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03-24-2006, 10:53 AM
Gendur out, Fuller in for playoff-ready Cougars


by JASON PETERS, Citizen staff

Dan Gendur's rotten luck during the regular season has stretched into the post-season.
Gendur, who missed 48 games during the 2005-06 WHL schedule because of a deep thigh bruise that took on a life of its own, separated his left shoulder during last Friday's 7-4 road loss to the Tri-City Americans. Thanks to the latest injury, the speedy Prince George Cougars forward will miss at least the first two playoff games against the Vancouver Giants, contests set for Friday and Saturday in Vancouver.

"Definitely (I'm not playing) this weekend, from what the doctors are telling me," Gendur said Thursday after practice at CN Centre. "The games here (March 28 and 29), I might be able to play, just depending on how it comes along."

Gendur's injury wasn't the result of absorbing a crushing body check. Far from it.

"It was just a weird play along the boards," said the five-foot-11, 172-pound Victoria native. "My stick got caught in a guy's jersey and he kind of pulled away and my shoulder just came out."

Gendur, in his second season with the Cougars, admits his sophomore campaign has been dominated by frustration.

"Everyone has one tough year, and hopefully this is mine," said Gendur, who had two goals and one assist in his 19 games this season. "I'm sure once I get back I'll bounce back, and hopefully I can contribute to the team in any way that (head coach) Mike (Vandekamp) wants me to.

"I was really looking forward to using the last 15 games or so that I was able to play in to get ready for the playoffs and help the team get a good run going. This shoulder thing is just unfortunate — there's nothing I can really do about it. But it's not going to be that long (before I can play). It's only going to be a week or two."

While Gendur is back on the shelf, Evan Fuller is ready to step off it. Fuller, one of the more feisty forwards in the Prince George lineup, has recovered from torn ligaments in his right ankle and is anxious to get his feet moving against the Giants.

"I've never really been part of playoffs," said Fuller, a Williams Lake product who piled up 87 penalty minutes in 56 regular season games with the Cougars. "Back in minor hockey everyone got to playoffs but we always got knocked out. Around this atmosphere, it's huge. Everyone's so excited and it's going to be a lot of fun."

Fuller originally damaged his ankle about seven weeks ago. His last game action was against the Kamloops Blazers at the beginning of March. Fuller did not play during the Cougars' final road trip of the season, a journey that saw the team play one game against Spokane, two against Tri-City and one against the Blazers.

Fuller, who contributed two goals and five assists to the offence this season, does not expect his recent absence from the lineup to have any kind of negative impact on him during playoffs.

"The type of style I play, it's pretty simple — trying to work hard, and down in the corners and make some hits," he said. "I try and stir some stuff up and get the other scorers going.

"In any series, I think, it's important to have a mucker type of guy. It creates a lot more space for the other, more skilled guys and gets everyone going. If you make a big hit, then everybody gets all riled up and people can feed off that."

The Cougars will be on the team bus today, heading for Vancouver.

Giants owner Ron Toigo, meanwhile, had been adamant his team would travel by air during the series. But Toigo has now said he will abide by WHL policy and send the club back and forth on the highways. Toigo did speak to WHL commissioner Ron Robison about reviewing the league's travel policy. Toigo changed his mind on the issue after speaking to his head coach, Don Hay, who is old-school and would rather drive than fly.

"Don just wants the distraction to go away," Toigo told the Vancouver Province. "Like he says, too, it's just a long runway."

• The entire series between the Cougars and Giants will be televised by Shaw Cable 10 and by Star Choice. Shaw will also broadcast a full series in the Western Conference semi-finals, finals and the WHL championship series.