Hundreds attend benefit game honouring junior hockey players killed in crash

Jerseys at a memorial outside main arena doors for three junior hockey players killed in a vehicle crash at Stavely, Alta., Feb. 3, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal

Stavely hosted a benefit hockey game Sunday night for the three junior hockey players who died last week in a highway crash.

Hundreds packed the arena to watch the Southern Alberta Mustangs play the Stavely Spurs alumni team.

JJ Wright and Cameron Casorso, both 18 from Kamloops, B.C., and 17-year-old Caden fine from Alabama, died on their way to a Mustangs practice Monday when their car collided with a gravel truck.

The community says the outpouring of support the players and their families have received has carried them through their heartbreak.

“The boys are hurting, but they are incredibly strong.” says Lisa May, one of the owners of the Southern Alberta Mustangs.

“We are taking things one day at a time to make sure they have the space and the support that they need. I want to also say how important these players were to us, and they still are. JJ, Cameron and Caden were not just a part of our roster. They were a part of who we were as an organization. ”

The players say JJ, Cameron and Caden have made a lasting impact on their lives.

“Caden was the light to the team. He brought joy, he brought motivation, he brought energy to every game. I shared a room with Caden, and there wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t have a smile on my face,” says forward Tyson Tozer who was also a billet brother to all three boys.

“I’m just going to think about them really all we can do. I’m glad I got to play with them. They’re they were amazing people,” says goalie Koy Sutherland.

“I came in late this season, and the first time coming in the room, I remember Cam coming up and introduced himself, biggest smile, best smile on team, by far,” says defenceman Kayne Anderson.

“And then Caden, I was warned when I came here don’t listen to anything he says; he was funny guy and then JJ was more of a shy type of guy in the room, but when he wanted to be heard, he was heard.”

This benefit game is among several ongoing fundraisers that have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the families.

The community is also planning a larger memorial at a later date to honour the young players.

Stavely is 117 kilometres south of Calgary.

With files from CTV News Calgary’s Darren Wright