Riding the bus to hockey games is as close to a universal experience as the game offers. Stories are told and friendships are forged while the hours pass along highways and rural roads, a common bond players remember years later.
That's why Ducks players and coach Randy Carlyle were deeply affected by news of a deadly collision on Friday involving a truck and the bus that carried the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to a playoff game in the northern reaches of the prairie province. As of Saturday, 15 people had died and many others were in the hospital
"It's a devastating thing," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who is from Regina, Saskatchewan.