AHL Notebook: LaCouture, back in minors, keeping mind on business

His last AHL experience was the kind of unpleasant memory Dan LaCouture plans to erase during his current stay.

The 31-year-old journeyman forward is in his second week with the Albany River Rats, sent down by the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 4.

It is just the third minor-league assignment in nine years for LaCouture, including the NHL owners lockout season of 2004-05, and the first since playing 39 games for the Lowell Devils 2006-07.

A second-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in 1996, LaCouture finished with eight goals and three assists that year, and wound up in Europe the following season.

“I came down and I was kind of beside myself,” he said. “I gave up more money with one team and took less money with another team, and then got sent down. I was beside myself as to how that could happen.

“I just wasn’t as focused as I should have been. I was living in Cape Cod and driving a couple of hours every day from my home to Lowell. I wasn’t being responsible. I had a newborn baby and I wanted to be with her and didn’t want to get a third place. I was pretty ticked off, and probably didn’t handle it the best I could. It’s been a long two years since.”

The 2007-08 season didn’t go much better for LaCouture, who had one goal and one assist in 15 games for Lugano in Switzerland before shoulder surgery ended his year in January.

He dedicated himself to his rehab and summer training. Invited to training camp on a free agent tryout by the Carolina Hurricanes, he earned himself a one-year, two-way contract and began the year in the NHL.

“I changed a lot of things this summer,” LaCouture said. “I stopped drinking. I just had a whole different outlook on life. I went to Carolina with a whole new approach and focus. I did what I had to do.

“I can only control what I can control. I’m here right now, but one thing I can say coming here is that no matter how long I’m here, I’m going to have the best attitude that I can, work as hard as I can and do the best I can every practice and every shift.”

Playing on an all-NHL line with Dwight Helminen and Michael Ryan, LaCouture had one assist in his first three games for Albany. It was his first AHL point since scoring a goal for Lowell against Hartford on March 18, 2007.

Though he played each of Carolina’s first 11 games, scoring the winning goal in the season-opener, LaCouture averaged under five minutes a game for the Canes. After clearing waivers, he visited his family for a few days before reporting to the Rats.

“Danny wasn’t averaging a lot of minutes and he came down and was off for four days and jumped right into two games,” Albany first-year coach-GM Jeff Daniels said. “It’s a big adjustment. It takes a few games to get that conditioning back. I’d expect him to get stronger every day.”

Albany’s oldest player, LaCouture has 337 NHL games for Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Boston, New Jersey, Carolina and the Rangers, and 325 AHL games for Hamilton, Providence, Lowell and Albany.

“I’m not going to stray from my mental approach,” he said. “It’s not the easiest situation. I’m trying to juggle things and figure things out away from the rink. I’ve got a lot going on right now, but my attitude and my focus when I show up at the rink is where it needs to be. My attitude has been great and will continue to be for as long as I’m here.”

WOUNDED BEAR

Hershey president-GM Doug Yingst was recovering from multiple injuries suffered in a fall from the roof of his Pennsylvania home on Sunday.

Yingst suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries in the accident. He was taken to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and is under the care of Dr. Kevin Black, the center’s head of orthopedics and Bears team doctor.

Yingst broke both wrists and three ribs and suffered two skull fractures and a collapsed lung, along with facial and body bruising.

In his 27th season with the organization, Yingst has served in his current capacity since 1998-99. He has twice been named the AHL’s top executive and won the 2008 Thomas Ebright Award for his contributions to the league.

Bears broadcaster John Walton read a statement from Hershey Entertainment and Resorts following the team’s game at Bridgeport Sunday.

HITTING IT BIG

Journeyman 6-foot-8, 258-pound defenseman Mitch Fritz was returned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last weekend after getting his first taste of the NHL.

Fritz, 28, played five games for the Islanders with seven penalty minutes, including a fight with Montreal’s Georges Laraque.

Since turning pro in 2000, Fritz has played for 11 teams across eight U.S. states and Canadian provinces in three leagues. He won the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as AHL Man of the Year in 2006.

EX-FILES

Cam Janssen was tops with 30 PIM, had one assist and was minus-5 in 13 games for the St. Louis Blues.

In his third season with the Ottawa Senators, Dean McAmmond was 1-2-3 in 15 games and his plus-3 rating was tied for second-best on the club.

Defenseman Kyle Cumiskey took 11 shifts for 8:10 of ice time for Colorado against the Minnesota Wild before being returned to AHL Lake Erie, where he had six assists in 11 games.

Jesse Boulerice led the Monsters with 46 PIM, and had two goals and two assists before being recalled by the Avs last week.

Scoreless and minus-2 with 12 PIM in five games, right wing Barry Tallackson was recalled from Lowell by New Jersey on Sunday. Entering the weekend, he had yet to dress for the Devils.

Syracuse left wing Steve Kelly will miss another 3-5 weeks with two broken ribs suffered Nov. 8 vs. Manitoba. Kelly was 1-5-6 and plus-2 in 11 games for the Crunch.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton captain David Gove had just one goal through his first 12 games this season. Gove scored 15 goals in 36 games after being acquired by the Pens for Joe Jensen on Jan. 31.

Bridgeport defenseman Chris Lee took a three-game point streak (0-5-5) into the weekend. Slowed by injury, Lee did not make his season debut until Oct. 31.

Defenseman Matt DeMarchi is credited with two goals, four assists and 16 PIM in one game for Asiago HC in Italy.

Ken Magowan led the Wolfsburg (Germany) Grizzly Adams with 10 goals and 24 points in 18 games. Among his teammates is Tim Regan, who played at RPI from 1992-96.

QUOTEBOOK

“They’re like your grandmother’s silver tea set. You stare at it, but you don’t ever play with it or use it.”

Manitoba’s Trevor Ludwig, to the Democrat & Chronicle, on the oversized shin pads his father, longtime NHLer Craig Ludwig, made famous during his playing days and now displays at home.

AROUND THE BOARDS

u Guilderland’s Rich Brennan led Innsbruck EV defensemen with seven assists and was sixth on the Austrian team with 10 points in 18 games.

u Altamont native Jay Leach was recalled by New Jersey on Sunday and was scoreless and even in two NHL games for the Devils, playing a total of 19:44 on 26 shifts. Leach was 1-1-2 with 21 PIM in 12 games for Lowell.

u Portland right wing Mark Mancari went 4-4-8 and plus-4 in three games to be named player of the week. Albany nominated goalie Justin Peters (0-1, 3.96, .932, 55 saves, 1 game).

u Devan Dubnyk made 46 saves for his first career AHL shutout, a 2-0 decison over Worcester last week. It was the first shutout for Springfield since Jonathan Boutin made 32 saves in a 3-0 win over the Sharks on Dec. 9, 2006.

u Binghamton defenseman Brendan Bell celebrated his 300th AHL game by scoring a goal and assist in regulation and the decisive shootout marker in a 4-3 win over Bridgeport last week in Charlottetown, P.E.I. It was the island’s first AHL game since April 29, 1996.

u Former Hershey and Cornell defenseman Sasha Pokulok, now playing for ECHL South Carolina, escaped an early morning fire by jumping out of the window of his bedroom apartment last weekend. Before saving himself, Pokulok also grabbed his dog and cat.

u Binghamton’s 5-4 win over Worcester on Sunday was a tale of two games. After scoring on five of 15 shots to open a 5-0 lead 4:23 into the second period, the Senators were outscored, 4-0, and outshot, 39-7, the rest of the way. “First half, we can’t really ask much more from our guys,” coach Cory Clouston told the Press & Sun Bulletin. “The last half was as bad as I’ve ever seen this team play.”