Injury plagued Bucks bring back Dube

LAREDO, Texas – One of the Central Hockey League’s best defenseman has come out of retirement and will rejoin the Laredo Bucks on their quest for another President’s Cup, the team announced today. Serge Dube had retired in October, just prior to this seasons training camp but remained in Laredo, working in the team’s offices.  
 
“We need Serge Dube in our line-up, no doubt about it,” Bucks head coach Terry Ruskowski said. “He brings tons of leadership and he’s one of the best at his position.”
 
The Bucks have struggled with injuries and inconsistent play all season but is currently in fourth place in the Southern Conference with a 19-15-7 record. The remaining 23 games on their schedule consist almost exclusively of inter-conference play. With only five playoff berths available, the team knows that a spot in the playoffs isn’t guaranteed, especially with Rio Grande Valley and Corpus Christi on their tails.
 
As a result, the team is now focused on filling weak areas in their roster. With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, coach Ruskowski feels secure with many of the players on his current roster, but hasn’t written off making some changes.
 
When asked recently by the Laredo Morning Times’ Joy Lindsay about the teams’ inconsistent defensive play, Ruskowski seemed frustrated.
 
“There are going to be faults, and there are going to be some mistakes, and I understand that, Ruskowski said. “When you make mistakes trying, you can overcome that, but when you make mistakes not trying, that’s when we have a problem.”
 
Bringing Dube, the former team captain back into the mix should help, not only because of his strengths at the position, but with his leadership skills as well.
 
In his seven seasons’ in Laredo, Dube is among the all-time franchise leaders in several categories. He is the all-time Bucks leader in games played and is fourth all-time in goals scored with 81, second all-time in assists with 245, and second all-time in points with 326. In addition, Dube is tied for fifth all-time in single-season assists with 50 helpers during the Bucks’ first CHL championship season in 2003-04. Dube is also tied for sixth all-time with six game-winning goals during the Bucks second CHL championship season in 2005-06.
 
In addition to winning two CHL Championships, Dube, an original Buck, helped lead Laredo to four straight Southern Conference Championships (2004-2007), six straight Southern Conference Finals appearances (2003-2008), five straight Southeast Division Championships (2004-2008), and seven straight playoff appearances (2003-2009).  
 
Dube is expected to be in the line-up tonight when the Bucks host the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees at the Laredo Entertainment Center.
 
Contact the author/photographer at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com