Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Layne Matechuk (left) stands behind the bench, alongside former Prince Albert Raider and ex-pro Kim Issel, as the Prince Albert Timberjaks took on the Carrot River Outback Thunder earlier this season. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

New beginnings

Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor embarks on coaching career in Prince Albert

Dec 26, 2024 | 5:00 PM

As with many people in Saskatchewan, Layne Matechuk has hockey in his blood.

Growing up in Colonsay, the sport was a family affair which they all bonded over, having been coached by his father while his sister and mother watched and cheered proudly from the stands.

Layne excelled in minor hockey and went on to play at some of the highest levels of hockey in Saskatchewan. He spent hours on the ice, perfecting his craft as a defenceman to one day fulfill his dream of playing in the NHL alongside his idol, Pittsburgh Penguins and NHL great Sidney Crosby.

He grew bigger and stronger over the years, playing U15 AA in Humboldt and U18 AAA in Prince Albert. He even heard his name called at the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft, taken in the second round, 40th overall, by the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Following a two-year stint with the Mintos in AAA, Layne returned to Humboldt for the 2017-18 season to play for the Broncos in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), where he netted five goals and three assists across 45 games in his rookie campaign.

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Members of the 2017-18 Humboldt Broncos are shown in a photo posted to the team’s X (then, known as Twitter) account. Layne (#28) stands in the back row, top right of the group with his arms around his teammates. (@HumboldtBroncos/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

That year, the team finished the regular season fifth overall and after they defeated the Melfort Mustangs in the opening round of the playoffs, the Broncos faced off with the league leading Nipawin Hawks in the semifinals.

However, while on their way to Game 5 in Nipawin, the unthinkable happened.

The coach bus the team was travelling on collided with a semi-truck that ran a stop sign, resulting in 16 Broncos members losing their lives while 13 others, including Layne, suffered life-altering injuries.

“I played hockey for 15 years,” Layne said. “Since the bus crash happened, I’m incapable of playing hockey anymore.”

The aftermath of the fatal bus crash carrying members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team is shown outside of Tisdale, Sask., on April 7, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

Layne was the final person found among the wreckage when first responders saw a foot move under a pile of debris. There, they found him lying face down under a portion of the bus roof.

He suffered multiple serious facial fractures in the crash, along with a broken sternum, a double lung collapse, and a traumatic brain injury.

He spent the next six months at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon relearning all the basics: walking, talking, eating and basic mobility. Nine months after the crash, Layne returned to the ice for the first time with his family watching, all while continuing his road to recovery at various hospitals and centres across the country over the next few years.

Fast forward to today, eight years after the accident, and Layne is now giving back to the sport that he’s loved his entire life. This time, he’s standing behind the bench and passing on his knowledge of the game to young players coming up through the ranks with the hopes of one day returning to Humboldt again.

“I want to become a Humboldt Broncos head coach in the future,” Layne said with a smile.

Now residing in Emma Lake, Layne has spent this season helping out with the Prince Albert Timberjaks of the Prairie Junior Hockey League (PJHL), an 11-team league at the junior B. level.

“It’s been pretty good,” said Layne about his experience with the Timberjaks so far. “Since I can’t play hockey anymore, I’d love to be a coach and stay connected to hockey because I love hockey, so it’s good to get my foot in the door.”

The coaching opportunity arose when Timberjaks head coach and general manager Steph Corfmat ran into some old friends at a charity golf tournament over the summer where they got to chatting.

“Brian Munz with the Winnipeg Jets, he’s a buddy of mine and we were down at the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Golf Tournament and him and Laurie Strome approached me about maybe taking Layne on as a coach,” Corfmat explained. “He wanted to get back into the game and give back to what was good for him. We talked to his mom and dad, and he’s been coming out and helping us, and now he’s starting to come on the bench.”

Since joining the club, Layne has been helping out both on and off the ice, skating during practices and giving his thoughts or some advice in the locker room between periods.

Layne (right) is seen observing the play alongside Timberjaks head coach and general manager Steph Corfmat. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

Timberjaks president Ken Malenfant spoke about the kind of person Layne is, calling him a smart mind of the game and an inspiration to everyone.

“He’s a great person, a pretty funny guy too once you get to meet him,” said Malenfant. “He’s still really passionate about hockey. He comes out whenever he’s available and shares his knowledge of being, what he calls himself, an undersized defenceman. He talks to the guys a little bit and he works with them, shares some tricks and some ways to cheat as a defenceman. It seems like he’s just excited to be back in the game and we’re ecstatic to have had him and the opportunity to get to know him.”

“Someone said something the other day about, ‘Oh, that’s great you’re giving back by bringing in Layne’. Actually, it’s the other way around, I think Layne is giving back [to us]. I think he’s happy to be able to be back into what was so passionate to him for all those years being a hockey player. [Steph and I] are both SJHL alumni and we also have Kim Issel who’s an ex-pro and Raider alumni, we’re here to give back and Layne is no different from us, just trying to be a part of Saskatchewan’s pastime.”

Corfmat, a former Humboldt Bronco himself, echoed Malenfant and recalled how impressed he was when he watched Layne play in AAA.

“It’s great to have him around. He’s quiet but as he’s coming out more and more. He’s getting more vocal and comfortable, and he knows the game. He’ll point something out and he’s bang on, like he got hurt physically but mentally, he’s still got the hockey IQ. I remember him from when he played here for the Mintos and I thought, ‘You know, he’s a pretty good player’ and with him being kind of a local now, it was a no brainer for us to bring him on.”

Layne skates in a game with the Broncos during the 2017-18 season. (@HumboldtBroncos/X)

Layne has yet to travel on a bus since the crash and with a bus being the primary transportation to and from away games, Malenfant said the team isn’t putting any pressure on him to get back onto one.

“Our goal is to get him on some road trips with us, but everything is up to him. It’s going to be a nervous time for him, like we ride the bus for all the road games. I was talking with his mom and dad, and they said it’ll be a big step for him. We’re going to support him and try to make him feel comfortable again when that time comes.”

Talking about his dream of becoming a Broncos head coach, Layne said he’s been in contact with current Humboldt head coach Brayden Klimosko and joked at maybe teaming up with him down the line.

“He was a coach there when I was [affiliated] up in Humboldt. He seems like a great guy. I talked to him about the future, maybe [I’ll] become Humboldt’s assistant coach.”

Layne is also still in close contact with his former Bronco teammates, where they plan a reunion trip someplace every year.

“Nobody else is going to become a coach I don’t think, but me and my old teammates keep in pretty good contact all year. Once a year at least we all get together, like last year we went to Edmonton and we had box seats to watch the Oilers play the Carolina Hurricanes. It was so much fun, like honestly, we are all a team, but it’s almost like they’re all my brothers.”

He added the group is looking at heading back to Edmonton this year to take in another Oilers game in a box suite.

Entering the Christmas break, the Timberjaks are tied for fifth in the Bob Dybvig (North) Division standings donning a 7-16-3 (W-L-OTL) record.

The team will return to action on Jan. 3 when they visit the Outback Thunder in Carrot River for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com