Funny, unstoppable, magnetic: 3 Alberta hockey players killed in crash remembered

Three players with the Southern Alberta Mustangs junior hockey team in Stavely, Alta., were killed Monday while heading to practice in the town south of Calgary.

RCMP say the small vehicle they were in collided with a semi-truck hauling gravel on a highway on the edge of town.

Here’s a look at the players:

JJ Wright

The 18-year-old left-winger from Kamloops, B.C., played in 25 games this season with the Mustangs, the U.S. Premier Hockey League’s Premier Division website shows.

Last year, he played for the Kamloops Jr. Blazers under-18 team.

He was “funny and passionate,” said former teammate Thunder Camille.

“If he scored on me, he would make sure I knew that it went in by pointing at it in the net, or even calling a goal like a ref would — with his arm out, and telling everyone in the dressing room how he scored, rubbing it in more.”

Wright was always smiling, regardless of the score, Camille said. He was also a physical player.

“He could be talking about anything but hockey in the locker room. But once he stepped out on the ice, it’s like a switch went off.

“He would go out flying, hitting kids left and right. It didn’t matter the size, he would go through them and score.”

Wright also had his teammates’ backs.

“No matter the person, he would protect you,” Camille said.

Friend Blake Linquist described Wright as “the best person you’d ever meet.”

“He never discluded anyone or made them feel down,” Linquist said. “He was a really amazing guy overall.”

In a statement last August announcing his signing with the Mustangs, Wright said the move was “a great opportunity to grow as a player and contribute to a strong team.”

Cameron Casorso

The 18-year-old goaltender, also from Kamloops, B.C., appeared in 10 games this season with the Mustangs.

He was “a brick wall between the pipes,” the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association said in a social media post about Casorso last March.

He had previously played in the organization since 2012.

“From highlight reel saves to clutch shutouts, you’ve stolen games, frustrated opponents, and made it clear that scoring on you was never a guarantee,” it said.

It described his play as an example of heart and resilience.

“Wherever hockey takes you, we know that you’ll bring the same passion, humour and unstoppable energy.”

Photos posted by family on social media show a clean-shaven Casorso smiling in a high school graduation gown in Kamloops. A day earlier, he is standing in a rink in full equipment, holding a bundle of brightly coloured balloons with his goalie glove, celebrating his last game in minor hockey.

In a video posted at Christmas by the Mustangs, Casorso, with a big smile and a thinly grown moustache, announced his mother as the winner of a team contest.

“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Peace out,” he said.

Caden Fine

The 17-year-old centre from Birmingham, Ala., played 23 games this season with the Mustangs.

Before moving to Canada, he played with Columbus High A and Atlanta Phoenix under-16 teams in the United States.

“All the good times he and I had. The road trips. The ups and downs. The good the bad. He and I talked every single day and I am going to miss that,” his father, Daniel Fine, said in a post on Facebook.

“He had a good run and now he’s resting. I just wish he could see the impact he had on others.

“Please grab your child and hold them tight. You never know when the last time will be.”

Taylor Dickin, director of hockey development with Birmingham Jr Bulls Hockey, worked with Fine two years ago.

“All of his teammates gravitated to him, if they wanted someone to joke around with or cheer them up a little bit,” Dickin said.

“He interacted with everyone on the team. It wasn’t like he had just a few buddies … always said, ‘Hi,’ to everyone, ‘How’s it going?’ Good manners, just an all-around nice kid.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2026.

— With files from Dayne Patterson in Calgary and Nono Shen in Vancouver

Chuck Chiang and Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press