Three members of the Southern Alberta Mustangs Junior hockey team were killed in a devastating motor vehicle collision south of Calgary, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit hockey community and beyond. The tragic crash occurred as the young athletes were traveling to a team practice, cutting short three promising lives and leaving teammates, families, and fans in mourning.
The Mustangs, based in Stavely, Alberta, confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement posted to social media Monday afternoon. “There are no words that can adequately express the depth of our grief,” the statement read. The organization said the players were en route to practice when the collision happened, though further details about the circumstances of the crash have not yet been released.
Global News confirmed the identities of the three players who lost their lives. They are Caden Fine, a centre whose hometown is listed as Birmingham, Alabama; JJ Wright, a left-winger from Kamloops, British Columbia; and Cameron Casorso, a goaltender who was also from Kamloops. Each player was described as a valued member of the team, both on and off the ice.
“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,” the team said in its statement. The loss has been felt not only within the organization but across the broader junior hockey world, where messages of support and condolences have poured in.
In the wake of the tragedy, a memorial honoring the three players has been set up at the Stavely arena, featuring their jerseys and tributes from community members. Residents, teammates, and supporters have stopped by to pay their respects, leaving flowers, notes, and hockey memorabilia in remembrance of the fallen players.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in nearby Claresholm confirmed in a separate news release that officers were on scene at a “serious motor vehicle collision on Highway 2 at 55 Avenue” in the community of Stavely. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing. As the community grieves, the Southern Alberta Mustangs and the families affected are being surrounded by an outpouring of love, support, and solidarity during an unimaginably painful time.
