Last year, Zach Morey had a choice. He could play for the Humboldt Broncos or return to the Nelson Leafs.

HeB次元官网网址檚 been thinking a lot lately about the decision he made.

Like many in Canada, the Leafs defenceman has been reeling following the April 6 crash between a semi truck and the BroncosB次元官网网址� team bus that killed 16 people and injured 13 more.

What separates Morey from everyone else, though, is that he could have been on that bus himself.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 eerie. Thinking how both things would have gone different ways, if a couple choices wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have been so black and white or something happened, that could have been me. ItB次元官网网址檚 kind of a weird, forebodingB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� and here Morey paused to find the words.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a lot.B次元官网网址�

Morey played five exhibition games for the Broncos at the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign. The defenceman had been promised a roster spot, but a coaching change led to his being cut. He ended up playing for the Kimberley Dynamiters before a trade sent him to the Leafs later that season.

At the start of last year, the Broncos coaching staff returned to offer Morey a spot for his final year in junior hockey. He turned them down.

B次元官网网址淚 was just kind of done with Saskatchewan and I really liked Nelson. The opportunity in Nelson was better than the opportunity to go back and play in the SJHL.B次元官网网址�

The Leafs made Morey an assistant captain, and he had a stellar season. There was no reason for him to think about the Broncos again, until last weekB次元官网网址檚 tragedy.

B次元官网网址淚t took a while to kick in because it just seems too terrible to be true, if that makes any sense,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hinking about yourself being in the crash too. ItB次元官网网址檚 one of those things where I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 wish that upon my worst enemy, and to think that you could have been there just throws you off and makes you think about how lucky you are for making the choices you did.B次元官网网址�

For their part, the Leafs have since donated $1,000 to the Broncos. As of publication, $8.5 million has been raised through a GoFundMe campaign for the players and families affected by the crash.

Part of what hit Morey hardest about the crash is how often he and other hockey players his age are on buses. He refers to the bus as a safe space.

B次元官网网址淓verybody has their seat, thatB次元官网网址檚 where they sit, everybody jokes around and talks and plays some pranks, has some fun,B次元官网网址� said Morey. B次元官网网址淚t really is just for the boys and it becomes our space, even if it is just for the two hours or the trip to Castlegar or if weB次元官网网址檙e going five or six hours. ThatB次元官网网址檚 ours for as long as it is and we make it our own.B次元官网网址�

Morey is too old to play junior hockey now. After the crash, he briefly thought how lucky he was to never have to ride a bus again.

But then he changed his mind.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of the friendships and a lot of the good times of my junior career all began on the bus,B次元官网网址� he said.

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tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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