FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. Fort McMurray Oil Barons' Derek Klassen is a big fan of the Trailer Park Boys, the classic Canadian mockumentary television series which follows the adventures, or should we say misadventures, of three friends named Ricky, Julian and Bubbles who are living both the low-life and high-life in a trailer park out Nova Scotia way.

So close are the trio, that they could be brothers. Having brothers is something that Derek misses and wishes for.

When Derek was only two years-of-age, too young to remember, his youngest brother Craig died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) at two months.

Five years later, when Derek was only seven years of age, he would lose yet another brother, Gavin, to cancer.

'He (Gavin) was 16 years-old when he died,' recalled Derek, who grew up in Whitehorse. 'He died in October and I had just started playing my first year of (minor) hockey a month before in September.

'It (Gavin's death) really wasn't a shock at the time because he had been sick off and on my whole life. He had been sick since he was eight. It didn't effect me a lot then because I was young but now I think about it a lot.

'At times I look over and see other families with their brothers and think what it would be like to have my two brothers with me.'

Derek is reminded of his brothers every day for when you enter the Oil Barons' locker room with its familiar and distinct, musky mouldy smell you will see a photo of Derek's brother Gavin on his locker shelf.

Family is important to Derek, so it was no doubt a challenge when he left Whitehorse in Grade 9 to attend the prestigious Notre Dames Hounds program (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League) based out Athol College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan.

'It was a change going from one of the best players at your age in Whitehorse to where now you are with 300 other good kids,' recalled Derek, of the international Catholic co-educational college preparatory boarding school (Grade 8-12) which specializes in among other things, athletics.

'You learn a lot about other people and about yourself when you are there (for four years). Whether it be competing on the ice or for grades or being away from your parents ... it is a great learning experience. You have to get by on you own. It's all up to you and nobody else.'

Part of that test of strength came from his father, Alan, a part-time big game guide.

'I tagged along a few times with him when I was a kid,' said Derek, who just recently completed his third season and junior hockey career with the Oil Barons by recording 28 goals and 33 assists in 58 regular season games.

'My dad would be hiking around outdoors for two or three months and I saw how tough and how strong he had to be. I try to bring that same attitude to hockey.'

Klassen, who turns 21 on June 27, played two previous seasons with the Oil Barons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, recording 16 goals, 26 assists, 42 points (2005-2006) and 10 goals, 14 assists, 24 points (2004-2005).

Hoping to land an NCAA hockey scholarship, Derek, who wore the Oil Barons' C' this past season, says his goals are to play professional hockey one day.

'I would really like to think my long term goal is to play professional hockey somewhere at sometime. Whenever the opportunity comes up. Not the NHL though ... that ship has long sailed.'

His ultimate goal is to own and manage a fitness gymnasium.

A fitness gym, so fit, that it can handle big game guides.