Kamloops hockey community grapples with difficult loss as locals killed in Alberta car crash

Athletes remembered fondly

Members of the Kamloops hockey community are recalling fond memories of local athletes JJ Wright and Cameron Casorso, two teens who tragically died in a car crash in Alberta Monday while travelling to practice with their Southern Alberta Mustangs.

The 18-year-old hockey players and their American teammate, 17-year-old Caden Fine, were killed when their vehicle collided with a semi truck in the small town of Stavely, Alta., located south of Calgary.

Casorso and Wright were born in 2007 and were alumni of the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association.

Kamloops Storm forward Noah Paulsen, who grew up with netminder Casorso, said his friend was an outgoing person with a passion for hockey.

“I went to elementary school with him for a couple years, played hockey with him, I went to high school with him,” Paulsen said.

“He was great person, he was a joy to be around, he always had a smile on his face. He was one of the most outgoing guys I know, and he loved hockey.”

Paulsen, 18, said the deaths are still hard to process.

‘I find it really hard to wrap my head around the idea that someone’s gone. It’s really hard,” he said.

Narinder Serown, who was an assistant coach when Wright played for the Chase Outlaws with Serown's son, said Wright was a consummate hockey player and even better human being.

“JJ — great kid — he always brought enthusiasm, he was always the light in the room, great sense of humour, always kept the team together and a coach’s dream,” Serown said.

Serown said he continues to grapple with the players’ untimely passing.

“When you’re playing sports, you become a family,” he said.

Rob Fryer, who coached Wright when he played for the Kamloops Jedi, said he was familiar with Casorso as a “solid netminder”, adding it’s a devastating loss.

“You never want to lose any of your members, especially young men or ladies who are playing for our association over the years. They're off playing for their dream in junior hockey at this point in their careers,” Fryer said.

Fryer said KMHA has some plans on the works to honour all three men at their next home game.

“We’re going to try and do something special,” he said.

Meanwhile, condolences for the three men were being shared across Canada on Tuesday with Prime Minister Mark Carney and National Hockey League superstar Connor McDavid expressing their grief over the incident.

“It’s a tragedy,” Carney said. “It’s a nightmare of every parent, every teammate, family [and] friends. My heart goes out to the families of the victims and the team.”

McDavid described the deaths as tragic.

“Something that touched close to home," McDavid said.

No charges expected

RCMP said the crash that claimed the lives of the three Alberta junior hockey players on Monday is believed to be nothing more than a tragic accident and no criminal charges are expected.

Claresholm RCMP were called to the town of Stavely, south of Calgary, at about 11 a.m. on Monday for reports of a two-vehicle collision involving a small car and a large truck hauling gravel.

“This occurred in the northbound lane of Highway 2 at secondary road 527,” said Cpl. Gina Slaney with the Alberta RCMP on Tuesday.

“Preliminary investigation shows that the semi was travelling northbound on Highway 2 and the passenger vehicle was going eastbound across Highway 2 at the time of the collision.”

She said there is no light at this intersection, and southbound drivers need to cross two northbound lanes of traffic to access the town.

Slaney added weather conditions were clear, and visibility was not obstructed for either driver.

Wright, a forward who played for the Kamloops Jr. Blazers' U-18 team, played in 25 games this season with the Mustangs. He had one goal and eight assists.

Casorso appeared in 10 games this season with the Mustangs. He posted a win-loss-overtime loss record of 4-3-1.

Fine, a centreman, was from Birmingham, Ala., and played 23 games this season with the Mustangs, scoring five goals and seven assists.

Before he moved to Canada, he played with Columbus High A and Atlanta Phoenix U-16 teams in the U.S.