(City of Humboldt/Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

2017/18 Humboldt Broncos

Jacob Leicht Memorial Courts now open

Jun 19, 2025 | 4:26 PM

Brand new basketball and pickleball courts are now open for use in Humboldt, which will then transition to an outdoor rink in the winter.

The Jacob Leicht Memorial Outdoor Rink and Courts, in honour of the Humboldt native and 2017/18 Bronco, have been in the works since 2020, and as of Tuesday (June 17th), the gates are officially open.

(City of Humboldt/Facebook)

“It’s an amazing facility, and it was nice to finally get the surface coat down just about a week ago, so that we could open it up to the public. It’s actually kind of crazy how much use we got right off the hop, there were lots of kids out there playing basketball and pickleball, so it’s going to be fantastic for our community,” said Director of Community and Leisure services, Michael Ulriksen.

“It’s always nice when we can recognize someone, or we can have some meaning behind the facility, so being able to recognize Jacob Leicht and the impact he had on the community prior is awesome. It’s great for his family, it’s great for the community, and it just gives a little extra special meaning when people go to use that facility and can see the signage that’ll be up and recognize who it’s named after. I think it just adds a little bit extra and helps to kind of put things in perspective.”

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Leicht was one of the 16 members of the 2017/18 team who passed away in the tragic bus crash of April 2018.

Growing up, he spent a lot of time outdoors, especially in the winter, on one of the local rinks.

“The outdoor rink part was really what caught the attention of the family and those who kind of put forward the idea, that was just one of his places he loved to be and that’s where him and his friends learned to play hockey, and they learned to just fall in love with that sport. Being able to have a facility like this, where we can have an outdoor rink in the winter and then use the courts in the summer months, I think just pays tribute to the fact that he loved hockey and he loved to be on the outdoor rink,” Ulriksen continued.

“At the same time, he wasn’t just a one-sport guy, though, just like a lot of Broncos on that team, they had lots of other ambitions and activities they loved to do. Being able to tie that all together in one package, I think just paints the picture of Jacob and the other individuals that were on the bus to show that they were more than just hockey players. They were well-rounded athletes and individuals who were involved in lots of things.”

The unveiling of the construction of this project was done last August, the same weekend of the annual memorial golf tournament.

The project had a massive piece of funding come from that committee, as well as the municipal government.

“It’s a great project for the community, and it’s something the community has been missing for a long time. The grounds themselves used to be a swamp, and now we have this as well as ball diamonds, a skatepark, washrooms, and a concession,” concluded Ulriksen.

“I went with Jacob’s mom and dad to open this earlier this week, and they were just super excited, they loved how it came together, and they appreciate the fact that it has his name on it. I think they were just as excited to see all the kids and the activity out there as I was, and I think they’re even more excited to know that the outdoor rink component will be coming this fall as well. Once that ice goes in, it’ll just be another touch to the heart for both of them.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8