‘Unimaginable Loss’: Alberta Hockey Team Asks for Privacy to Mourn After 3 Players Killed in Crash

Hockey jerseys of Southern Alberta Mustangs hockey players who died in a crash in Stavely, Alta., are displayed on Feb. 2, 2026. The Canadian Press/Handout - Daniel Fine, Facebook

The Southern Alberta Mustangs junior hockey team is requesting privacy as its members mourn the “unimaginable loss” of three teenage players who were killed in a crash while en route to practice in Stavely, Alta., on Feb. 2.

The team confirmed in a late night Facebook post that 17-year-old centre Caden Fine, 18-year-old left-winger JJ Wright, and 18-year-old goalie Cameron Casorso were killed. Wright and Casorso were both from Kamloops, B.C., and Fine was from Birmingham, Alabama.

The image-only post displayed their jerseys and hockey sticks as a tribute to the players.

The Mustangs have since posted another notice to social media asking all media outlets to refrain from contacting players, staff, or families.

“We are in the earliest hours of an unimaginable loss,” the early morning message from the ownership and coaching staff said. “Our priority right now is the care, privacy, and well-being of the families, teammates, and staff who are grieving.”

The team said it will release an official statement later today or tomorrow.

“Until that time we respectfully but firmly ask that all media step back and allow space for those directly affected,” the post said. “Please do not contact players family’s, billets, or team staff. Any attempts to do so only add to the trauma being experienced.”

Claresholm RCMP say the three teammates were driving to Stavely when their small passenger vehicle collided with a semi-truck carrying gravel at an intersection along Highway 2, roughly an hour south of Calgary. All three players died at the scene of the collision.

The 40-year-old driver of the semi, who was a resident of Stavely, was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Condolences have been pouring in since the news of the players’ tragic death, the team said, noting that its members are “deeply overwhelmed and grateful for the outpouring of support.”

Players Remembered

The three players were honoured with a moment of silence ahead of the Calgary Flames NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night.

“The hockey family is a tight knit one,” the announcer said before asking people to stand to honour the three teens. “We stand together in support of the Mustangs organization and extend our deepest sympathies to all those grieving this unimaginable loss.”

Several teams and leagues also commemorated the three players through social media posts.

The Kamloops Minor Hockey Association (KMHA) took to Facebook to mourn the loss of the three players, noting that Casorso and Wright grew up playing for its organization. Wright played in KMHA from 2011 to 2025, and Casorso from 2012 to 2025.

“Their presence and impact will be remembered by teammates, coaches, and families throughout our community,” the organization said in its Feb. 2 post.

“Although their journeys began here in Kamloops, they found a second hockey family and a new bond with the Southern Alberta Mustangs. We stand in solidarity with the Mustangs organization as they navigate this devastating tragedy.”

The organization also offered condolences to the families of all three teens.

“We are grieving together, as one hockey family forever changed by the loss of these young men,” the post said.

The Humboldt Broncos Jr ‘A’ Hockey Club also offered words of support on its Facebook page.

“There are no words – only heavy hearts,” the junior hockey club wrote. “The Humboldt Broncos extend our deepest condolences to the Southern Alberta Mustangs organization and to all those impacted by today’s tragedy. We stand with you. We mourn with you. We are with you.”

The Humboldt Broncos had experienced a tragic accident in 2018 when a collision between the team bus and a semi-trailer north of Tisdale, Saskatchewan, resulted in the deaths of 16 players and staff and injured 13 others.

The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) spoke directly to the family, friends and teammates of the deceased players.

“Our thoughts are with you during this unthinkable tragedy,” the league said on Facebook.

An online fundraiser has been set up on GoFundMe by a family friend of the team to raise money for the players’ families.

“On behalf of the coaches and owner, we want to help lift the financial burden of travel, funeral costs, and day to day expenses of the players families from Canada and the United States,” the page reads. “To the teammates, coaches, families, billet families, friends, owner, we mourn with you and are thinking about you during this difficult time.”

Other Condolences

Political leaders in Alberta and across Canada also offered tributes to the players who were killed.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her province is “heartbroken.”

“The whole Alberta hockey family is standing with you in sorrow and in prayer,” she said in a social media post. “In the days ahead, I know Albertans will wrap these families and this team in love and support as they navigate a pain no one should ever have to bear.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney said his “heart breaks” for the families of the three teens.

“Canadians are keeping the entire Southern Alberta Mustangs community in our thoughts as they face this unimaginable grief,” he said in a Feb. 2 X post.

Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre also posted condolences.

“To their families, teammates, coaches, and everyone in the Southern Alberta Mustangs community: we mourn with you,” the Conservative leader said on X. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you grieve this heartbreaking loss.”

The Town of Stavely issued a written statement on its website to address the accident.

“These young men were not just hockey players, but an important part of the fabric of our community, contributing through their character, their friendships, and the promise they carried into the future,” the town statement said.

“Our community stands with you in sorrow and support. In the days ahead, may you find strength in one another and comfort in the compassion of those around you.”

Stavely is a small town of less than 1,000 people located 110 kilometres south of Calgary and is a base for the Southern Alberta Mustangs. The Mustangs use rinks in Stavely, Lethbridge, Warner, Raymond, and Fort Macleod.

The Mustangs organization is affiliated with the United States Premier Hockey League and is one of six teams located in Alberta, as part of a league that includes more than 150 teams across various divisions in the United States. The 2025-26 season marks the inaugural season for the Mustangs, who became members of the USPHL last year, following in the footsteps of Alberta teams in Bassano, Calgary, Diamond Valley, Hanna, and Three Hills.