Minnesota Wild fans make amazing gesture to honor Humboldt Broncos

In an act of sheer class, the Minnesota Wild honor victims of the Humboldt tragedy by inviting fans to collectively sign a massive banner at the Xcel Energy Center.

There’s little doubt that the Stanley Cup playoffs provide one of the most exciting sources of competition in contemporary sport. For months, a curious spirit of collectivity arises out of the depths of many a frozen rink across North America. Legends are born, intense rivalries are rehashed, and fanbases unite in joy or in despair — all while great players strive to separate themselves from good ones.

It’s an escape, really — a temporary departure from the realities of our lives. But what happens when the hockey world is left to confront something bigger than the sport itself?

In a season where the NHL has been rightfully scrutinized for a range of reasons — the limits of its concussion protocol and its troubling diversity problem, in particular, are issues that demand much deeper levels of critical engagement — the league’s response to the Humboldt Broncos bush crash has served as a refreshing reminder of hockey’s capacity to unite in the face of misfortune.

A touching example of the degree to which the tragedy continues to impact the world of sport has come in the form of a banner that is on display at the Xcel Energy Center. As the Minnesota Wild prepare to host the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of their first-round series, fans of both teams have been invited to sign a massive banner as a way of honoring the victims of the bus crash.

Few would doubt that the series in question has been a nasty one. Both teams head into tonight’s matchup knowing that the game promises to be nothing short of a nail-biter, as the Jets aim to maintain their lead while the Wild fight to even the series.

But as Minnesota’s timely gesture reminds us, certain things are indeed bigger than hockey. We may often appear to be divided by an overarching culture of competition, but moments like these allow us to unite in our love for the sport.

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We all wish that we were brought together under different circumstances. But as the playoffs progress, the collective sense of spirit ushered forward by Humboldt — in the name of the victims, in the name of the beautiful game — is more radiant than ever before.

#HumboldtStrong

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