Cousineau still on the attack

Nick Christensen

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004 | 9:29 a.m.

In mid-January, Wranglers rookie Dave Cousineau traveled to the ECHL All-Star Game in Peoria, Ill., as one of the highest scoring defenseman in the league. So it was only natural that Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan moved Cousineau to forward when the team was hit with a slew of injuries.

Cousineau will again play the attacking ice when the Wranglers take on the Trenton Titans tonight at the Orleans Arena.

Over the past two weeks, Cousineau has played forward, and scored his first goal as a winger Saturday night in the Wranglers' 9-1 blowout of Fresno. On the season, Cousineau had 10 goals and eight assists in 41 games.

"He's a guy that's got offensive ability," Gulutzan said. "He was a logical choice for a guy to go on at left wing."

Cousineau jokes that as a child, he learned to be a defenseman because he was one of the kids who could skate backward. But after finishing school in Ontario, he opted to play college hockey at Western Michigan instead of playing in a semi-pro junior league. He graduated in four years with a degree in supply-chain management.

"I never could have imagined choosing a different route.... It teaches you how to work hard, and balance your life demands, practicing, school, and still having a social life," he said. "It teaches you how to take things in perspective every time you go through spells of adversity."

Staying in college also meant that he'd have to wait to have his first chance at playing against his older brother, 28-year-old San Diego Gulls defenseman Dan Cousineau.

"I had 25 years worth of bragging rights after the first time we played each other," he said. But Dave was less successful after his first time going head to head with his brother as a forward. The Wranglers lost last week's game against San Diego, 5-2.

"I had a few run-ins with him, and I go to muck it up with him," Dave said. "He told me to take it in stride, sometimes you're asked to do a different role, you just accept it."

And according to Gulutzan, it's a valuable opportunity to diversify Cousineau's repertoire and give the prospect a new outlook when he returns to the defensive end of the ice.

"Getting out and playing forward helps you on defense," Gulutzan said. "It gives you a broader perspective."

Cousineau agreed.

"Only time will tell, but it's good to see things from a different perspective," he said. "I'm surprised by how much you skate for no reason, without touching the puck."

And Cousineau said he's also thinking about the postseason, a goal that may seem far removed from a team that has been playing .500 hockey for the past month. The ECHL playoffs start in early April.

"Winning games when we're in a rut like this makes you stronger when the team comes into the playoffs," he said. "Coming in can only help the team get better."