Last week the National Hockey League and the hockey world have had some high points as well as one major low point.

The highs of course are coming from the very exciting and well played Stanley Cup Finals that see the older Detroit Red Wings clash with the much younger and upstart Pittsburgh Penguins.

The lowest of points came out of New Brunswick with the tragic news of the motorcycle accident that claimed the life of 21-year old, Vancouver Canucks prospect, Luc Bourdon. All I can say is why and how could this happen to such a promising young man who had so much going for him? How is it that a person who had what many would call a dream life is taken from this planet and his family so soon? Life at times just doesn’t seem fair! Just twenty one years young, and his precious life is over!

Although his career ended way to soon, the memories of his brief playing career both in the junior ranks as well the NHL will last forever. Bourdon carved out a four year major junior career in the Canadian Hockey League with the Val-d'Or Foreurs, Moncton Wildcats and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Luc was not known as a real tough and mean spirited player at his defense position, but more for his calmness and knack of making the smart play more often than not.

As a two time gold medal winner on the World Junior stage with Team Canada, Luc was certain to eventually capture one of the coveted top four defenseman positions on the Vancouver Canucks blueline one day. The Canucks had high hopes for the player from Shippagan New Brunswick, whom they drafted 10th overall in the 2005 National Hockey League entry draft. That same draft the Pittsburgh Penguins selected super star Sidney Crosby.

Sadly Bourdon only appeared in 28 National Hockey League games with the Canucks, registering 2 goals in 28 games.  The rearguard played his one and only professional season with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey league last season, playing in 41 games and collecting 14 points.

Although I'm not a huge fan of teams retiring jersey numbers, I think it would be a nice gesture by the Canucks to do something in this case. Possibly a placement of a small patch with the #28 in memory of Bourdons sweater #28 on this year’s Canucks jerseys might be a nice thought. RIP Luc, you will be missed.
 
Sadly, Bourdon is not the first junior hockey player to have his NHL career cut short by a motor vehicle accident.

Michel Briere of the Pittsburgh Penguins was in his hometown of Malartic, Quebec preparing for a wedding when he was involved in a car accident on May 15, 1970. During the accident, Briere was thrown from the car and suffered massive brain injuries, inducing a coma. During his time in intensive care, Briere would be in a coma for almost seven weeks. After the coma, he would fade in and out of consciousness for almost one year. After this and four major operations to help recover from his injuries, Briere died in the hospital on April 13, 1971, at the age 21.

Briere would have his number 21 retired by the Penguins. The number 21 was the only number the Penguins had retired until Mario Lemieux retired in 1997. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League also renamed its MVP award the Michel Briere Memorial Trophy in 1972. The Pittsburgh Penguins also present the Michel Briere Rookie of the Year annually to the seasons' best rookie player.

As Briere's junior hockey statistics would indicate, he was certain to have a very promising career in the NHL ahead of him. He was selected in the third round (26th overall) in the 1969 entry draft by the Penguins.
During his junior career with the Shawingan Bruins, Briere was a dominant force, scoring 129 goals, 191 assists, and 320 points in just 100 games.
During his first and only NHL season, Briere would be a key component to the Penguins as they went to the 2nd round of the playoffs in the 1969–70 season. He would score 12 goals and 44 points, good for third in team scoring. At this time, many scouts were predicting that the slightly-built but fast Briere would be a top NHL star for years to come.

The Penticton Valley First Vees and their much anticipated wait for the playoffs are finally over. After playing the sixty game regular season that saw them earn first place in the Interior Division and the coveted first round playoff bye, the Vees are now ready to get down to business.

Playoff hockey in the BCHL can be so exciting and at times can leave fans on the edge of their seats. I wouldn’t and fans shouldn’t expect much different come this year's playoffs when the Penticton Vees hit the ice Friday night against the Vernon Vipers.

Although I’ve never been real fond of throwing predictions out there, I will try to break down the Interior Conference and the power players who might be difference makers for their respective clubs.

Coaching: This is an element of the BCHL that is of the highest quality, and sometimes not given the credit that they so deserve. With Fred Harbinson here in Penticton, the Vees have one the best out there and one who demands respect and comes with a real passion for the game of hockey. The Vernon Vipers have a real good one in Mark Ferner. Although Fred Harbinson and Mark Ferner are classified as rookie coaches in the BCHL, with their experience in the hockey world they are not even close to being rookie coaches! Both came to the BCHL having taken much different routes to get were they are today and both indeed are veterans of the game. Ferner even had his cup of coffee in the NHL during his playing days, having played in 94 big league games. Another good coach is second year bench boss Mark Howell who is guiding the Westside Warriors for his second season. Howell did a fantastic job guiding the 2nd year Warriors to a second place finish with a 40 win season which trailed the Vees by just three points for first place in the Interior division. The coach who has the ability to keep his team disciplined and the coach who is able to keep his emotions in check should have the advantage and quite likely go the furthest in the playoffs.

Goal tending: On any championship team, whether we are talking about the BCHL or any other league, inevitably the buck usually stops at the young men who wear the glorified Jason masks. If ever there was a team who has an advantage in this department, it’s most likely the Vees and goalie Alex Evin.

Although Vees goaltender and regular season MVP Alex Evin continues to carry a lot of pressure on his shoulders, he has shown time after time he’s the real deal. He’s been the #1 guy in Penticton for most of the year, and deserves as much credit as he has been given to this point. Having a definite number one keeper is certainly an advantage to that of teams who don’t. As I look at other teams in the BCHL, there seems to be teams who are still searching for a number #1. I would suggest teams are further ahead anointing one guy rather than juggling two guys this late in the season.

Defence: Most fans will say the Vees have the much superior defence than that of their counterparts within the BCHL. The Vees do in fact have a real solid D core however the Westside Warriors and Vernon Vipers are no slouches themselves on the back end. With the upgrading the Vipers did at trade deadline, they are now solid on the back end and shouldn’t be overlooked. The Silverbacks also have a nice mix with the likes of Captain Michael Glacier, Damon Kipp and Matt Grassi. All things considered though, the Vees look tough to beat with seven very capable guys on the blue line. The veteran experience of Ryan Wagner, Nic Knudsen, Nathan Westover and Michael Hengen should be enough to carry the load for the Vees for whomever they end up playing against.

Forwards: There are many top end players who call the the Interior Division home this season. From the likes of bona fide sniper Hunter Bishop with the Vernon Vipers who sniped 57 goals in 60 regular season games. Westside Warriors deadline day acquisition Clinton Pettapiece will be another player to watch come playoff time. He finished this season just points behind the scoring leader Carlo Finucci with 98 points and as his 26 points in just 18 playoff games a year ago with the Cowichan Valley Capitals dictate, he performs come playoff time as well. Not to be outdone, the Vees have a few guys who are certain to light the lamp and have good playoffs as well. Don’t be to surprised if clutch performers Michael Guzzo, Kyle McMurphy complement the likes of Denver Manderson, Zac Dalpe and Brett Hextall to some post season success for the Vees.

Intangibles: This key word can and will most likely be the difference for who is to win or lose come playoff time. There are so many of these so called make or break it intangibles to mention, here's a few to ponder. Will the first round bye and two week break for the Vees be a benefit or detriment to them? Which teams will be more disciplined and stay away from the penalties and penalty box? Will home ice become a factor or will it matter where the games are played? Last and probably most important, which team will have the team chemistry required to advance to the Interior Finals?

Regardless of all of these factors mentioned, there will be a lot of battles won and lost at Penticton’s Memorial Arena starting Friday night. With the South Okanagan Events Center soon to be the new home of the Vees, this season will be the last season or playoff hockey played at the old barn on Power Street. It's time fans of Penticton get out in full force to watch some great hockey at the historic old barn and cheer on our Vees.

With the recent tragedy in Bathurst, New Brunswick, that claimed the precious lives of seven students and one teacher, it really puts life into perspective! With this accident more than ever, a lot of people seem to be debating this recent accident.

I am certainly not in the position to down play what happened on the day in question, when the van the basketball players were riding in, crashed into a transport truck that would claim their lives. Like many others, I have my own thoughts on this sad, sad tragedy. As a former junior hockey player of three seasons that saw many many bus trips, as well as numerous minor sporting trips, I can thankfully say I've never been close to a personal experience such as the one in Bathurst.

It is my firm belief that drivers of any vehicles that carry passengers in numbers need to carefully and cautiously address every situation as it arises. If it means that the minor sports or school team has to stay that extra few hours or the extra night in the hotel, so be it. This accident and ones like them can be debated for years. However the true reality of this accident, as well as others, is that sadly accidents like this do happen and will likely happen again. The chances however, will diminish greatly if more thought and a process is put in place and followed when dealing with school and team trips of this kind. Sadly the most recent incident happened only moments from the team’s final destination of travel.

Similarly, an accident that many hockey fans will sadly remember happened in the Western Hockey League many years ago. The year was 1986, and the day was December 30th. It will never be forgotten for the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League. The single vehicle crash that included only the bus claimed the lives of four young hockey players. The bus driver on that occasion lost control of the bus as it overturned and skidded off the road onto its side. The aftermath will not soon be forgotten, nor should it be. As a league, the WHL has since named a trophy to remember the boys who lost their lives in this tragedy. Fittingly it’s dubbed the Four Broncos trophy and given to the WHL player of the year.

The scene of young players boarding buses or vans to play in the WHL as well as numerous other sports teams, continues to happen on a regular basis.

As a very proud parent of two young children, a message for all parents out there take note of just how precious life can be and cherish your loved ones as you just never know what life brings you!

The month of December is usually a sign that family and friends will be home for the holiday season. Although most families look forward to their loved ones returning to their roots for some holiday cheer and some good ol' fashion family time, there is a select group of parents and families who will not be seeing their young sons this holiday season. You may be asking why and what could be more important than visiting family over the holidays? If you're a hockey fan and bleed Canadiana like I do, then you know that with Boxing Day just around the corner, so is another year of World Junior Hockey. So to answer the question the boys from Team Canada will not be spending time with family and friends this holiday season, instead they will be playing hockey for this great country of ours.

This year's tournament will be held in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia and will feature the power nations of Canada, USA, and Russia who will all be vying for the long lasting memory of winning that coveted Gold Medal. Over the the history of this prestigious tournament, Canada has at times owned this annual event. For a good number of years, Team Canada has literally made it nearly impossible for other nations to seriously compete. From the years 1993-1997 Team Canada had the stranglehold on the tournament winning five consecutive gold medals and most recently the Canadians have won the last three consecutive gold medals. Former bench boss, Brent Sutter, who now coaches the New Jersey Devils of the NHL, was a perfect fit who demanded nothing but success from the young men from Canada who would give Sutter a career 12 wins and 0 loss record during his stint as head coach.

Team Canada’s successes have now been handed over to long time former NHL'er, Craig Hartsburg, who hopes to follow in Sutter's footsteps. Led by the return of players Karl Alzner (who most recently was named team captain), Brad Marchand, and ex BCHL superstar, Kyle Turris, the boys carrying the red and white flag look to be serious contenders once again this holiday season! Throw in the names of projected first round NHL draft pick and Oshawa Generals star John Tavares and goaltender Johnathon Bernier, and all you can do is hope for gold! Kelowna Rockets Defenseman Luke Schenn isn't likely to be a major contributor offensively, however will be counted on heavily to be one of the shut down guys on the back-end.

With a tournament like this and the urgency of each game, teams don’t have many second chances to redeem themselves if they happen to stumble. If Team Canada is to carry on the tradition of winning another gold medal they must come out of the gates flying when they play the Czech Republic at 2 pm on Dec 26th. If past history repeats itself, Team Canada is always well prepared for this event! From top executive Bob Nicholson to the water boy, they all know what it takes to win the big prize and will do anything to reach that goal.

Although there will be some real exciting junior hockey to take in locally over this holiday season, I can tell you where my focus will be. I cannot wait to see how this year’s tournament unfolds, as I anxiously await puck drop.

If you need a schedule of the games, don’t hesitate to contact me. Kyle Sunderman, (sundy@shaw.ca)