Several Canadian broadcasters are offering to take part in an initiative to honour the memory of Humboldt Broncos play-by-play announcer Tyler Bieber.
The 29-year-old was one of 16 people who died after the team’s bus and a transport truck collided last week at an intersection near Tisdale, Sask.
Saskatoon Media Group sports director Les Lazaruk, the play-by-play voice of the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades, volunteered to call a Broncos game next season for free and put out a call on Twitter for other broadcasters to do the same.
The initiative quickly picked up steam with Chris Cuthbert and Gord Miller of TSN offering to participate along with Sportsnet’s Rob Faulds and others.
Lazaruk says the idea came to him when he looked up at the broadcast booth at Elgar Petersen Arena during Bieber’s funeral service on Thursday.
He notes there are 58 Broncos games next season and he’s hoping 57 other broadcasters can call a game apiece.
Lazaruk says he hopes to make the necessary arrangements with the local radio station, the Broncos and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Sarah Miller, the program director at 107.5 Bolt FM in Humboldt, tweeted that she sincerely appreciates the idea, adding it’s an amazing way to honour Tyler.