Boucher's shining moment dimmed

0 Comments | USA TODAY, January, 2007 | by Kevin Allen

DALLAS -- As a rule, players don't get overly emotional about all-star games. But Dallas Stars defenseman Philippe Boucher could have difficulty keeping tears from emerging when he plays in his first NHL All-Star Game. He will be in the lineup competing for the Western Conference in front of his team's fans, but his heart will be in Quebec, where his father, Jean-Claude, is bedridden with pancreatic cancer.

"I'm holding up pretty good, but I started thinking about it and I got emotional," Boucher said. "Come game time, it will be very emotional." Boucher considered not playing and spending time with his father, but Jean-Claude wanted him to play. "What made the decision easier is that the Stars have been supportive," Boucher said. "They have let me go back four times already...