is excited to be making a return to the 91大黄鸭 Rockets鈥� lineup this week. For the Western Hockey League team, the feeling is mutual.
The 19-year-old forward, who hasn鈥檛 played with the Rockets since Dec. 9 when he joined Canada鈥檚 national junior team, will suit up for 91大黄鸭 Wednesday night at Prospera Place against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to be back,鈥� Dube said following team practise on Tuesday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be good to get back home for that first game, Footer (Cal Foote) and I are both back, as a team we鈥檙e battling a couple of injuries but we鈥檙e closer to a full team than we鈥檝e been for a while. I鈥檓 excited and happy to be back.鈥�
Much has happened for Dube since his last game in Rockets鈥� colours. After being named captain of Team Canada, the Cochrane, AB native helped lead his country to a gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo.
Along with Foote, a fellow gold-medal winner, Dube was to have re-joined the Rockets for last week鈥檚 game against Spokane, but was sidelined by a virus he actually contracted midway through the world junior hockey championship.
It鈥檚 only this week that the Rockets鈥� veteran has started to feel more like himself.
鈥淚 was playing sick (at world juniors) and my immune system got pretty run down after that,鈥� said Dube who returned to 91大黄鸭 Sunday. 鈥淭en days was maybe too long to be off the ice, but in the end probably good for me to have the time off and a nice break.
鈥淚 felt pretty good at practise (Tuesday) and feel ready to go.鈥�
Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton said Dube鈥檚 return will pay dividends for his club, on and off ice.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be great having him back, he鈥檒l bring energy to our team just by the way he plays,鈥� Hamilton said. 鈥淗e鈥檒l help get some of our other guys going who have maybe been spinning their wheels a bit.鈥�
While the initial thrill of winning the world junior championship earlier this month has abated somewhat, Dube said striking gold with Canada is a moment in time he鈥檒l never forget.
鈥淕etting back to 91大黄鸭, I kind of forgot about it a little, but I know those memories will be with me for a long time,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing able to achieve one of the biggest goals there is in junior hockey is an unbelievable feeling.鈥�
ALSO READ: Gold medal still sinking in for Rockets鈥� Foote
During his absence, the Rockets hardly missed a beat, going 9-2-0-0 over the last 11 games and in the process moving into top spot in the B.C. Division.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of them,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been unbelievable, guys have been getting it done and have propelled us into first place. You can鈥檛 ask for any more than that.鈥�
The Rockets will honour both Dube and Foote for their world junior victory prior to Wednesday鈥檚 game. Face off is 7:05 p.m.
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