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Sput
10-10-2006, 11:58 AM
Cpurtesy of:http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/

Tuesday, October 10, 2006
One less overager on Cougars roster
Cooper goes to OHL after passing through waivers
by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor

The depletion of the ranks continues — some by choice, some by injury.

The Prince George Cougars will be short at least eight bodies from where they were last week when they welcome the Swift Current Broncos to CN Centre tonight (7 p.m.)

Injured and sure not to play are defencemen Chris Vanduynhoven and Jesse Dudas, along with winger Dan Gendur. Highly unlikely to participate are defencemen Vladimir Mihalik and Ty Wishart. Cougars fans won’t get their first look at newly-acquired winger Devin Setoguchi, either — the 19-year-old’s knee problem needs more rest, and the hope is he’ll be able to go Friday when the Cougars start a six-game road trip with a date in Medicine Hat.

“This injury situation is wearing on everybody,” said Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson, in Calgary for the usual fall general managers’ meetings that deal with common housecleaning issues, and not anything newsworthy.

“It’s part of the game. Our defencemen are getting banged-up big-time, but the onus is now on our forwards to help take off some of that pressure by scoring more goals and getting back to help out in our end. I haven’t seen that yet.”

The weekend brought a sad end to the four-year Cougars career of defenceman Curtis Cooper, twice named the team’s most-dedicated player. The 20-year-old was told Thursday he was being waived through the league, and on Saturday he flew to Saginaw, Mich., to take a spot with that OHL team. No WHL teams put in a claim on Cooper, leaving him open to join any CHL club, and the Spirit have openings for two overagers.

“That was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in this job,” said Thompson, who has until Thursday’s deadline to get down to three overagers — still around are captain Eric Hunter, scoring leader Brett Robertson, forward Jared Walker and goaltender Scott Bowles, last year’s starter.

“He came in to talk to me leading into training camp because he could see where he was. It was a tough situation for all, and he handled it like the true character kid he is. He was a man about everything. I’m glad he’s getting an opportunity somewhere else at the major junior level.

“(Saginaw) had two 20-year-olds who signed in the American Hockey League, so they had room for some guys. They’re supposed to be a good team this year, so I hope this turns into a great situation for Curtis.”

It’s not impossible Bowles, tangled in the 20-year-old conundrum all season long, might see his first action of the season tonight, spelling Real Cyr, who was treated like a carnival duck last week by the Vancouver Giants.

“It’s possible — we’ll make that decision (this morning),” said Thompson.

“Not a whole lot has been happening there, but we’re getting down to the short strokes and we have to make a decision and run with it. After (tonight’s game) we’ll do that.”

Thompson said it’s not a guarantee that Bowles is the odd-man out.

“Take away the injury to Nick Drazenovic, and it would’ve been easy to make different lineup decisions there,” said Thompson.

“It’s been tough to take those 20-year-olds out up front, and we’ve been fine in goal either way. Not having a full lineup has made that tough. I thought we’d get more interest on our overagers than we’ve gotten, that’s for sure.

“This deadline impacts a lot of things for a lot of teams, not just the 20-year-olds, so I’ll sit down with other GMs here and see if we can work something out.”

Thompson said some veteran players have to take a look in the mirror after the two losses, one by shootout, at home against Vancouver last week.

“Really, with the injuries we have, a split against that team would’ve been great, and we were four minutes away from winning the first one,” said Thompson.

“For me, I’m disappointed in some of the guys we had in the lineup, and what they got done — which wasn’t a whole lot. Those are the guys we’re counting on here, and I’m hoping it’s a learning experience.”

The Cougars made one other roster move on the weekend, sending right-winger Randall Groot, a 16-year-old from Smithers, to the major midget Cariboo Cougars. That leaves Dale Hunt as the lone 16-year-old on the WHL team.



GAMEDAY NOTES



PRINCE GEORGE — No players remain from the Jan. 2005 deadline-deal trade that saw the Broncos get Josh Aspenlind for Matej Trojovsky, Blair Stengler and Tyler Feakes. Aspenlind was left exposed for the expansion draft, and he now wears the ‘C’ for Chilliwack... Not playing tonight for the Cats are D Chris Vanduynhoven (hand), D Jesse Dudas (knuckle), RW Dan Gendur (sprained ankle), RW Devin Setoguchi (knee), D Vladimir Mihalik (separated shoulder) and D Ty Wishart (concussion). That leaves the defence corps badly depleted. Deja vu? Yes, the Cats are without three of their top four defencemen, and arguably their top forward in Setoguchi, who has yet to play since being added from Saskatoon in last week’s trade... D Curtis Cooper was released Thursday and is now skating with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL. Cooper, 20, passed through WHL waivers without getting interest. Cooper did not dress for the Spirit on Sunday in a 2-1 Saginaw win over Sarnia, despite Saginaw icing just 14 skaters... Brett Robertson (10 points) now sits in a tie for 15th overall in league scoring... Jared Walker is tied for eighth in the WHL in power-play goals with three... Real Cyr’s numbers (3.75 goals-against average, .890 save percentage) ballooned after last week’s losses at home against Vancouver, but he has faced more rubber than he should have to in this league... The Cats are 1-2-0-1 at home, outscored 17-10 at CN Centre, and have technically lost three straight — one by shootout.

SWIFT CURRENT — The Broncos come in riding a two-game losing streak after losses in other B.C. centres, 3-1 in Vancouver and 5-2 in Kamloops, the latter game on Monday... The best player on the Broncos is goaltender Kyle Moir, 20, who has single-handedly won two games this season for Swift Current. Moir, who stopped 49 shots in a Sept. 29 victory over Lethbridge, has a 2.22 goals-against average and an impressive .943 save percentage, but has a 2-3 record... A young Moir, ironically, was the reason the Cats were able to get Todd Ford in a trade for Tyler Redenbach a few years ago. That trade still makes Cougars fans cringe... Moir, Myles Rumsey and Jeremy Schenderling are the overagers. Schenderling has five points, including four goals, to lead the scoring. One of those goals came short-handed, one of two the Broncos have recorded already this season... LW Geordie Wudrick, a 16-year-old from Abbotsford, was the second overall pick in 2005.

PGFlyfisher
10-10-2006, 07:09 PM
Thanks for the 4 years of hard work and dedication, Coops! Best of luck to ya out East!
We' ll miss ya.

Sput
10-19-2006, 09:35 AM
From: http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/


Thursday, October 19, 2006
Cooper getting used to OHL life
by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor

Curtis Cooper is playing like Curtis Cooper, steady on the back end and killing penalties. It’s just that he’s doing it for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, not the Prince George Cougars of the WHL.

Cooper, released by the Cats two weeks ago due to overage numbers, was not claimed by a WHL club and has played three games — all road games, all wins — for the Spirit since arriving in the central Michigan city.

“It’s going well out here, and I’ve been getting lots of five-on-five and PK time,” said Cooper, a 20-year-old from Kamloops who has one assist and is plus-5 for the Spirit, one of three U.S.-based teams in the OHL.

“The other players here have been great about it and they’ve welcomed me with open arms. It’s made the transition easier. Really, it’s the same hockey I’ve always played, guys between the ages of 16 and 20. I’ve adapted quick, I think.”

Cooper played in Peterborough, Ottawa and Kingston last weekend, his best outing a one-assist, plus-three showing in an 8-1 triumph over the Kingston Frontenacs. Cooper, who played 276 games for the Cougars, feels like a kid again as he learns a new league.

“In some ways it’s like a new beginning,” said Cooper, who twice won the Cougars’ most dedicated player award.

“It’s different being in a U.S. city, going into different rinks and different cities. But at the same time, I miss a lot of the things I got to do over the last four years in Prince George.”

Cooper did not play a game for the Cougars this year, but had nothing but good things to say about the organization.

“It was a tough few days before I left, no question, saying goodbye to the guys and my friends there,” said the classy Cooper. “They told me what they were doing. I have the utmost respect for (general manager Dallas Thompson) and everyone there. They treated me well and I wish I could’ve played, but I had to look at it from their standpoint and they had to put out the lineup they thought had the best chance of winning games. I understood they could only play three of us, and there were five.”

Saginaw has won six games in a row, reclaiming status as a league favourite. The Spirit lost three in a row to open the season as the unexpected loss of overagers Ryan Garlock and Mitch Maunu to pro hockey hurt early. With Maunu, a defenceman in Chicago’s system, unlikely to make his way back, there was an opening for Cooper.

Cooper and goalie Scott Bowles, another overager released by the Cats, will cross OHL paths on Saturday in Saginaw. The Spirit play host to the Owen Sound Attack on Saturday and Bowles, who turns 20 today, is scheduled to start.

“It’ll probably feel like practice at first, me shooting against him,” said Cooper, who will have five years of schooling to work with once his junior career is over. “That will be weird.”

Not everything in Saginaw has been rosy. Cooper arrived just as the Michigan State Police were investigating five Spirit players over an alleged incident at a billet’s house involving a 15-year-old girl. No charges have been laid. Five players were suspended by the team, but have resumed playing.

“I got here and just found out,” said Cooper. “It’s something the team has to go through together and we want to put us behind it. (The investigation) seems to have been drawn out longer than people hoped or expected.”

Cooper is one of five former WHL players to land in the OHL. Netminders Kevin Opsahl (Kingston) and Bowles, blueliner Dalyn Flatt (Owen Sound) and left-winger Devin Welsh (Peterborough) were unclaimed in a year the WHL is stuffed with quality 20-year-olds.