TORONTO (CP) - Teamwork is what it's all about for Dan Ladouceur, whether it's with the special weapons unit of the Durham regional police or on the lacrosse floor with the Toronto Rock.
Ladouceur wears a bullet-proof vest for one job, and he pulls on shoulder pads for the other. Head protection is required in both.
"I wear a ballistic helmet in policing and I put on a Bauer helmet for lacrosse - different hats, same principles," Ladouceur says of the teamwork element of both jobs.
The six-foot-six, 245-pound native of Thunder Bay, Ont., helped the Rock win four National Lacrosse League titles in five years. After being eliminated in the playoffs last spring, the Rock are determined to get back on top. They have a 5-3 record going into a game Sunday in Anaheim, Calif., and Ladouceur will be one of the toughest men on the Arrowhead Pond floor.
"There are no shortcuts on defence," says Ladouceur, whose introduction before home games includes the nickname Big Dog. "You've got a hard job ahead of you no matter who you're playing, then you get game-specific when you're up against Gary Gait, John Tavares, John Grant . . .
"We devise a game plan for every opponent. It's built for dummies. They tell you what to do and you go out there and grunt it out."
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