There are so many connections to Kyrell Sopotyk in Kamloops. The 19 year-old remains in a Saskatoon hospital – partially paralyzed after a snowboarding accident this past weekend in Saskatchewan.

His Kamloops billet parents, Tricia and Johnny Mercuri, have also been caught up in all the emotions of it.

“We are utterly heartbroken for him, his family and his Blazer teammates,” Tricia told NL Sports.

She says Kyrell had really grown on and off the ice the past two seasons and was very much a part of their household.

“When he first came to us he was so quiet, but we saw him come out of his shell and we discovered his awesome sense of humour,” she added.

This past week has been a rollercoaster for the Mercuri’s but Tricia says the support has been overwhelming to see. As of late Thursday, the GoFundMe account set up to support the Sopotyk family had reached nearly $177,000.

“I think it’s absolutely amazing about the hockey family and how everyone steps up to support one another. It’s pretty awesome to see,” she said.

Tricia is also one of the photographers for the Kamloops Blazers, and is usually not in front of the camera. She provided a photo for this story and closed with a thought about Kyrell.

“Thank you for asking [for a photo] as I would have never started to look for one,” she said. “This one is going to be printed and framed now.”