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 NickelCapital Wolves players.

The numbers belonging toLiamKirkwoodand DJ Hancock will be retired during a game against the Nickel City Sonson Dec.27 at Countryside Arena.

DJHancock 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 saidhe hopes retiring the numbers will help some of his players grieve for their teammates.

"When Liam passed away it was towards the end of ourseason. 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 DJwas tragically killed back in August, we though this was the opportunity for us to do something to remember those two young men."

Hancock'smother Kim saidshe'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 fromthe gamewill go towards a bursary or a splash pad in Hancock's memory.TheSplash Padof Champions is also part ofan 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 nearthe Countryside Arena.