When queried as to whether Madeline was a better cook than his mother, the younger VanMoerkerke paused, apparently considering the fact his mom Carol would also be aware of his answer.

Living away from home is one adjustment Luke has had to make in his first season of Junior B hockey, to go along with a new school (Denis Morris in St. Catharines) and new friends. VanMoerkerke made the step up to junior hockey the previous season, but it was a comparatively gentle one. He was able to live at home, making the drive to Norwich with the Niagara Junior C West Merchants under coach Derek Partlo, and with a number of former TMHI teammates or familiars.

A whole new location with a whole new set of teammates was initially a challenge. But with a rookie party under his belt - ?I survived, my hair didn't,? smiled VanMoerkerke, currently sporting a ?crewish' cut of regrowth - the process was well underway.

The transitional process has continued on the ice, where VanMoerkerke, used to being a dominant minor hockey player and talented Junior C prospect, is working his way into a Junior B lineup that relies heavily on its top two veteran lines.

Junior B rinks tend to be bigger, he added, and partially perhaps due to the skill level and the skating ability of the players, the game tends to be ?cleaner'.

VanMoerkerke has played all three forward positions, but under Hubbard is currently on right wing with the third, or ?kid' line. It is centred by 17-year-old returnee Joey Martin and includes 16-year-old Dustin Demoe on the left side.

Demoe assisted on VanMoerkerke's first career Junior B goal, finding him cutting up the centre of the ice with a pass from the left-wing boards.

Obviously he would like to have better ?stats', but apart from adjusting to the ?B' level of play, they are related to a potential shortage of ice time as one of the team's younger players. If the game proceeds essentially as a ?five-on-five' battle, the kid line can expect around 15 minutes of ice time. But with a greater emphasis on ?zero tolerance' officiating, penalties either way mean a significant proportion of the game is played as odd-man situations, with veteran players gaining the majority of the ice time.

?It's frustrating sometimes,? admitted VanMoerkerke, who can see his ?share' drop to six minutes. In some games, his line can start off with a couple of quality shifts, but then end up sitting for a 10-minute stretch.

Playing under this kind of pressure is a challenge in itself, and arguably at times, conducive to ?pushing' rather than letting the game come to a player.

Concurrently, VanMoerkerke is working on improving his skills both at practice (Mondays and Tuesdays from 4:15-5:15 p.m.) and games (typically five in a two-week period).

He has also benefitted from veteran advice, from sources including Steve Zmudinski, who spent two-and-a-half years with the OHL's Guelph Storm. A gifted goal-scorer, Zmudinski has passed along ?a lot of little things', including tips for around the net, such as where to shoot on goaltenders in certain situations.

The kid line has made progress, particularly in the last couple of weeks said VanMoerkerke. In the bigger picture, the Blackhawks sport a 14-16-2 record and are in fifth place of eight teams, all of whom make the playoffs.

In the meantime, his focus continues to be progression and contribution with ?a great organization,' along with an educational ?life experience' both on and off the ice. He would naturally prefer to be making a greater impact, but is satisfied with his primary goal of adjusting and improving as a hockey player.

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