Promising young Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luc Bourdon was
killed today in a traffic accident in Northern New Brunswick when the motorcycle
he was driving collided with a tractor trailer.
He was only 21 years old.
Bourdon was drafted 10th overall in the 2005
entry draft by the Canucks and was a member of Canada’s gold medal winning team
at the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships,where he was a tournament all-star. He was also part of the Moncton Wildcats team that won the QMJHL championship that year and played in the Memorial Cup final.
He made his NHL debut with the Canucks early in the 2006-07
season but was returned to the QMJHL after nine games, where he split the
remainder of the season with the Moncton Wildcats and Cape Breton Screaming
Eagles.
Bourdon split last season between the Canucks and their AHL
affiliate in Manitoba.
I watched Bourdon play with the Wildcats soon after he
returned to the “Q” in the 2006-07 season and it was obvious by his size and
skills that he would one day become a full-time NHL player. Sadly, that will
never come to pass now.
My condolences to his family and to the Canucks
organization.
Ditto. He was to be one of the bright lights for the Canucks in the next few years. They were bringing him along slowly, not trying to rush him into a big role with the team but it was obvious that he was going to step into the lineup in the next couple of years and make the necessary improvements to stay there. It's always sad when someone with promise isn't able to fulfill it. He'll be missed here in Canuckland.
Hi Lyle:
It's always sad to lose a member of the hockey community, especially one so young, with so much to look forward to. Bob Gashoff from my era suffered the same fate. Bob was also young and had a great future.
Sincere condolences to Family, teammates and those who knew him.
Cobra
This is a terrible tragedy for the family and for the league. He looked to be a promising young player that could have made an impact. Once again, my condolences to the Canucks organization and more importantly to his family.
Suzanne Boucher said she had tried desperately to stop [her son] from buying a bike. ... "He said, 'Mom, I can die in a plane, I can die in a car, I can die walking out onto the street. I don't want to live in fear. I want to enjoy life to the fullest. Don't worry, Mom, I'll be safe. I won't be crazy.'"
This is heartbreaking news, the loss of youth and promise due to something as capricious as a slight gust of wind. There but for the grace.
Our prayers go out to the Bourdon family, his friends and teammates.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
