While it isn't easy for any young player to establish themselves in the NHL, it's impossible to imagine how Vancouver Canucks forward Linden Vey has made it through his first few professional seasons while dealing with an unimaginable murder conspiracy involving his family.

In 2013 - the year Vey broke into the NHL - Linden's father, Curtis Vey, and co-accused Angela Nicholson were charged with conspiracy to murder their spouses, including Linden's mother Brigitte, in their hometown of Wakaw, Sask.

"It changes your life," Vey told The Province's Jason Botchford. "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."

Vey admits it's difficult to play with that kind of situation weighing on his mind, but he doesn't want to use it as an excuse for any disappointing play in the past couple years.

"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 24-year-old said.

After recording 24 points in 75 games in the 2014-15 campaign, Vey failed to make the team to start this season and was not called up until December.

"I didn't have a very good training camp," Vey admitted. "I thought it got better when I got called up. I think I started playing a little bit better."

Curtis Vey and Nicholson will begin trial May 24, and the Canucks forward plans to be with his family in Saskatchewan during the offseason to support his mother.

"Our family is going to do its best to find its way through it."

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