Coming on 39 years this December, the hockey world was devastated when news broke of the Swift Current bus crash that resulted in the loss of life of four junior hockey players from the 1986-87 Swift Current Broncos.
Bound for Regina from Swift Current, the bus was travelling at a careful 53 kilometres per hour and hit black ice on the eastbound lanes of Highway 1. Fighting to regain control, the bus slid off the overpass and hit an embankment causing it to flip onto it’s side and slide another 100 meters before coming to a halt in a ditch.
Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff were killed. Others were left to carry the experience with them for the rest of their lives.
Considered a powerhouse WHL contender at the time led by Joe Sakic, Sheldon Kennedy, Peter Soberlak, and Calgary-born defenceman Bob Wilkie, the story turned from glory to tragedy in just the blink of an eye.
Sideways Debuts
The documentary Sideways premiered on Monday night at the Bella Concert Hall at Mt. Royal University to a diverse crowd of individuals. Victims, parents, and large contingents of younger viewers. Seven minor hockey teams were in attendance (Royals and Buffaloes were thoughtfully sat across the auditorium) and given the front rows to fully take in a cataclysmic story of resilience and growth.
Rooted in the human process of living through trauma, Sideways achieves so much more than re-living the worst moments of a terrible sequence of events that brought the nation to its knees. Wilkie and his teammates share the human experience of carrying on in their lives and careers, what didn’t work on their path to healing and what has helped each of them find a more stable place of mental health.
“That was amazing.” Recounted one minor hockey league player while leaving the building.
“I thought I knew what it was about, but it was really good.” Said another.
Sideways may not be a film that you watch every Christmas, but its mix of brutal humanity, raw emotion, and hockey lore (it follows the Broncos as they eventually win a Memorial Cup Championship in 1989) make it a must-have for any collection.
Wisdom for Life
For Wilkie, the journey continues.
“Community is everything.” said the 56-year-old second round pick from the 1987 NHL Entry Draft.
“Life can hit you. Life can take a bite and it can hurt significantly, so having your tribe around you can be really important. Being able to connect and talk about it. So many teammates now, because of what I do, have come up to me over the years and said, “we didn’t know what to say. We knew you were hurt, and we knew you were in trouble, but we didn’t know how to approach you about it.””
Now the President of I Got Mind, a mental health initiative as well as a life coach for the Road Map for Life Project, Bob encourages addressing and sharing trauma as a method of re-taking it’s power over one’s own mental wellness.
Other former players and executives to feature in the film include Peter Soberlak, Kelly Hrudey, Ken Holland, Lorne Frey, Dan Lambert, Sean O’Grady, Brian Costello, Haley Wickenheiser, Dr. Bruce Perry, Darren Kruger, Bill Lee, Tyler Smith, and Chris Joseph.
Following the film’s debut, Hrudey, Wilkie, and O’Grady held an open Q&A which delved into mental health tricks for dealing with anxiety, depression, and, of course, trauma.
Attendees were also provided free journals (one of several methods discussed) courtesy of Little Rock Printing.
How to Help
If you’re looking for an emotional ride and to pick up some tools for handling mental health moments that most of us will all have to experience at some point in our lives, you can pick up a copy of Sideways for $24.99. Wilkie also founded a scholarship fund for the four teammates lost in 1987. Titled 4 the Boys, each scholarship is themed individually to honour the life those lost.
For Wilkie, his teammates, and the community that now support them, the journey continues, but Bob recognizes that the level of adversity that he has faced allows him to navigate the rocky waters of living with trauma.
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
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