Humboldt Broncos to assemble team for 2018-19 season

The Humboldt Broncos will be back on the ice for the 2018-19 SJHL season, the team announced in a release Friday, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

The team's season was put on hold after a fatal bus crash in April killed 16 people, including the head coach, players, and staff members within the organization.

In wake of the tragedy, the hockey community offered its unending support and a GoFundMe campaign raised over $15 million in donations from across the world.

Now, the club wants to return to hockey, and the Broncos are beginning with a search for a new head coach and general manager this week. The previous holder of both titles, Darcy Haugan, was killed in the crash.

"Darcy Haugen was selfless, inspirational, and motivating, building up his players to be great ambassadors and role models both on the ice and in the community," Broncos president Kevin Garinger said. "He was the coach every player wanted, and that other coaches wanted to emulate. As a general manager, Darcy made smart decisions and was driven to ensure the Broncos organization succeeded in every aspect of its operations. He took our team to new heights - it will be incredibly difficult to find someone that can rise to his standards."

The Broncos also announced they will hold an invite-only tryout for 80 players May 27-28.