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Rebels scout pens heartfelt song to honour Humboldt Broncos

Apr 20, 2018 | 11:40 AM

Thomas Miller felt the best way to process the Humboldt Broncos bus crash that claimed 16 lives was to break out his guitar.

A scout for the Red Deer Rebels, Miller’s tribute song Stick on the Ice in honour of the Broncos has been shared nearly 200 times on Facebook and viewed more than 11,000 times.

“The response has definitely been more than I was expecting, for sure. It’s a little bit overwhelming in that way,” Miller admitted. “But maybe there’s a purpose in putting it out there. There’s power in music and we’ve talked in the last week about how there’s power in the game [of hockey] and healing in the game. I think those two things can coincide.”

 

 

Miller has worked in the Western Hockey League for 12 seasons and is based in Saskatoon. He knew many of the kids involved in the April 6 crash, and their families. Stepping out of his comfort zone to pay tribute to them has been quite an experience.

“Songwriting is something I keep within the confines of my own house,” he confessed. “I just started throwing something together a few days ago this [some] came out, it kind of wrote itself and I felt with that a need to share it.”

Writing his song was tough but worth it, he says.

“It was kind of strange writing it because I was breaking down almost every line. I was almost torturing myself in a way while creating this thing. It was very difficult, but it definitely felt like a step forward when it was finished.”

Having now played Stick on the Ice song nearly 300 times since its release, Miller says each performance is a little bit easier to get through than the last.

Miller will be performing his song between periods at Friday’s Battle of the Badges charity hockey game in support of the Humboldt Broncos community. Game time at the Servus Arena is 6 p.m. with a pregame tailgate BBQ party starting at 4:30.