Airdrie’s Ryan Straschnitzki continues to keep his spirits high despite being paralyzed following last week’s bus crash in Saskatchewan.

Ryan Straschnitzki with his Dad Tom in the hospital (Photo Courtesy: Tom Straschnitzki)
Ryan Straschnitzki with his Dad Tom in the hospital (Photo Courtesy: Tom Straschnitzki)

The 18-year-old continues to recover at the University Hospital in Saskatoon and says the support from everyone in Humboldt and Airdrie has helped him greatly.

“With the positive thoughts and the amount of support I’m getting, I can pretty much deal with anything at this point. When I see that stuff it makes me think ‘I can do this, I can get through it’.”

When he arrived in hospital, he continued to ask about his teammates on the Humboldt Broncos, which speaks to the close-knit bond he had with them.

“They were pretty much brothers to me. I think any hockey team would say that. You just have that hockey relationship. You put everything on the line for them and when something tragic like that happens, it’s absolutely devastating. The bond is so strong."

Amidst the tragedy and the news of his paralysis, Straschnitzki says he’s determined to keep going, putting the past behind him and doing whatever he can to play the sport he loves.

He shares this message with anyone else battling similar circumstances.

“It gets better, you have lots of people supporting you. No matter what, don’t give up, just do what you’re capable of and things will turn out the way you want.”

Straschnitzki says there’s no word yet on when he’ll be able to leave hospital but that his progress is going well.

As The Airdrie, Alberta native continues to recover, many have paid him a visit at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon including friends, family and even the Stanley Cup.