Just days after a northern Ontario hockey team lost all its equipment in a bus fire on the way home from a road trip, the community has rallied to get the players back on the ice.
Most of the North Bay Trappers U18 AAA hockey team was back on the ice Wednesday morning practising with new equipment.
"Thank you to Kirkland Lake OPP, Kenogami Fire Department, Kenogami Watershed Ecological Alliance and Ken Armstorng for helping all of us to a safe and warm location," the team said in a social media post on Wednesday.
"Also thanks to Tisdale and everyone at Source for Sports in North Bay for outfitting our players to get them back to business."
Sunday night, the team's motor coach blew a tire on Highway 11 in the Kirkland Lake area, which resulted in a fire.
Tisdale Bus Lines credits the driver for making sure everyone got off the bus safely.
"It was an experience that will bring the team together, 'amor fati' (a love of fate)," head coach Doug Sanders told CTV News in an online exchange.
Unfortunately, all of the team's hockey equipment and personal belongings were destroyed in the blaze.
Tisdale is covering the cost of the elite team's replacement equipment and is working with a local supplier.
The team had tentatively scheduled to play in a showcase at Clarkson University this weekend.
"We cancelled Clarkson. We still have a few players without gear. Our regular season games the following weekend will be a go," Sanders said.
The Ontario Provincial Police is investigating the fire, but no update has been given.
