Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock fought back tears as he addressed the media on Saturday morning about the bus crash on Friday night in northeastern Saskatchewan involving the Humboldt Broncos that claimed the lives of 14 and injured several others.

Born in Manitouwadge, Ont., Babcock grew up in Saskatoon and played junior and collegiate hockey in the province.

"I prepared to talk to you, so I won't get emotional," Babcock said. "I grew up right there in Saskatoon, it's right down the road. My buddy's kid played there. I talked to him - he was farming in Saskatoon last night. As the calls were coming in and they were talking about all the kids they've coached over the years that are playing on that team, I can't even imagine being a parent or the wife or the kids at home and going through something like this."

Babock played for the Western Hockey League's Saskatoon Blades in 1980-81 and played at the University of Saskatchewan in 1982-83. Babcock's CHL coaching career began in 1991 with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

"The hockey world's an unbelievable world, you can't make up for loss," Babcock continued as his voice cracked. "You just can't. It's got to rip the heart out of your chest. We pray for those families and think of them and I don't know what else you say. Horrific, horrific accident. Tough day."

Babcock says he's familiar with the geography where the accident occurred.

“I know that road pretty good," Babcock said. "It didn't seem like a big spot, it's not like the mountains or anything like that, but accidents do happen. You send your kid away – in my case to junior hockey or college hockey or college soccer, and I always used to think about those vans when the coaches were driving in college soccer. I always thought those were a nightmare. This is supposed to be as safe as it gets. It just goes to show you, you've got to embrace each and every day. And each and every day you're with your (long pause) family, you better enjoy it, so."

The Humboldt Broncos logo was placed alongside the Leafs' logo in the team's dressing room on Saturday morning.

"It's just heartbreaking," said Leafs veteran and Regina native Tyler Bozak. "Some of the best times are on the bus with your teammates - just a tragedy and you can't really put into words anything. It was kind of hard to sleep last night. I can't imagine what everyone's going through back in Saskatchewan."

Teammate and Swift Current, Sask. native Patrick Marleau was also struck by the tragedy and noted just how close the hockey community is to the heart of the Prairies.

"Everywhere in Saskatchewan, it’s tight," Marleau said. "Hockey is everything in Canada, but in Saskatchewan every community is fairly small, so everybody knows everybody and you try and look out for each other and take care of each other. It’s very tight-knit."

Marleau is old enough to remember the Swift Current Broncos bus tragedy of 1986.

“I remember a little bit about it," Marleau said. "I think I was like 10-years-old or so. It was something you remember when you’re that young. You see the players wearing the logo on their jersey for the players that were lost so it definitely hits home and then growing up around Swift Current it was  always on people’s minds and there’s memorials. They’re never forgotten.”

The Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre in their final game of the regular season.