Roughriders honor two men killed before Elks game

The Saskatchewan Roughriders and their fans gathered at Mosaic Stadium on July 23 for a somber pregame tribute to two young men killed in a highway crash days earlier, an emotional ceremony that unfolded amid online controversy over the circumstances of the collision.

Before the team's matchup against the Edmonton Elks, the stadium honored linebacker Jayden Dalke, 30, and Bhishma Rajyaguru, 22. Video tributes played on the stadium screens, remembering Rajyaguru as a gifted percussionist and devoted friend and family member, and Dalke as a unifying presence for his teammates. A helmet bearing Dalke's initials was placed on the sideline. Following the presentations, the crowd observed a moment of silence.

The fatal crash occurred on the evening of July 18 on Highway 11 near the town of Lumsden, northwest of Regina. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Dalke was driving an SUV northbound in the southbound lanes of the divided highway when he collided head-on with an SUV driven by Rajyaguru. There were no passengers in either vehicle, and both men died at the scene.

Police reported that alcohol and cannabis were found in Dalke's vehicle, which had left a gas station in...