Netflix announces hockey show allegedly inspired by the Humboldt bus tragedy
Netflix recently announced the release of a show about a small-town where people are passionate about hockey until an unfortunate accident occurs, taking the lives of a team and their coach. The show has since caused an uproar in Canada due to the plot’s uncanny similarities to the 2018 Humboldt Broncos’ bus crash.
Many people in Saskatchewan have connected the plot of the show to the Humboldt Broncos’ tragedy which occurred on April 6, 2018, when a semi-truck struck the Humboldt Bronco’s junior hockey team’s bus after having ran through a stop sign. 16 people died in the collision, and 13 were injured.
The yet-to-be-named show was first announced on Netflix’s news outlet, Tudum. Netflix published an article by John Dilillo on Jan 21, 2026 titled Get Ready! A New Hockey Series Is Hitting the Ice on Netflix. While the show’s name and date of release wasn’t mentioned, the plot of the series was included in the article.
The story takes place in the small town of south Dorothy, Minnesota, where a high school hockey team and their coach pass away due to a sudden bus crash. The coaches’ widow then has to coach a new, “underdog team who turn their shared grief into an unstoppable superpower,” wrote Dilillo in the article.
Respect to the families essential
Scott Thomas, father of the 18-year old Evan Thomas who passed away in the tragedy, was interviewed by CBC following the announcement of the show.
In CBC’s article New Netflix series about a hockey team’s bus crash hits a nerve in Sask, published on Jan. 25, 2026, Thomas said that he would have liked to have prior knowledge that a show like this was in the production.
He expressed how a “fictional story based on the reality that [he lives] every day” doesn’t properly capture the truth of how a tragedy affects people.
When CBC requested a response from Netflix, they responded in an email that stated that “the show is fictional and not inspired by any real life events.”
Where was the representation, where was the reality? […] This [shows based on real life incidents] happens so very often so it’s normal […] But to twist it and make it something happy and not specifically focus on the tragedy isn’t great.” – Neeve Reynolds
U of R students respond
“Thoughtless,” said second-year social work student at the University of Regina (U of R), Hannah Harden when asked about her opinion on the controversy surrounding this show.
“[It’s] harmful to family members [of the victims] and to the community overall.”
Prabhleen Momi, a second-year business administration student, shared a personal story regarding her father passing away. She explained if she were in the shoes of the families impacted by the Humboldt Bronco’s tragedy, she “would definitely have an issue with it.” She also shared how she wished the families of the victims were shown respect.
When asked how a show like this could be presented in a more respectful way, U of R shared a similar opinion.
A third-year business administration student Diya Sejani, expressed that when creating anything based on a real life tragedy, “everything should be real and there shouldn’t be any changes to the story.” Sejani believes that stories like this are important to tell, as long as they’re told accurately.
“Where was the representation? Where was the reality?,” questioned a first-year journalism student, Neeve Reynolds.
“[Shows based on real life incidents] happen so very often so it’s normal […] But to twist it and make it something happy and not specifically focus on the tragedy isn’t great […] Consent is the biggest word.”
With the response the show has already received from the community, it will be interesting to see how it’s received upon release. Questions remain about whether Netflix will change the storyline after the backlash from Canadians, but they can only be answered once the show airs.
