Brandon embraces grieving grandparents

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This article was published 13/04/2018 (2742 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — Hockey was just a small part of Evan Thomas’ life, according to his Brandon grandfather, who on emphasized the 18-year-old’s bright future as a loving and caring man.

“I don’t know if he played the sport particularly because he loved the sport. He played because he loved being with teammates,” Frank Thomas said about his grandson, who died in Friday’s bus crash in which 16 players and officials of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team died.

“I imagine he could have been a great tennis player or a great golfer, but he would never do something on his own. He was a team guy through and through.”

The devastating tragedy that claimed 16 lives has shaken the tight-knit hockey community and is reverberating through Brandon, where Frank and Betty Thomas live. The front of their home has become a makeshift memorial for their grandson.

The couple went to Saskatoon to be with Evan’s parents, Scott and Laurie Thomas.

The support from their family and friends has been evident from the beginning, Frank Thomas said.

“The front door of Scott and Laurie’s is like a revolving door,” he said. “Each (person) brings a new set of tears — you start all over. But each one comes with all the love and support.”

“I’ve never cumulatively through my life probably hugged as many people as I have in the last three days,” he said. “Each one helps.”

Evan Thomas previously played Midget AAA hockey in Moose Jaw, Sask., before joining the Broncos.

He also played baseball at a high level.

Many of Evan’s friends and family have shared stories about his involvement in sports. More importantly than his gifts on the ice or field was his character after the final buzzer sounded.

“The common words behind all this that I’ve heard is sense of humour. Humble. Competitive. Strong. Intelligent. Caring,” Frank Thomas said.

His grandson loved his teammates and friends. He excelled academically and was considering a career as an orthopedic surgeon.

He said Evan filled in last summer at an annual golf tournament he typically plays with his four sons.

After the round, when everyone else had gone to bed, Evan and Frank spoke late into the night.

“I got to know him so much better as a man. He was no longer a kid all of a sudden. He was a man and I will miss the man in him.”

Frank Thomas said he’ll cherish the memories of watching his grandson grow up.

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“What I’ll miss is not… the past, I have that. What I’ll miss is the future because he had a bright, bright future.”

“Sports wasn’t going to be his life. He played because he loved to be there and he loved to play and he’s competitive. He’s so intelligent. He’d be successful at whatever he chose.”

Amid the family’s grief, Frank’s wife heard about the #putyourstickout movement in which strangers have paid tribute to crash victims by leaving hockey sticks on their front porch. Betty Thomas sent a message to a friend and asked if they’d consider doing the same in front of their home in Brandon. By Tuesday afternoon, many have followed suit. At least 40 sticks were placed in front of their home. A portrait of Evan was taped to their front window.

“It means a lot to me. It’s the power and love and the friendships that have kept us going and this is a physical display of that,” Frank Thomas said. “Symbolically, it’s huge.”

— Brandon Sun