(CP) — Luc Bourdon, a promising defenseman with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks who played 41 games as a rookie with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in 2007-08, was killed Thursday afternoon in a motorcycle accident in his native northern New Brunswick.
"Luc was an extremely talented player with a bright future," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said in a statement. "He brought great passion to the game and was a valued team member on and off the ice.
"He will be greatly missed."
Kent Hughes, Bourdon’s agent, described his client as a winner and a competitor.
"There was no quit in him," said Hughes, who knew Bourdon since the player was 15. "He persevered through a lot. He was a great guy and a great teammate."
Bourdon, 21, was the first-round pick of the Canucks, 10th overall, in the 2005 NHL draft. He split time this season with the Canucks and the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. In 27 games with the Canucks, he scored twice but had no assists. Bourdon totaled 14 points in 41 regular-season games for the Moose.
“Luc was a truly passionate person who was also hard-working, and caring of his teammates,” said Craig Heisinger, Manitoba’s vice president and general manager. “He was a very talented player who made a great impact on the organization in a short period of time. It is a big loss for the Manitoba Moose family.”
Bourdon was a member of the Canadian team that won gold at the 2006 world junior hockey championship in Vancouver and was named to the tournament all-star team. He helped Canada win another gold at the 2007 world juniors in Sweden.
