Why Minnesotans Are Leaving Hockey Sticks Out & Their Lights On

Have you noticed homes in your neighborhood leaving their lights on at night? Maybe in addition to the lights being left on outside, you also noticed hockey sticks being left by the door. Well, there is a reason for the sticks and lights, and sadly, it has to do with a Minnesota teen and a car accident.

Two Teens Killed In Weekend Crash

On Saturday morning, a car crash claimed the lives of two Minnesota teens, with one of those teens, who was killed, also a hockey teammate of players in the Chicago Lakes area.

The Chisago Lakes Area Hockey Association identified one of the victims as 15-year-old Jax Affolter.

According to the social media post from the hockey association, they were "ask[ing] our community and friends from other communities to put their sticks out and leave a light on for one of our own, Jax Affolter, tonight.

Jax was a much-loved son, brother, friend, and teammate.

Sticks Were Placed Outside Statewide

The post sparked families across the state of hockey to pause and remember the 15-year-old.

The tribute, which gained popularity after a bus accident involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team left 16 players dead in a bus crash in 2018, has been a sad staple in the hockey community ever since.

Get our free mobile app

A Family In Need

In addition to the touching stick-out tribute, Jax's family is going through a lot, and the community is hosting a meal train for the family, along with taking donations to help. You can learn more about the meal train, as well as how you can donate to the family, by heading here.