Family members of Logan Schatz were on hand Saturday for the renaming of the arena in Allan. (Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW)

By Angie Rolheiser

Humboldt Broncos

Community of Allan renames skating rink after fallen Humboldt Broncos captain

Mar 17, 2019 | 1:43 PM

The skating rink in the town of Allan now bears the name of the late captain of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team.

The community gathered Saturday afternoon to honour Logan Schatz in the rink that the 20 year-old spent countless hours in since he learned to skate at three years old.

The skating rink located in the Allan and District Communiplex was renamed the Logan Schatz Memorial Arena.

Logan’s dad Kelly said the renaming of the rink means a lot to him and his family.

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“You often wonder if he is going to stay remembered as time goes on, now you know he will be somewhat,” Kelly said. “It’s there forever.”

Logan lost his life nearly one year ago in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash that killed 16 people and injured 13 others north of Tisdale.

A special part of the tribute was the unveiling of the signs that now hang on the outside and inside of the rink.

Logan’s mother Bonnie said one of her son’s former teachers in Humboldt, Brian Hinz, made the signs by hand.

“He requested two of Logan’s sticks for the sign, I was reluctant to hand over any of Logan’s sticks but now that I see the sign, it’s beautiful and I’m glad I did,” Bonnie said.

Members of the Schatz family were all in attendance for the ceremony that brought out great support from the town and surrounding area as well a few other Broncos families.

Logan’s brother Brandon is also the goaltender for the Allan senior Flames hockey team. He agreed with his parents on how special the tribute is for his little brother and referred to it as being “unbelievable.”

“This is how I spend my winters, just like Logan did,” Brandon said. “To be able to come here every weekend and see his name when I walk through the door, I pretty much know that I’m playing for my brother, every game.”

Brandon spoke with northeastNOW ahead of Saturday night’s game two of the Wheatland Hockey League final with the Kinistino Tigers, which would be the very first hockey game played in the Logan Schatz Memorial Arena.

“It’s going to be a little tough but you gotta play for somebody all the time and who better than my brother,” Brandon said.

The renaming of the rink had been in the works since Mayor Les Alm brought the idea forward to rink committee in the fall.

“We needed as a community to something to support the Schatz family,” Alm said.

Schatz was known as a natural-born leader to most who knew him, which really shined through in his hockey.

“Even when he was younger he was probably the captain of every hockey team he was on,” Kelly said. “He was only 18 when they [Broncos] made him captain and that’s pretty rare in the SJHL.”

Kelly Schatz said that he was the caretaker of the rink when Logan was young and he would bring him to the rink even when it wasn’t open.

“This is where he started playing and this is where he ends playing,” he said.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: Angie_Rolheiser