Article content
One of the motorcyclists who died late Friday night on Highway 416 was former Gatineau Olympiques goalie Creed Jones.
Police were called to the scene of a collision Friday shortly after midnight after two motorcycles collided on Highway 416 south at the Highway 417 split. OPP said both motorcycles were seen travelling at high rates of speed before the collision. One motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man was transported to the Ottawa Hospital Civic campus and was later pronounced dead.
Article content
Both highways were shut down for several hours as technical collision investigators and reconstructionists conducted their investigation.
In a statement sent through the OPP, Jones’ family said they wished to express their condolences to the family of the other rider, whose name has not been released.
Tributes have flowed over the weekend for Jones, who was born in Peterborough and played in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Ontario University Athletic Association.
Jones played for the Wellington Dukes of the OJHL in 2017-18, and played for the Gatineau Olympiques for three seasons, then for the Rimouski Oceanic in 2019-20 and the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2020-21, returning to Rimouski later that season. Most recently, he was in goal for the University of Ottawa in 2021-22.
“It is with great sadness that the Gatineau Olympiques organization has learned of the passing of one of our alumni, Creed Jones,” said the Olympiques on X. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Dan Tessier, who runs a local hockey skills and development program, said he met Jones about three or four years ago because he wanted to start goalie camps for youth. Jones, who had his own goalie development company, Genesis, worked with the East Ottawa Stars, a program for girls.
Article content
The hockey community is devastated, said Tessier.
“Kids are crushed by this,” he said. “He brought a lot of life to teaching. He was sarcastic, but he was lovable. He always kept the girls on their toes. He always said the girls were easy to coach because they listened.”
Jones was establishing himself as the go-to person in Ottawa for goalie skills development and had probably coached 500 goalies in training, said Tessier.
“He believed in skating. He said if a goalie can’t skate, they can’t play hockey.”
Jones was also known for his sharp quips. “I’m not in it for the kids. It’s called an ego. Look it up,” he joked.
The OPP said Sunday that both motorcycles were travelling in the same direction when the collision occurred. No other details have been released as the incident is still under investigation.
But friends were concerned about Jones’s need for speed. Jones taped his high-speed escapades on his Honda CBR, a high-performance motorcycle, on a GoPro, said Tessier.
“He lived on the edge. He was always riding his motorcycle at the highest speeds. I always told him he had to let it go. We told him so many times, and he always laughed it off,” he said. “He thrived on speed.”
Plans for a memorial, to be held in Peterborough, are in the works.
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network