Most Manitoba training schools follow the law, Campbell and others stress. But they are concerned some are cutting corners — for example, falsely crediting students for achieving the minimum hours of required training when actual instruction fell short. According to MPI, five driving instructors and four driving schools (not limited to Class 1) were sanctioned for failing to act with honesty and integrity and for failure to comply with conditions between 2023 and 2024. Those failures cover a 'range of bad behaviours' including fraud, criminal activity, dishonesty and general poor conduct, MPI spokeswoman Tara Seel says. In those situations, MPI would either decline or cancel a permit, or impose a suspension. As of February, the Crown corporation can also fine schools and instructors, from $250 for a first offence up to $4,500 for third and subsequent infractions. Since 2022, the year MPI established its MELT compliance program, the insurance body has received approximately 56 complaints about Class 1 academies. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Jim Campbell supervises a classroom of students working on their final exam for a training course. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS MPI currently has five employees regulating driver-training schools, instructors and training vehicles of all licence classes (Class 1 through 6), a significant improvement from when there were only two employees auditing training schools between 2020-23. Campbell and others consider MPI's audit process robust. Records, vehicles, facilities and programs are inspected on-site. Class 1 schools are audited annually while complaints are investigated separately. However, Campbell notes audits might elicit different results if investigators showed up unannounced rather than in scheduled visits, as is the current practice. 'We need to get a good handle on the schools that are out there and make sure they are complying,' Campbell says. About 95 per cent of offences flagged during an audit are considered minor or moderate, such as administrative deficiencies that pose limited or no public-safety risk. They typically result in warnings or, as a last resort, suspensions. The new fines help toughen up oversight, Seel says, because warnings can be ignored and suspensions can negatively impact students. 'I'm trying to offer a bigger program for $9,000 … Who's going to come to a $9,000 program if you can get it faster and cheaper somewhere else?'–Jim Campbell The disparity in training-hour requirements results in a similar disparity in tuition costs, which, according to Seel, can range from $3,500 to $9,000. Some operators caution you get what you pay for. First Class is at the higher end because of the additional training provided, but Campbell admits it leaves him at a disadvantage, business-wise. 'I'm trying to offer a bigger program for $9,000,' he says. 'Who's going to come to a $9,000 program if you can get it faster and cheaper somewhere else?' Says Dolyniuk at the Manitoba Trucking Association: 'Companies are using non-compliance as a competitive advantage. MPI is doing what they can, but having a two-tiered system (MELT and the 244-hour), it makes it very hard to regulate.' On any given day, thousands of truckers cross multiple provincial borders in order to keep Canada's economic engine running. That border fluidity means poorly trained drivers, regardless of where they're from, are an always present danger. A 2024 CBC Marketplace investigation caught Ontario driving instructors who falsified documents for cash, saying students took driving classes when they didn't. A followup report found the system for testing truck drivers had been compromised by bribes, forged documents and 'rigged testing.' Alberta has suspended about five of its 60 Class 1 driving schools in recent years for similar infractions. 'The largest reason is just not putting in time,' says Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen. 'Falsified records of things being done when they weren't done, truckers not actually having the proper time or training on certain things.' JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Many experts believe the various Mandatory Entry-Level Training programs don't go far enough in preparing drivers for the industry. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Many experts believe the various Mandatory Entry-Level Training programs don't go far enough in preparing drivers for the industry. Cecilia Omole, the Insurance Bureau of Canada's manager of commercial policy, says her organization has documented a link between driver preparedness, claims and accidents over the last five years. 'A lot of truck training schools are very good, and they do a good job at preparing students,' Omole says. 'However, there's a few bad apples in the bunch.' As a result of its findings, the IBC formed a working group and commissioned a third-party report, which found new, inexperienced drivers were most likely to be involved in accidents and emphasized a need for oversight and enforcement of driver-training standards. The IBC has clocked a change in provinces' mandatory training since forming its working group. Last year, both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador implemented approximately 112-hour MELT programs, while Ontario is reviewing its process for obtaining a semi-trailer licence. 'I think there's broad agreement that MELT does not go far enough,' Omole says. 'We would love to see a national standard of some sort.' For Campbell, the solution is simple: make trucking a Red Seal trade. The Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada has met with various provincial governments to discuss the idea. Five provinces must be on board before a trade can gain Red Seal status. Plumbers, carpenters and bakers are among those holding the designation, which is recognized inter-provincially. They must undergo apprenticeship before graduating. To get there, there's a curriculum to create, inter-province meetings to endure and an application requiring approval. It's a 'long haul,' Campbell says. The PTTAC has met with Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Nova Scotia officials. Alberta, which previously only required 113 hours of training, has been at the forefront in pursuing the designation. It switched its driver-training model to a tiered system in April. The final tier, if other provinces join, would be Red Seal status. 'We didn't believe the MELT was actually giving the competencies that were needed,' says Robert Harper, president of the Alberta Motor Transport Association. 'We believe a lot of people had gotten some rather poor training in the industry.' 'We believe a lot of people had gotten some rather poor training in the industry.'–Robert Harper Alberta is short about 4,500 truck drivers. Officials believe a Red Seal designation can help keep people in the industry. 'The hope was that it would address the trucking shortage, to get people behind the wheel so they view trucking as a mortgage-paying, good profession … versus just something you do every now and then,' Transportation Minister Dreeshen says. The executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association isn't convinced it's the answer. Red Seal trades require extensive training on the job before a licence is received, which is the reverse of truck-driver training, where mentorship typically comes after a licence is awarded, Dolyniuk says. NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS FILES Aaron Dolyniuk is executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association. NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS FILES Aaron Dolyniuk is executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association. He envisions an alternative, one where truck driving is a nationally designated trade — 'it'd do great things for our industry' —but training is tailored to the sector's reality. Such a move would help legitimize on-the-job training and produce safer drivers, he says, although cautioning many companies currently can't afford to spend much time mentoring new hires. If a national standard is created, he adds, it's crucial to 'harmonize up.' 'If one province has a lower standard, guess what happens? That's where those seeking a lower standard go to get their Class 1 licence,' he says. 'The lowest common denominator… typically dictates the state of our industry.' 'If one province has a lower standard, guess what happens? That's where those seeking a lower standard go to get their Class 1 licence.'–Aaron Dolyniuk Still, some Manitoba companies have extensive onboarding processes. Bison Transport has a phased program including 11 weeks of in-cab instruction, local runs for two months and restrictions on assignments for two years. Payne Transportation puts its drivers through internationally recognized Smith System Driver Improvement Institute courses and rewards those acting safely on the road. It uses artificial intelligence-equipped cameras in trucks to monitor driving. The provincial government, MPI and industry stakeholders are part of a joint steering committee the Manitoba Trucking Association co-chairs. The group was struck to study recruitment, training and retention of truck drivers. A 2023 report, commissioned by the MTA for the committee, found the retention rate of long-haul truckers sponsored for training was 'significantly' lower than other trades. The province would not make a minister available for comment, and instead issued a general statement saying it is committed to evaluating driver training and curriculum standards, improving testing and job retention, and is open to considering alternative training models. TIM SMITH / BRANDON SUN FILES A semi-trailer passes by a memorial on the TransCanada Highway near the intersection with Highway 5, where 17 seniors were killed in 2023 in one of Canada's worst mass highway casualty crashes. TIM SMITH / BRANDON SUN FILES Currently, Quebec is viewed as Canada's gold standard of truck-driver training. It offers subsidized programs allowing for 24 months of experience before a full Class 1 designation is received. During that time, the driver has a Class 1 learner's licence. Alan Warrington has trained hundreds of truckers at Alan's Driving School, a Portage la Prairie academy. Retirement is on his horizon. While he says MELT is an adequate program, he believes trucking 'certainly should be' a Red Seal profession, but with more focus on road training and less on classroom theory. Students often come from farms and Hutterite colonies. Some can't read or write well, but they can drive perfectly, Warrington says, adding success comes from teaching to learners' capabilities. Managers at Big Freight Systems and Payne Transportation and drivers interviewed at a Headingley truck stop expressed support for a national program. 'I think the profession would be taken a lot more seriously,' said Scott Warkentine, Big Freight Systems' director of safety and driver services. 'I think people that are in the profession or want to get into it … it would set a higher standard.' Improved safety would follow, he says, though the cost of putting a driver through a Red Seal or similar program could be a challenge for some. Employers would need to be willing to pay more for staff, cautions Thomas McKee, Payne Transportation's vice-president of driver services and innovation. 'Red Seal would be such a blessing,' he says, noting it could protect truckers from low wages. 'It would just elevate the whole industry.' Trucker Sandeep Dhaliwal went through the MELT program several years ago. Improving training may improve driver skill, but it could also detract people from entering the profession, he says, and also might force out established drivers if they have to go back to school. 'There are a lot of untrained and unskilled people driving semi-trucks, which they should not be doing,' he says. 'It's a hard career. It's not an easy job.' The onus shouldn't just be placed on training schools. Sometimes there's a lack of willingness to learn and a 'disregard for others' safety' on the driver's part, he says, noting he has also encountered unsafe truckers on the highways. 'Every day, you run into good ones and bad ones,' Dhaliwal says. 'I don't know. I try to do the job honestly.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CTV News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Life moves forward': Docuseries centred on former Humboldt Bronco Ryan Straschnitzki premieres in Regina
The AMI docuseries "We Were Broncos" follows Ryan Straschnitzki, as he works to make Canada's national sledge hockey team before switching sports. (Source: AMI) Ryan Straschnitzki, one of the 13 survivors of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, is the subject of a new docuseries that follows his attempt to make Canada's national sledge hockey team before switching sports. The series, We Were Broncos, had its premiere in Regina Wednesday night. Speaking with CTV News, Straschnitzki explained that he was initially hesitant to participate in the series. 'The more I thought about, the more I thought it could be good exposure for adaptive sports, my journey and kind of a thank you to let people know that from their support I was able to be in this position and continue to strive for the paralympics,' he explained. The six-part series documents the partially paralyzed hockey player's attempt to make the national sled hockey team and an unexpected turn. 'So, I got cut from the national sled hockey team and my entire life revolved around getting cut from sports teams, so I knew that the next step was continuing to move forward,' Staschnitzki explained. 'That's all I was ever taught. My dad taught me that and so my next path forward, my next open door was wheelchair basketball.' The series airs Monday nights on the AMI cable channel and streams on AMI Plus. 'One of the things that we've been able to do is work across Canada with production companies – reflecting content with people with disabilities,' Vice President of AMI, John Melville, explained. The series is the creation of Regina television producer Lucas Frison. 'I have a personal connection with the Humboldt crash because I was best friends with Mark Cross, the assistant coach who died in the crash,' Frison explained. 'So, its always something that's close to me, I've always been following Ryan's journey from afar.' Straschnitzki is pleased with how the television series turned out. 'It's a part of life. Its something that happened that I wish I could take back – but life moves forward,' he said. 'Try to live your best life and do it in memory of them and everyone we lost that day. So, it's a lot of mixed emotions but a lot of it is that push and that drive to move forward from them.' While Straschnitzki is now focused on wheelchair basketball, he hasn't given up on his love for hockey. He's considering a return one day as a sled hockey coach.
