B10

Peter Assaff
Canadaeast News Service

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BATHURST - Vincent Couture is expected back in the lineup tonight as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan play the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S.

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Vincent Couture

The 19-year-old forward hasn't played since changing into his street clothes in the second period of a game at Harbour Station on Oct. 25 and watching the rest of the action from the stands. Couturier was frustrated after being benched in the first period of a 6-1 loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs.

"Vince had a good talk with me and Sly (Titan general manager Sylvain Couturier) and we set things straight," Titan coach Ron Choules said. "He apologized to our organization and (last week) he apologized to the team in a closed-door meeting. The kids accepted him back, which is all positive, now it is up to Vince to take the reigns and go with them."

Couture, who started the season on Acadie-Bathurst's top line, has struggled offensively this season, with just four goals and five assists in 17 games. Choules said he hopes the whole ordeal was a learning experience for the forward.

"We never were degrading towards Vince, we just expected certain parts of his game to improve. He has acknowledged that he wasn't giving the best he can for us.

"You have to build these kids and set them on the right track," Choules said. "We had talks, and it is not even hockey issues, it is life issues as well. If you are just going to pull the chute and give up, what are you going to do when you've got two kids to feed and a job to go to?"

Couture, who was a healthy scratch for a pair of games, was initially supposed to return to the lineup last Sunday when the Titan played host to the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He wound up sidelined with an upper body injury suffered during off-ice training.

Acadie-Bathurst has lost its last four games, and eight of 10, to fall 7-11-2-1 on the season. Tonight's 7 p.m. game will be the third time the Titan have played Cape Breton this season, with the Screaming Eagles winning the two previous contests (5-4 on Oct. 2 and 3-1 on Oct. 28). Both games were played at the K. C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst.

The Titan wrap up the weekend in Prince Edward Island on Sunday with a 4 p.m. faceoff against the Rocket.