How about them Canucks!
- Thread starter #juan
- Start date
Canucks' Vey caught up in alleged family murder conspiracy
JASON BOTCHFORD, POSTMEDIA
First posted: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 09:27 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 09:35 PM EDT
VANCOUVER — When Linden Vey called the past two seasons the worst of his career, he was speaking only about his experiences on the ice.
But when you learn about his story, the one that has engulfed his family since 2013, it becomes impossible to separate what's unfolded off it.
As Vey has struggled to establish his NHL career, he has been balancing far bigger issues and he's hoping his family will soon get closure.
On May 24, his father Curtis Vey is to go on trial with co-accused Angela Nicholson. The pair have been charged with conspiracy to murder their spouses.
"Every player deals with certain distractions in their life, challenges," said Canucks president Trevor Linden. "I think that's normal. I don't think there has ever been a player who has dealt with something like this."
Because of the case’s explosive allegations, the story shook small-town Saskatchewan in 2013 when Curtis and Nicholson, both in their early 50s, were charged.
Police alleged the pair were having an affair, and the plan was to kill Curtis's wife, Brigitte, in a house fire, while Jim Taylor, Nicholson's husband, was going to die of a drug overdose.
Defence attorney Ron Piche said 22 witnesses are scheduled to testify.
"It changes your life," Vey said. "Your life is a certain way for so many years and all of a sudden, you wake up one day and it's totally different.
"But I'm not going to sit here and say it's part of the reason I've had two of the worst seasons of my career."
The idea that Vey, who is very well liked in the Canucks room, can't use what's happened to explain why he hasn't been a more successful hockey player is a sentiment shared by several people who are part of his team, including the coaching staff.
It is a hard, difficult truth for a borderline NHL player, trying to carve out a career, and one who was disappointingly cut in the fall before going unclaimed on waivers.
"I didn't have a very good training camp," Vey acknowledged. "I thought it got better when I got called up. I think I started playing a little bit better.
"It's a tough situation for me. Sometimes, when you have something like that weighing on your mind, it's tough to be super focused.
"But I do have a great family and support system.
"I try not to focus on it too much. Any time it's a family matter, you try to keep it as private as you can.
"Everybody has something to go through. Life is never easy."
Linden said that through it all, Vey has functioned as "normally as could be expected."
"I think the guys around the room, and the coaches, never saw any evidence of it coming to the surface," Linden said. "You can only imagine what was going on inside of him."
The Canucks learned about the case after trading a second-round draft pick for Vey in 2014.
"What was important to us was making sure he got the help he needed," Linden said.
"I think coming to the rink has been a bit of a sanctuary for him. Once you walk in those doors, it's actually a bit of a blessing. He had his teammates around him and could have a real focus.
"I think it's probably harder when you leave and you go back into what is, quote, normal life again."
For a few years now, there has been nothing normal about Vey's life.
Several people close to him said he has stayed supportive of his father, who coached him until he was in peewee hockey. Vey grew up on a large farm in Wakaw, Sask., a town with a population of less than 1,000.
There was even some consideration given to bringing Curtis Vey on one of the Canucks' official fathers' trips.
"I don't talk to him a whole lot, but I do here and there," Vey said. "It's a tough situation. We were a super close family."
When Curtis and Nicholson were first charged, Nicholson's husband was outspoken about the case.
Taylor told Postmedia News then that Curtis was their financial adviser and co-signed cheques. Taylor revealed he had been estranged from his wife when the alleged plot took shape.
Vey has two siblings.
"My mother and I are super close," Vey said. "She came on the mothers' trip with me and she comes out quite a bit.
"My family — my brother and my sister — we're all tight. This is a time where we need to stick together as much as possible now."
The trial was originally slated to begin in the fall of 2014, a date that would have been during the hockey season and obviously far more complicated for Vey.
With it slated to start now in his off-season, Vey can be home with his family in Saskatchewan.
"As much as it is me involved, it's more about my parents' situation," Vey said. "I will be there to support my mother.
"Our family is going to do its best to find its way through it."
Canucks' Vey caught up in alleged family murder conspiracy | HOCKEY | Hockey | S
JASON BOTCHFORD, POSTMEDIA
First posted: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 09:27 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 09:35 PM EDT
VANCOUVER — When Linden Vey called the past two seasons the worst of his career, he was speaking only about his experiences on the ice.
But when you learn about his story, the one that has engulfed his family since 2013, it becomes impossible to separate what's unfolded off it.
As Vey has struggled to establish his NHL career, he has been balancing far bigger issues and he's hoping his family will soon get closure.
On May 24, his father Curtis Vey is to go on trial with co-accused Angela Nicholson. The pair have been charged with conspiracy to murder their spouses.
"Every player deals with certain distractions in their life, challenges," said Canucks president Trevor Linden. "I think that's normal. I don't think there has ever been a player who has dealt with something like this."
Because of the case’s explosive allegations, the story shook small-town Saskatchewan in 2013 when Curtis and Nicholson, both in their early 50s, were charged.
Police alleged the pair were having an affair, and the plan was to kill Curtis's wife, Brigitte, in a house fire, while Jim Taylor, Nicholson's husband, was going to die of a drug overdose.
Defence attorney Ron Piche said 22 witnesses are scheduled to testify.
"It changes your life," Vey said. "Your life is a certain way for so many years and all of a sudden, you wake up one day and it's totally different.
"But I'm not going to sit here and say it's part of the reason I've had two of the worst seasons of my career."
The idea that Vey, who is very well liked in the Canucks room, can't use what's happened to explain why he hasn't been a more successful hockey player is a sentiment shared by several people who are part of his team, including the coaching staff.
It is a hard, difficult truth for a borderline NHL player, trying to carve out a career, and one who was disappointingly cut in the fall before going unclaimed on waivers.
"I didn't have a very good training camp," Vey acknowledged. "I thought it got better when I got called up. I think I started playing a little bit better.
"It's a tough situation for me. Sometimes, when you have something like that weighing on your mind, it's tough to be super focused.
"But I do have a great family and support system.
"I try not to focus on it too much. Any time it's a family matter, you try to keep it as private as you can.
"Everybody has something to go through. Life is never easy."
Linden said that through it all, Vey has functioned as "normally as could be expected."
"I think the guys around the room, and the coaches, never saw any evidence of it coming to the surface," Linden said. "You can only imagine what was going on inside of him."
The Canucks learned about the case after trading a second-round draft pick for Vey in 2014.
"What was important to us was making sure he got the help he needed," Linden said.
"I think coming to the rink has been a bit of a sanctuary for him. Once you walk in those doors, it's actually a bit of a blessing. He had his teammates around him and could have a real focus.
"I think it's probably harder when you leave and you go back into what is, quote, normal life again."
For a few years now, there has been nothing normal about Vey's life.
Several people close to him said he has stayed supportive of his father, who coached him until he was in peewee hockey. Vey grew up on a large farm in Wakaw, Sask., a town with a population of less than 1,000.
There was even some consideration given to bringing Curtis Vey on one of the Canucks' official fathers' trips.
"I don't talk to him a whole lot, but I do here and there," Vey said. "It's a tough situation. We were a super close family."
When Curtis and Nicholson were first charged, Nicholson's husband was outspoken about the case.
Taylor told Postmedia News then that Curtis was their financial adviser and co-signed cheques. Taylor revealed he had been estranged from his wife when the alleged plot took shape.
Vey has two siblings.
"My mother and I are super close," Vey said. "She came on the mothers' trip with me and she comes out quite a bit.
"My family — my brother and my sister — we're all tight. This is a time where we need to stick together as much as possible now."
The trial was originally slated to begin in the fall of 2014, a date that would have been during the hockey season and obviously far more complicated for Vey.
With it slated to start now in his off-season, Vey can be home with his family in Saskatchewan.
"As much as it is me involved, it's more about my parents' situation," Vey said. "I will be there to support my mother.
"Our family is going to do its best to find its way through it."
Canucks' Vey caught up in alleged family murder conspiracy | HOCKEY | Hockey | S
yes, I just read this story online, what a dilemma for him, but much more for his mother, at least she is
still alive, would have been horrible if it hadn't surfaced and had actually happened.
good luck to him, not an easy matter to deal with.
The kid is going to need a lot of support, especially as he's likely kept a lot of stuff bottled up inside for years. Too often disgrace from family members rubs off on innocent, offspring, siblings etc. I wish good things for him.
Hey, when you reach my age everyone under 50 is a kid! How would you feel if you were in his boots?
I think Trevor Linden characterized his problem correctly! He deserves compassion I.M.H.O.
and maybe now that it is all out in the open, he can take a big breath and deal with it easier,
and not carry it around like a secret, which is a lot of stress and builds up.
and not carry it around like a secret, which is a lot of stress and builds up.
A noble effort after being down 3-0 early in the 2nd. A good game! Took one point. Philip Larsen might be a good acquisition.
canucks were outplayed most of the game last night, but did manage
to get a couple of power play goals, then scramble their way back to
force overtime, lost in the shoot out, but took home 1 point, not all was lost.
if they are going to continue their winning ways, they must start to be a bit more
dominant, and win a few games, by controlling more of the game.
to get a couple of power play goals, then scramble their way back to
force overtime, lost in the shoot out, but took home 1 point, not all was lost.
if they are going to continue their winning ways, they must start to be a bit more
dominant, and win a few games, by controlling more of the game.
The good news is two Canadian teams lead in the standings BUT if I remember correctly last year the Habs started the year with 10 straight wins, but didn't mean much after game 82.
Things are looking up, in the game against the Ducks, Hank just tied it up in the third! Canucks have to get more aggressive, win more faceoffs and do more hitting.................Ducks by nature are a timid animal. 
how about them Oilers and McJesus!!!!!
Yep, they've sure turned a corner. Three of the four top teams are Canadian based teams at the moment. Canucks are going to have to build a little more muscle. McDavid is obviously a huge asset, but still he's only one man and people have to keep their expectations to that!
Power Ranking report looks good for this week anyway.
"9. (8) Vancouver Canucks, 4-1-1
Who knows how long this will last, but credit general manager Jim Benning and coach Willie Desjardins for getting consistent efforts from a team widely expected to finish last in the conference. "Gritty," "tenacious" and "resilient" were not exactly the adjectives expected to be associated with the Canucks this season, but they're off to a strong start in spite of going winless in two games on the weekend."
http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/...on-oilers-tampa-bay-lightning-hot-their-heels
"9. (8) Vancouver Canucks, 4-1-1
Who knows how long this will last, but credit general manager Jim Benning and coach Willie Desjardins for getting consistent efforts from a team widely expected to finish last in the conference. "Gritty," "tenacious" and "resilient" were not exactly the adjectives expected to be associated with the Canucks this season, but they're off to a strong start in spite of going winless in two games on the weekend."
http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/...on-oilers-tampa-bay-lightning-hot-their-heels
Canucks are just snake bit! If they could win more face offs and shoot at the goal a little more it would likely make a big difference. The Sedins and Hansen seem to be contributing, but they don't play every shift. TO is on a rampage!
TO is on a rampage!