NHL forward caught up in family murder conspiracy.

One National Hockey League forward is coming off what he calls the two worst seasons of his hockey career. and while he places the blame firmly on his own shoulders for his performance, under the circumstances it's hard to imagine his personal life not being a major distraction.

Linden Vey's life was changed, quite likely forever, when he learned that his father had been arrested for conspiracy to commit murder, and to make matters worse, the conspiracy was targeting Vey's mother. According to a report in The Province, Vey's father stands accussed of planning to murder his wife with the woman he was having an affair with, the pair also stand accused of conspiring to murder the woman's spouse as well.

From The Province:

Angela Nicholson of Melfort and Curtis Vey of Wakaw, both 49, are charged with conspiring to commit murder. 

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.

It's hard to imagine how this would impact a young man in his twenties, learning that his father was not only having an affair, but planning to murder his mother as a result of it. Despite that Vey, while admitting it's been a life changing experience, doesn't want to make excuses for himself.

"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."

Fortunately for Vey, he has had the support of the Canucks organization, who understand that this is a challenge unlike any other for this young man.

"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."

Vey's father goes on trial later this month.

[pub]