Take Five: Dan Tudin

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006 | 12:32 p.m.

Las Vegas Wranglers left wing Dan Tudin would sit on his paternal grandfather Conny Tudins lap in his living room in Ottawa and watch hockey on television. But Dan Tudin cant recall his grandfather talking about his ice heroics.

During a career that lasted nine seasons, Conny Tudin played four games for the Montreal Canadiens in 1941- 42. He had one assist and spent four minutes in the penalty box. He died 15 years ago.

In 1942 Conny started a three-year military hitch. He returned to play six seasons for the Ottawa Senators of the Quebec Senior Hockey League, racking up a combined 112 points in 1947-48 and 1948-49.

Ive talked to a lot of people who said he was an excellent skater, very smooth, Dan said. He defi nitely passed (a passion for sports) on to his son (Dan Tudins father, Rick Tudin), who passed it on to me."

Hometown: Ottawa.

Family: Mother, Jan; father, Rick, an accountant.

Size: 6 feet 1 inch, 200 pounds.

Position: Left wing.

Shoots: Left.

College: Dalhousie University, where he earned a degree in computer science and tallied 98 points his last three seasons.

Tudin was surprised when, at 16, he was a 17th-round draft selection of the Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey League. He collected 115 total points in the last two of his four seasons with the 67s. I had been playing in a league lower than most kids, so to get drafted was a shock, he said. That was a big step for me.

2. Sad start

The death of his maternal grandmother, Joyce Andrews, last fall contributed to Tudins sluggish start to 2005-06. She attended most of Tudins junior games. We have a very tight family, and she was the pillar who kept everyone together, he said. A very special lady. She gave a lot more than she ever received.

3. Terrific trio

Tudin, Matt Dzieduszycki and Steve Crampton have been outstanding, tallying 51 points in the Wranglers last 11 games (when they went 7-4). Las Vegas (34-8-5, 73 points) begins a six-game home series tonight at the Orleans Arena against San Diego.

4. Chasing Alaska

The Wranglers have the second-most points in the ECHL, trailing only Western Division rival Alaska (38-7-3, 79 points). Tudin collected his second hat trick of the season in a 7-1 belting of the Aces last Tuesday at the Orleans. We do want to catch them, Tudin said. I think home-ice advantage will be an important part of these playoffs.

5. Connected

Tudin worked for a local computer networking company, in technical support, last summer. He cringes when someone mentions Nick Burns, the geeky tech character that Jimmy Fallon played on Saturday Night Live. (Teammates) give me a good rub about it, he said. But if they have problems with their computers, I usually help them out.