The Lower Mainland hockey community is mourning the loss of a man who made a significant impact behind the bench.
Mission City Outlaws head coach Martin Hak has been identified as the victim of a multi-vehicle crash on 128th Avenue in Maple Ridge early Sunday evening.
The 47-year-old was in his first year as head coach for the Outlaws, who play in the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL), but it wasn’t his first year at the Junior A level.
Hak was an assistant coach for the Ridge Meadows Flames during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, both of which ended in championships, and held the same role with the Richmond Sockeyes in 2022-23.
“Martin, you were the best of the best and your legacy will live on forever,” a social media post from the Flames said, adding that he was “hugely instrumental” in the club’s back-to-back titles.
“He made all of us around him better because of his positive attitude, his kindness and his big heart. He was always willing to help anyone in need and his sense of humour brought laughter to all of us. He was more than a coach to all of us in our organization – he was a brother.”
The Flames message was one of many posts that have been made for Hak in the last 24 hours, as both the Outlaws and Sockeyes shared tributes online as well.
Another from the Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey Association said Hak had coached minor hockey in the community for over a decade, working with hundreds of athletes from their first strides to U21.
“Hak pushed his players hard because he believed in them. He saw what they could become and never stopped trying to bring that out in them,” the post said. “His influence reaches far beyond the rink, and many of our athletes, families and coaches will feel this loss.”
There are no shortage of personal posts online as well remembering Hak as a great person, teammate and coach.
The Ridge Meadows RCMP has not provided many details about the fatal crash.
