Tyler Bieber, who was a broadcaster for the Humboldt Broncos, will be the first of the Humboldt bus crash victims to be laid to rest Thursday. He was 29.
His funeral is being held Thursday at Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, where the Broncos played their home games.
Bieber was a New England Patriots fan. Upon hearing this, the Patriots sent flowers for the services. Additionally, team owner Robert Kraft left a voicemail for Bieber's mother on Wednesday expressing his condolences.
Bieber was in his first year as a play-by-play announcer for the Broncos. The junior hockey team was en route to a playoff game last Friday when its bus collided with a truck carrying peat moss. Of the 29 people on board, 16 have died, including the team coach, players and bus driver.
On Wednesday, athletic therapist Dayna Brons became the 16th victim of the crash when she died in the hospital as a result of her injuries. She was 25.
Services for players Adam Herold and Jacob Leicht are scheduled for Friday. Herold's funeral will be in his hometown of Montmartre, Saskatchewan. Leicht's funeral will also be in Humboldt.
Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Wednesday it is still investigating circumstances of crash. RCMP will "continue to dedicate significant resources to ensure a thorough investigation" though that investigation can take "significant time." Dozens of interviews have been conducted, with more to come. Vehicle computer data is being recovered and analyzed.
Also Wednesday, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League announced It will finish its season. The decision for the SJHL to play its championship series came from a conference call among the league's board, which issued a statement saying "the power of healing is in the game."
The league championship series will be between the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins and the Nipawin Hawks. Game 1 is Saturday in Nipawin.
Nipawin was involved in a playoff series against Humboldt when the tragic crash occurred.