Orca Wiesblatt was to play for the ECHL’s Allen Americans this season. The 25-year-old died in a car accident on Vancouver Island Sept. 14. (photo from allenamericans.com)
A crowdfunding initiative is underway to honour the memory of Orca Wiesblatt, a professional hockey player who died in a car accident on Vancouver Island Sept. 14, and to help his family and friends navigate through the hardship of losing a loved one who was only 25.
Paula King, a family friend of the Wiesblatts, launched the GoFundMe campaign shortly after news of the tragedy broke last month. The goal is to raise $22,000. Thus far, more than $16,000 has been contributed.
“There has been such an outpouring of love for this young man in statements from so many fans, friends, former teammates and every organization he has played for. His talent, love of life and infectious smile never went unnoticed on or off the ice; it is one to be recognized and to be remembered with such a high regard,” King, who knew the Wiesblatt family through the hockey community in Calgary, says on the site.
“I want the Wiesblatt family to know that they are not alone,” writes King. “Every friend, teammate and fan that has come to know them, we are here, standing united as a deep-rooted hockey community from near or far away. It takes a village, and we are here for them now more than ever.”
Wiesblatt was one of four hockey-playing brothers born to deaf parents. The children learned American Sign Language before they could speak English, and each could communicate in French and Quebec Sign Language as well.
Raised in both Kelowna and Calgary, Wiesblatt’s skills as a hockey player were evident early. In 2007, at age 7, he was ranked the best player in his class in the Okanagan.
The family was featured in a Nov. 9, 2007, article by Kelley Korbin in the Independent. At the time, his father, Art Wiesblatt, said, “Orca’s able to steal the show. I feel bad for the other parents, but he just gets out there and he’s all over the ice and the other kids just can’t keep up. Like Ocean (his older brother), he’s beyond the age range of the other boys he’s playing with. He’s at a whole different level.”
Wiesblatt’s death has been met with shock and grief from the teams he played for in his professional career. The Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, where Wiesblatt got his start, said in a statement, “It is with great sadness that we mourn the tragic passing of [former Hitmen] Orca Wiesblatt. We are heartbroken for his family, friends and everyone who knew and loved him.
“On behalf of the ownership, management, coaches, players and staff of Calgary Sports and Entertainment, we extend our deepest heartfelt sympathies during this very difficult time.”
Scott Hull, president of the Athens (Ga.) Rock Lobsters of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL), where Wiesblatt spent the 2024-25 season, said, “Orca will always be remembered as one of the players who helped set the tone for our franchise in its very first season.
“His passion for the game and his infectious energy made him a fan favourite and a true teammate. But, more than that, Orca was an even better person off the ice – kind, humble, and someone everyone was grateful to know. We are devastated by this loss and our thoughts are with his family.”
Wiesblatt was slated to play for the Allen (Tex.) Americans of the ECHL (formerly called the East Coast Hockey League) for the 2025-26 season after the team signed him in August.
“We are all heartbroken,” said Steve Martinson, the Americans general manager and head coach. “Orca was really looking forward to this next step in his hockey career. He wasn’t just skilled, he was a momentum-changing hitter. I can still see his grin when he would return to the bench after one of his big hits. That is what we will miss the most, his infectious smile.”
The Americans will pay tribute to Wiesblatt during their home opener on Oct. 24.
According to Vancouver Island’s CHEK News, Wiesblatt was driving a vehicle that veered off the road in Nanaimo and struck a light pole during the early morning hours of Sept. 14. He died at the scene. A passenger was treated in hospital for minor injuries.
Wiesblatt and his brothers were the subject of a 2019 Sportsnet Home Team Heroes segment titled “The Remarkable Story of the Wiesblatt Family.” Done in English and ASL, the piece covered the determination of Wiesblatt’s mother, Kim White, to have her sons participate in sports.
In the video, Wiesblatt credits his mother for paving the way for their hockey careers. “You don’t hear of a lot of people that have five kids in their family, four of them playing high elite hockey. She sacrificed everything for us. She is a hero to us.”
Of his other brothers, Ocean Wiesblatt currently plays for the Danville Dashers of the FPHL, Oasiz Wiesblatt for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League and Ozzy Wiesblatt for the National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators.
To learn more about the family and King’s fundraising effort, visit gofund.me/9000f7caf.
Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.