{"id":43198,"date":"2019-03-06T23:20:29","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T04:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=43198"},"modified":"2019-03-06T23:20:29","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T04:20:29","slug":"humboldt-broncos-reach-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/03\/06\/humboldt-broncos-reach-playoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Humboldt Broncos Reach Playoffs After Crash"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Humboldt Broncos<\/a> will reach the playoffs less than a year after a crash that killed 16 people and shocked an entire nation.<\/p>\n

Sports Illustrated<\/a> reported Wednesday that the Broncos have secured a playoff berth.<\/p>\n

The Broncos finished sixth in the 12-team Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League<\/a> after rebuilding their roster from scratch this season. Two players from last season returned for the 2018-19 campaign.<\/p>\n

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The Humboldt Broncos have qualified for the playoffs, one year after the tragic bus crash\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/iWDRuPEfjZ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SI NHL (@SI_NHL) March 6, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Humboldt Broncos Reach Playoffs for Third Straight Year<\/h1>\n

This year’s playoff berth marks the third consecutive for the Broncos, who last won the league in 2011-12.<\/p>\n

Humboldt’s latest trip to the post-season comes during a big season of rebuilding and healing. In addition to the 10 players lost in the crash last year, another 13 were hurt.<\/p>\n

Also among the fallen were two coaches, a statistician, broadcaster, bus driver and athletic therapist.<\/p>\n

The Broncos were en route to Game 5 of a best-of-seven series with the Nipawin Hawks<\/strong> in the SJHL<\/strong> semifinals when their bus collided<\/a> with a semi-truck on April 6, 2018.<\/p>\n

The crash happened at the intersection of Highway 35 and Highway 335 in Armley, between Nipawin and Tisdale in central Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n

The Broncos were trailing the Hawks 3-1 in that series. The Hawks ended up moving on to face the Estevan Bruins<\/strong> in the league final.<\/p>\n

The Broncos and Bruins will face off in the first round of the 2019 playoffs starting on March 15, 2019.<\/p>\n

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu<\/strong>, 29, of Calgary was arrested<\/a> three months after the crash. He was charged with 16 counts of\u00a0dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.<\/p>\n

Sidhu has since pleaded guilty<\/a> to all charges. He will be sentenced on March 22, 2019.<\/p>\n

After the crash, many hockey fans across Canada rallied around<\/a> the Broncos by displaying stickers with the team’s logo, leaving sticks on their doorsteps and donating to a GoFundMe<\/a> page that raised more than $15 million.<\/p>\n

Tributes also poured in from NHL<\/strong> teams and other organizations.<\/p>\n