The gravity of the situation dissipated in a matter of moments. Joy overwhelmed grief in a space the size of a penalty box.
Jarret Stoll only knew the Humboldt Broncos players from what he had heard and seen from afar until he visited surviving members of the fatal April 6 bus crash last weekend. He toured Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, Canada, not far from where he grew up in Saskatchewan, and felt a wonderful vibe he didn't fully expect.
"The first word that comes to mind is how powerful it was just walking into the room and seeing smiles on their faces despite what they've been through," Stoll said.