Nine of the surviving members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team were in good spirits Monday as they gathered together for the first time since the tragic April 6 bus crash that killed 16 people.

The nine men were able to hang out at the Calgary Airport before boarding a flight to Las Vegas for Wednesday’s NHL Awards, where their late head coach Darcy Haugan is nominated to posthumously receive the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award.

They’ll be joined in Las Vegas by a tenth teammate, Ryan Straschnitzki, who is flying in from Philadelphia where he is undergoing rehabilitation.

Earlier in the day, Xavier Labelle, who was released from hospital on June 6, told CTV Saskatoon he was looking forward to seeing the rest of the team. “It'll be pretty emotional but we'll be there for each other,” he said.

Brayden Camrud, who suffered minor injuries, was also looking forward to reuniting in person. “I just want to give them a hug,” he said.

Jacob Wassermann said it was going to be “amazing,” adding that he’s been “missing them a lot.”

Wasserman was especially grateful, having been told that he can move home from the hospital after returning to Canada.

“It’s the greatest feeling that I get to stay home after all this,” he said. “I put in a lot of work there and I’m ready to stay out.”

With a report from CTV Saskatoon