Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves to honour DJ Hancock, Liam Kirkwood

A special hockey game just after Christmas will honour the memory of two former Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves players.

The numbers belonging to Liam Kirkwood and DJ Hancock will be retired during a game against the Nickel City Sons on Dec. 27 at Countryside Arena.

DJ Hancock was killed in August when his vehicle was struck by a truck driven by a drunk driver. Kirkwood lost a battle with leukemia in 2012.

Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves General Manager Albert Corradini said he hopes retiring the numbers will help some of his players grieve for their teammates.

"When Liam passed away it was towards the end of our season. We went through the grieving process but be really didn't get the opportunity to do something proper for him, so to speak," he said.

"When DJ was tragically killed back in August, we though this was the opportunity for us to do something to remember those two young men." 

Hancock's mother Kim said she's glad the team is retiring his number 16.

"It's going to be an emotional night, and it being Christmas we are already high on emotions right now," she said.

The proceeds from the game will go towards a bursary or a splash pad in Hancock's memory. The Splash Pad of Champions is also part of an online voting contest for funding.

A roadside memorial for DJ Hancock along the Highway 17 by-pass was moved over the weekend because of safety concerns. Friends and family relocated the memorial to a street near the Countryside Arena.