'Beyond the crash': TV series on former Humboldt Bronco Ryan Straschnitzki set to air

Bill Graveland · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 18, 2025 10:52 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Ryan Straschnitzki's beingness has been an unfastened publication since helium was earnestly injured successful the Humboldt Broncos autobus crash, and his communicative is soon to beryllium shown connected TV.

The 26-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., was paralyzed from the thorax down successful 2018, erstwhile a semi-trailer ran a halt motion and barrelled into the way of the inferior hockey team's autobus successful agrarian Saskatchewan.

Sixteen radical died and 13 were hurt.

A movie unit with Regina-based Prairie Cat Productions followed Straschnitzki for 8 months and created a six-part bid called "We Were Broncos." It airs connected AMI, oregon Accessible Media Inc., opening May 26.

Straschnitzki played connected Alberta's Para hockey squad and had been grooming with the Paralympic improvement team, but his travel ended astatine the Team Canada Olympic tryouts.

Hoop dreams

In July 2023, helium decided to effort to marque the 2028 Paralympic hoops squad.

The determination caught the attraction of Lucas Frison, laminitis of Prairie Cat, who had completed a documentary for CBC connected the Bronco squad successful the play aft the crash.

"Looking back, seeing immoderate of the footage and wherever I was to wherever I americium present is simply a existent oculus opener. I deliberation I've changed a batch arsenic a person," Straschnitzki told The Canadian Press portion shooting hoops astatine an outdoor tribunal successful Airdrie.

"I deliberation astatine the opening of the hoops play I benignant of doubted myself a small bit. By the extremity of the play I was a batch much assured successful myself and realized I person the quality to marque it wherever I privation to marque it, if I enactment the enactment in."

Straschnitzki has been playing connected a Calgary wheelchair hoops squad and was invited to his archetypal campy successful July for Team Canada.

Frison, the shaper and manager for "We Were Broncos," was a adjacent person of Mark Cross, an adjunct manager of the Broncos who died successful the crash.

Frison said it's rewarding to archer Straschnitzki's story.

"I've got to cognize him a batch implicit this past year, and he's conscionable a fun, affirmative idiosyncratic to beryllium around."

In the series, Ryan talks astir being recognized and approached by radical connected the thoroughfare astir the clang and his survival, said Frison.

"He understands. He's OK with that. But helium besides wants to beryllium known for different things, similar his pursuit of wheelchair hoops and making the Canadian Paralympic Team for the 2028 Paralympics. He wants to beryllium known for his Straz Strong foundation that helium started and immoderate of these things that were beyond the crash."

Straschnitzki is acceptable to beryllium successful Toronto this week promoting the series.

"I deliberation a batch of radical cognize the communicative of Humboldt and what happened. But I deliberation a batch of radical don't truly cognize my communicative ... my position and wherever I'm astatine now," helium said.

"I deliberation it volition unfastened a batch of eyes and hopefully radical get penetration into what my beingness looks like."

Frison and Straschnitzki some said they anticipation determination volition beryllium a 2nd season.

Straschnitzki admitted helium hasn't seen the finished product.

"I hatred watching myself connected camera and proceeding myself, truthful I don't cognize what to expect," helium said with a laugh.

"I conscionable anticipation the assemblage likes it and it turns retired well, past we'll spot what happens from there."