LUCKY DUCK

Marco Cousineau does anything but duck when trying stop a puck.*

Today however, Cousineau is feeling downright ducky after signing a three year entry level contract with the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks. No financial terms were released by the club.

The deal to acquire Cousineau has been hotly debated by Sea Dogs fans. The deal meant that the team had to trade goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas to Shawinigan – who has the best stats in the QMJHL.

The overage goaltender was drafted by the Ducks in the third round, 83rd overall, in the 2008 NHL entry draft.

Saint John acquired the net minder via a trade with the Prince Edward Island Rocket on December 30, 2009. In three games played since joining the Sea Dogs, Cousineau has recorded a 2-1 record in addition to a 2.94 goals against average and 0.896 save percentage.

Cousineau won a league championship with Drummondville last season and was named the top goaltender of the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup. He also won the defensive player of the week award once in his career and was placed on the second all-star team in 2007-08.

Cousineau’s career is a feel good story. He was drafted in the twelfth round, 204 overall, by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in 2006. He played in 26 games as a rookie and had a record of 4-12-0. He spent the next one-and-a-half seasons in Baie-Comeau before being traded by the Drakkar to Drummondville on January 7, 2009.

He went 12-4-0 with the Volts and carried them into the post-season. In the playoffs, he had a record of 13-3-0 as the Voltigeurs went on to win the Presidents Cup. Then in Rimouski at the Memorial Cup, he picked up the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the top goaltender of the tournament.

His regular season stats were anything but spectacular before joining Saint John. In his four year career, he has a record of 69-74 with a goals against average of 3.18 and save percentage of 0.896.

He becomes the second Sea Dog to sign a NHL contract this season. Simon Despres signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins during training camp.

Cousineau may be a lucky duck on this day, but that may end next season. Anaheim's AHL affiliate got into financial trouble during the summer, causing the team to fold and have it's players placed around the league.

*We apologize for extremely opening of this article.