There’s a moment every February inside the Balgonie Star Dome when the noise settles, the players line up at their respective blue lines, and the community collectively exhales. It’s the moment when the Prairie Storm U13AA program pauses its season to remember one of its own, Adam Herold, the youngest of the 16 lives lost in the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018.
On Saturday, February 21, at 11:15 a.m., the tradition continues as the Prairie Storm host the Melville Millionaires in the annual Adam Herold Tribute Game. This event has evolved into one of minor hockey’s most meaningful days on the calendar.
For Prairie Storm U13AA coach George Pyne, the roots of this game lie in the devastating hours after the crash.
“How this game got started was… we were supposed to play game three of provincial finals the day after the tragic bus crash,” Pyne told The SportsCage. “Neither team wanted to put any more stress on the communities. It was decided between Sask Hockey and the two U13 teams left in the finals to call it a day. Both teams were named co-winners, the first time in the history of Sask Hockey.”
But the idea to honour Herold came directly from the players.
“Not long after the awards were given out, the group of kids involved that year—led by Evan Penell—had an idea. They wanted a tribute game for Adam. He was a great leader, with a great work ethic, and played two years of bantam here. The kids wanted to keep his legacy going. They went out and found sponsors, got special jerseys made. All the names of those involved in the Humboldt organization were melted into the sweater. They started something special.”
The tribute jerseys, now a fixture of the event, have become symbolic in their own right.
“The jerseys, we actually wear them every year,” Pyne said. “The kids designed them. They got sponsorship from a couple of sports stores in town, and we just let them run with it. WHL teams have donated jerseys and sticks over the years; businesses have donated items and cash. It’s become quite a day, quite a game.”
Most importantly, the Herold family attends every year.
“Adam’s family shows up, and they have a booth with information about Adam. The funds from the legacy go to helping minor hockey, development camps, on- and off-ice training, and guys going into communities to work with kids. It goes to a really good cause.”
This year's game brings another strong slate of fundraising initiatives, all supporting the Adam Herold Legacy Foundation.
Silent Auction Items Include:
- Regina Pats tickets
- $1,000 gift card to Graham’s Tires
- Car detailing package from Bennett Dunlop Ford
- Facial treatment from Lamella
- Round of golf for four with carts and brunch at Aspen Links
- Balgonie Tavern gift card and liquor package
- Hockey stick from Western Cycle Source for Sports
- Keg gift card
And the 50/50, always a highlight, starts with a $1,000 guaranteed take-home, sponsored by Bayer Crop Science and Western Prospects Hockey Development.
While the day is about legacy, the Prairie Storm enter the match-up playing some of the best hockey in the province, boasting an undefeated regular season record.
“Probably didn’t see this coming at the start of the season,” Pyne admitted. “But they’ve done really well up to this point, undefeated in league play. They’ve fallen a couple of times in tournaments, but they’ve also won a couple. Hats off to them. Great bunch of kids.”
Every year, this game becomes less about the scoreboard and more about what echoes beyond it: the leadership, work ethic, and character that defined Adam Herold.
It’s why the Star Dome fills early.
It’s why the volunteers show up in waves.
It’s why the community continues to wrap its arms around this event.
Because long after the final whistle, the legacy lives in the young players who skate in Adam’s honour and in the communities that continue to remember.
