STAVELY — Three players on an Alberta junior hockey team were killed Monday in a vehicle crash while heading to practice.
The Southern Alberta Mustangs in the small town of Stavely said in a Facebook post that they’re working closely with authorities and offering support to other players, staff and families.
“There are no words that can adequately express the depth of our grief,” the team said.
“These young men were more than hockey players — they were teammates, sons, brothers, friends, and deeply loved members of our Mustangs family and the communities we call home.”
RCMP said officers responded in the morning to a crash at an intersection with Highway 2 in the town, about an hour’s drive south of Calgary.
It involved a northbound semi truck pulling gravel and a small passenger vehicle that was heading east.
Two 18-year-old men from Kamloops, B.C., and a 17-year-old from Alabama were killed, Mounties said.
The driver of the semi, a 40-year-old man from Stavely, received minor injuries.
Several news outlets published a photo of a memorial at the town’s arena — three white and red jerseys with the last names of the players draped over a table, along with three upright hockey sticks.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a social media post, offered condolences to the families and teammates of JJ Wright, Cameron Casorso and Caden Fine.
“The whole Alberta hockey family is standing with you in sorrow and in prayer,” said Smith.
“In the days ahead, I know Albertans will wrap these families and this team in love and support as they navigate a pain no one should ever have to bear.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was heartbroken by the news.
“Canadians are keeping the entire Southern Alberta Mustangs community in our thoughts as they face this unimaginable grief,” he said on social media.
The Mustangs play in the U.S. Premier Hockey League’s Premier Division, which the league describes as being “known for developing players into college-ready athletes.”
The Kamloops Minor Hockey Association said in a statement that Casorso and Wright grew up in the B.C. organization. Casorso played from 2012 to 2025 and Wright from 2011 to 2025.
“Although their journeys began here in Kamloops, they found a second hockey family and a new bond with the Southern Alberta Mustangs,” it said.
“These three young men were teammates and friends to many. We are grieving together, as one hockey family forever changed by the loss of these young men.”
The Calgary Flames with the National Hockey League also offered support on social media: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who knew them.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2026.
The Canadian Press
