How Tim Tisdale overcame tragedy to thrive in sport and ag

As Area Manager for Southwest Saskatchewan, Tim Tisdale drives the Trans-Canada Highway all the time as he shuttles to and from his office in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and other Nutrien Ag Solutions locations.

But there is a spot five minutes east of town, as the road curves to the right and goes over railroad tracks, where he always slows down.

Understandably so.

It is where he nearly lost his life when he was 18 years old.

Tim was on the bus carrying the Swift Current Broncos junior hockey team on December 30, 1986, when it left the city bound for Regina, their Western Hockey League opponent that night.

Then, in an instant, tragedy struck.

The bus hit a patch of black ice and slid off an overpass, hitting an embankment that sent it airborne, and then it flipped onto its side and skidded for 100 meters (325 feet) before stopping in a ditch.

Four of his teammates – Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff – were killed.

Miraculously, Tim emerged with only some bruises.

“I think about it every time I drive past the crash site,” says Tim. “And I take that corner a little bit slower than most.”

Like many young Canadian boys, Tim grew up dreaming of one day playing in the National Hockey League.

He got one stride closer in June 1988 when the Edmonton Oilers selected Tim in the NHL Draft. The same year that future hall-of-famers Mike Modano, Jeremy Roenick, and Teemu Selanne went in the top 10, Tim was selected 250th, the third-last pick of the 12th and final round.

The following season, Tim erupted for a team-leading 139 points (57 goals, 82 assists) in 68 regular season games, then added another 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 12 playoff games.

Tim helped lead Swift Current’s thrilling post-season run that culminated with his dramatic overtime goal against the hometown Saskatoon Blades in the Memorial Cup final. Two years after that devastating bus crash, the Broncos were Canada’s junior hockey champions.

"I did not realize back then the impact that goal had on the entire province. It was two Saskatchewan teams playing in the final, and to score in overtime, what it did for our community, and what it did to the Saskatoon community and those fans,” says Tim.

“I have had people 30 years later say, you know what, I hated you growing up, and I'm not sure I can even let this go at this stage!”

Tim spent all three of his years with the Oilers organization playing in the minors with Cape Breton of the American Hockey League.

When his contract expired, Tim turned his focus to coaching which he did at various levels over the next several years, culminating in a stint as head coach of the WHL’s Regina Pats.

At age 32, Tim decided it was time for change.

“At that point, my wife was tired of moving with young kids, and I was tired of the lifestyle.”

Born in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, Tim admits he was never a farm kid.

“I moved to Swift Current when I was two years old, so I was more of a city kid,” he says. “I had no ag background and no real thoughts of getting into that business, but my wife's family owned an independent dealership in town, so I started at the ground level and learned the business.”

He drove a truck delivering chemicals, did the accounting, and looked after whatever else needed doing. He gradually learned more and more about the business and eventually became the manager.

In 2014, a job opened at Nutrien and he’s been here since.

Tim credits his hockey experience for preparing him for his role in management.

“Playing sports and being on a team gives you a different perspective than many others,” Tim explains. “You look at what is best for the team and not so much what is best for me.”

Just like all those days he spent at the rink.

“What is the big picture? What is the plan? It is dealing with people and understanding that you have 20 hockey players, we are all different people, and we have to find a way to get along and find something in common,” says Tim. “It is no different with my work group. That is my team, and we all must work together for that same goal.”

Meanwhile, hockey remains part of Tim’s life. He currently helps the WHL as an officiating coach.

On July 12, 2024, Tim was inducted into the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame, alongside longtime NHL star Patrick Marleau. He shared that honor with his wife, Jenise, and sons Logan and Kyle.

Every time Tim drives past the memorial monument at the crash site, it’s a chance to reflect on his old hockey days, be grateful for how fortunate he was that winter day 38 years ago, while appreciating how his unexpected career in agriculture has worked out.

“I would recommend to anyone, whether it's hockey or any sport that you're in, that the ag industry is an up-and-coming field,” says Tim. “It’s a career that will challenge you every day and I think many athletes are looking for that. It's that rush and it's the way they've lived for a long time.”