Vancouver Canucks to Honour Luc Bourdon

By Aleem Peermohamed

Thursday evening, before the puck drops, the Canucks will pay tribute to Luc Bourdon.

Luc Bourdon

The young Canuck defenseman was killed in a motorcycle accident on May 29 in his hometown at the age of 21. Gone but certainly not forgotten, the life of the highly touted blue-line prospect will be celebrated.

Bourdon was drafted in the first round, 10th overall by the Canucks back in 2005.  He was touted as a strong 2-way defenseman with significant offensive upside. He twice represented Canada at the World Junior Championships and was part of two Gold medal winning Canadian teams.

Bourdon was born and raised in Shippagan, New Brunswick. He was a symbol of beating the odds after being confined to a wheelchair at just 9 years of age, when diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. He overcame this and was able to get back to doing what he loved, playing hockey.

Later in his life after being drafted, Bourdon suffered an ankle injury including a fractured fibula, high and low sprains and a second degree ligament tear. While doctors told him it would take two years for the injuries to heal, he managed a full recovery after just one year.

This will be a special night, as the Flames were the last team that Bourdon played against on April 5. The Canucks will honour Bourdon’s memory in a classy move, with a video of his life and career, followed with a moment of silence.

All fans attending the game will be given a commemorative pin to wear and Canuck players with will have a memorial sticker on their helmets for the entire season as a tribute to their late teammate.

R.I.P. Luc…