The schedule of an Edmonton hockey tournament has been rearranged so that the teammates of Ryder and Radek MacDougall can attend their memorial service on Thursday.
The brothers, aged 13 and 11, were found dead alongside their father in a home in Spruce Grove on Dec. 19. Police have deemed it a double murder-suicide.
Radek, the younger of the two boys, played for the Sabertooths of the Spruce Grove Minor Hockey Association. Ryder played for the Parkland Athletic Club’s Bantam AA Timberwolves.
Ryder, left, and Radek MacDougall were found dead, along with their father, in a Spruce Grove, Alta., home on Monday. (Submitted by Kathy Kovacs)
The Timberwolves were supposed to be skating in the Edmonton Invitational Bantam Tournament of Champions at the Callingwood Arena on Thursday, the same day the memorial service will be held in Whitecourt.
“Both teams wanted to travel up to Whitecourt… We re-worked the whole schedule,” tournament vice-chair Guy Mageau said.
“There’s not anyone in the entire organization, or all the teams, who doesn’t feel strongly that this tragedy should never have happened and we need to all stick together as a family and community.”
‘It’s been tough’
The opportunity to attend the memorial service means a lot to Riley Nowoczin, the Timberwolves’ goalie.
“For me, it’s been tough,” Nowoczin, 14, said of losing his teammate, with whom he played closely.
“He was a great defenceman. He never really let anybody by. And if somebody would come and hit me, he’d definitely be there for me.”
The Timberwolves took to the ice Wednesday for their second game of the tournament against the Fort Saint John Flyers. The Flyers beat them 4-1, an improvement over Tuesday, when they fell 7-2 to the United Cycle team from the Maple Leaf Athletic Club.
The Timberwolves had won 10 games in a row prior to Ryder’s death.
“It will take some time to work through things, but I’m confident that we will get there,” coach Dallas Ansell said in a text message after Wednesday’s game, during which Ryder’s jersey — No. 3 — hung behind the bench.
Each player had a patch embroidered with the same number on the upper right corner of their own jersey.
“This definitely helps remind us of him and think of him while we’re playing,” Nowoczin said.
Other teams show support
The other teams in the tournament were mindful of the Timberwolves’ loss, and were grieving with them.
The Canadian Athletic Club’s Golden Arrow were supposed to face off against the Timberwolves Tuesday, but schedule changes meant the game didn’t go ahead.
Players from the Parkland Athletic Club Timberwolves accept hugs from players from the Canadian Athletic Club’s Golden Arrow Wednesday at the Callingwood Arena. Timberwolves’ defenceman Ryder MacDougall was found dead with his brother, Radek, and their father in a double murder-suicide on Dec. 19. (Min Dhariwal/CBC)
Golden Arrow manager Sherry Taschuck said the team wanted to offer support to the Timberwolves and had special hockey pucks made with both team logos on one side and a heart encircling R&R on the other. The Golden Arrow presented the pucks to the Timberwolves Wednesday.
“Part of our responsibility as a hockey team is not only to be better hockey players, but it’s also to be better people in the community,” Taschuk said.
“I’m proud of our boys and I’m proud of their boys for going on and being able to continue.”
Radek and Ryder grew up in Whitecourt, where their mother and stepfather still live. They had moved to Spruce Grove with their father for more opportunity to play hockey.
The memorial service — open to the public — will be be held at the Allan and Jean Miller Centre in Whitecourt at 1 p.m. Thursday.