With all the excitement that the Vancouver Canucks are generating by starting their 2008-2009 regular season, the team began its first game of the season at home with an opening ceremony to honour Luc Bourdon.

This promising young defenseman was going to be one of the corner stones of the Canucks future but that will never come to be as he died in a tragic motorcycle accident in June of this year.

The Canucks had a video tribute with Tom Cochrane performing live with a touching song that complimented the video. The video showed Luc as he grew up, learning the game of hockey and his moments during the World Junior Championship team in Vancouver along with his brief moments with the Canucks.

The Canucks also honoured his memory by unveiling the “Wall of Dreams”. This wall is located at Gate 3 inside General Motors Place to honour Luc’s memory and demonstrate to young athletes that dreams can come true with hard work, determination and heart.

The Canucks and thier fans lost a family member this year but he will forever be in our memories.

As the Canucks say, Luc is “Forever a Canuck”.

The image of the pin shown on this post can be purchased at General Motors Place starting October 10 2008. The proceeds from the pin sales will be forwarded to the Luc Bourdon Foundation.

There’s a few previews and predictions of tonight’s game floating around (Yankee Canuck and Waiting for Stanley) so I’m not going to go into a whole lot of detail.  The Canucks will pay tribute to Luc Bourdon tonight, and I have a feeling that the emotion of that will do nothing but help them.

Mike predicts 3 – 2 for the Canucks, and Sean says 4 -3 in a shootout.  Me?  I’ll say 4 – 2 for the Canucks.

And, as we say at the start of every new NHL season (although it’s not really necessary this year, we’ll say it anyway) …

It’s hard not to be optimistic about the coming season based on what the Canucks have done over the last couple of weeks. Keeping that momentum going and having a positive start to the season could make all the difference to how it all turns out in the end.

For Luc Bourdon. For Trevor Linden.

It starts now.

It’s a little weird having the draft on a Friday night, but regardless, it’s time to see how serious Mike Gillis is about improving the Canucks for the coming years.  Whether it’s through trades, or their #10 pick, this is going to be the draft that could potentially shape Gillis’ whole tenure as the Canucks G.M.

It’s no secret that the Canucks need forwards, and particularly forwards who can put the puck in the net.  I’ve heard around that they might be wind up drafting yet another defenseman to replace Luc Bourdon.  But seeing as how the defense is one of the better parts of the Canuck game, it would be a mistake to suddenly feel the need to replace Bourdon so soon after his passing.

I’ll post again in a few minutes after they make their pick.

As has been reported on a number of sites this morning, Luc Bourdon, the 10th overall pick by the Canucks in 2005 was killed in a motorcycle accident in his hometown of Shippigan, New Brunswick earlier today.

He took up riding just a few weeks ago, and bought his own bike on Tuesday.

Both Waiting for Stanley and Canucks & Beyond have more details on this situation.

My condolences to the Bourdon family in having to deal with this terrible tragedy.

Rest in peace, Luc.