Young hockey player dies tragically en route to hockey tournament.

A terrible tragedy struck a Canadian hockey community last week, one that has cost a very young man his life.

The country has been hit by harsh weather in recent weeks, weather that has made travel difficult and dangerous for many Canadians around the country. Hockey families are particularly vulnerable as weekends often consist of travel to out of town tournaments, and unfortunately that was the case this past week.

In a heartbreaking message, Fred Sasakamoose of the National Hockey Championship revealed on social media that four young kids and a driver who were traveling from Waskaganish to Ouje-Bougoumou for a hockey tournament were involved in an accident. While Sasakamoose did not provide any details on the nature of the accident, he did confirm that one of the kids involved has passed away as a result of the injuries he suffered in the accident.

"A heartbreaking tragedy has hit the Cree Nation in Northern Quebec," wrote Sasakamoose in a Facebook post on Valentine's Day. "Yesterday afternoon, an accident on Route-du-Nord, a remote highway in the Eeyou Istchee region, involved five people, the driver and four kids on their way from Waskaganish to Ouje-Bougoumou for a minor hockey tournament. Sadly, one young player lost their life on impact. It’s a devastating day for the Cree Nation’s hockey community. Please keep the affected families in your thoughts and prayers."

You can see the original Facebook post below:

I am happy to report that since the original post hockey fans from around the world have flooded the community with love and support, but of course that will do little to comfort those who have lost a loved one in this tragedy.

My most sincere condolences go out to the Cree Nation, all of the players and families involved in the National Hockey Championship and anyone else who has been impacted by this terrible tragedy.