The Straz is finally back home. Following a month of physiotherapy and rehabilitation in Philadelphia, Ryan Straschnitzki and his family arrived at the Calgary International Airport July 4 to a flock of reporters and friends. An Airdrie native, Straschnitzki was among the survivors of the April 6 bus crash north of Tisdale, Sask., that claimed the lives of 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team and support crew, and injured 13 others. The collision left the 19-year-old Bronco paralyzed from the chest down. He’s been undergoing rehabilitation and physiotherapy at hospitals in Saskatoon, Calgary and Philadelphia for the last three months. Most recently, Straschnitzki spent a month at the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia. During his stay in the City of Brotherly Love, Straschnitzki had the opportunity to meet some of the Philadelphia Flyers. He also attended the 2018 NHL Awards in Las Vegas as a guest, alongside nine of his Broncos teammates. His father, Tom, said his son’s goal of attending the NHL Awards spurred Ryan to get clearance to attend the event. “The Shriners staff said, ‘If that’s your goal, let’s get you to that goal.’ He completed that the day before we left for Vegas,” he said. “That was his driving focus – to go see the boys.” For Straschnitzki, July 4 marked the first time he’s been back to Airdrie since February. “It’s been awesome. I’ve gotten to see friends and family, and just being here is great,” he said. “I love the city, haven’t been here for so long and it just brought back so many memories.” Tom said the family will stay at a hotel in Airdrie for the next three to four months while their home undergoes renovations to make it wheelchair-accessible. “It feels fantastic to be home with the whole family, but we’re not really home,” he said. “But we’re in Airdrie, so it’s great.” Straschnitzki will continue his physiotherapy at the Synaptic Spinal Cord Injury and Neuro Rehabilitation Centre in Calgary, before returning to Philadelphia in six months for a check up. “I think just practicing specific skills that I’m not so good at,” he said. “Focus on getting strength back and just focusing on recovery is the biggest thing. “Treat your body right and good things will happen.” The driver of the tractor trailer that collided with the Broncos team bus, 29-year-old Jaskirat Sidhu, was charged July 6 with 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily injury.
