Bus carrying youth hockey team involved in non-fatal Alberta crash
A bus carrying a junior hockey team from the town of Athabasca lost control on a highway in northern Alberta and went into a ditch in a heavily-wooded area early Friday morning.
RCMP responded to the single-vehicle collision on Highway 2, just south of Athabasca, where they found several people on the bus had sustained injuries. Two teenagers were sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Several other people were injured, but no fatalities were reported, police said.
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The National Junior Hockey League (NJHL) confirmed in a statement Friday afternoon that the bus was carrying the Athabasca Rivermen Junior A Hockey Club, whose players range in age between 15 and 19.
This photo, supplied by RCMP, shows the front of a bus carrying a hockey team, which slid into a heavily wooded area near Athabasca, Alta., on Dec. 12, 2025. The RCMP blacked out portions of the photo they felt could identify the carrier or the team. (Supplied by RCMP)
Police said they believe icy road conditions were a contributing factor in the crash. Athabasca RCMP said drivers should be prepared to adjust to winter road conditions.
The NJHL said the bus was taking the team to a game in Crowsnest Pass, Alta., located about 165 kilometres south of Calgary.
The league said it is in communication with the team and local authorities, and it intends to provide the necessary supports to ensure the team’s mental health and well-being.
Athabasca is located about 150 kilometres north of Edmonton.
This article was originally published by CBC News on Dec. 12, 2025.