The Wisconsin hockey community is mourning a 13-year-old from Reedsburg who died at a bus stop

REEDSBURG, Wis. (WMTV) – The Wisconsin hockey community is remembering middle school student Evelyn Gurney, who died while boarding her school bus.

Hundreds of Wisconsin hockey players and their parents have changed their social media profile picture to one with the letters EV 42 in honor of Gurney, who was number 42.

A 13-year-old died when he was hit by a passing truck while boarding a school bus in the town of Excelsior on Friday morning.

Gurney played hockey for Reedsburg Wisconsin Dells Youth Hockey Coach Joe Uminski for four years.

I think many of us are still in shock. It’s unfathomable, devastating, and those are really the only words that come to mind, she said. He wasn’t a big kid, but he was spit and played like he was six feet tall.

Uminski said he will play defense, forward or any position he asks.

He said he always gave it his all and had a long-term goal of playing hockey in college.

Uminski believed his sights were set on UW Madison.

As of Saturday, Gurneys teammates will be mourning but playing in his honor. They taped his name and number to their hockey sticks.

Uminski told his young athletes to channel Gurney’s spirit onto the ice.

That was my message to them and the whole group was to take that piece of him and put it in you and play that way, play that way every game every shift and everything you do, he said. We love him. He was a very bright flame and it was dimmed but we won’t let it go out.

Gurney also played for teams in Tomah, Sauk Prairie and competed with teams in Chicago.

Gurneys teammates started a GoFundMe for his family with a goal of $1,000. Since Saturday Gurney GoFundMe goals has raised over $58,000.

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