JOHNSTOWN — Dan Gendur has played the waiting game this ECHL season.

Not by his choice, either.

The speedy Johnstown Chiefs right wing has faced enough adversity and odd twists to discourage most players. But he’s forged ahead and just might be on track for a strong finish.

“His skill set is starting to show up,” Chiefs interim coach Neil Smith said prior to Saturday’s game against South Carolina. “He’s a great, strong skater. He’s really fast and he’s got a strong stride. He’s got a good shot. He’s got a couple good elements.”

Those elements were on the shelf for much of this season.

Gender, who is under contract to the Vancouver Canucks, ran into his first detour during training camp with the big club.

The Canucks had selected him in the seventh round of the 2007 NHL entry draft and invited him to Vancouver’s prospect camp and the AHL’s Manitoba Moose training camp each of the past two seasons.

This fall though, Gendur’s performance was hindered by an illness that set him back enough to derail his hopes of sticking with the AHL club.

Instead he was sent back to Victoria in the ECHL, where he and coach/GM Mark Morrison had their differences.

“It started, actually, in training camp with Vancouver,” Gendur said. “I got there, and when I was there I was extremely sick and missed all of camp. I was at main camp. Then, I went to Manitoba. It was the same thing. I was just not ready. I got sent back to Victoria.

“There were some things under the surface with the coaching staff there and it wasn’t going over well,” he added.

“Vancouver initiated me moving to a different team to get some good playing time.”

Morrison parted ways with Gendur on Nov. 9. The Chiefs entered the equation on Nov. 14, but probably no one at that time envisioned it taking a month for Gendur, a Canadian, to obtain his working visa.

Officially, the Chiefs signed him on Dec. 11.

“Immigration here was tough to get through,” Gendur said. “I finally got here and I broke my hand. It’s been a little different year, but everyone goes through it.”

Gendur appeared in three home games but broke his hand on Dec. 16 on a somewhat routine play.

“It was against Reading,” he said. “Off a face-off I pushed it forward and just fell. My hand snapped.”

He returned to the lineup on Jan. 29 and has been a solid addition, especially on a line with Troy Schwab and Bryan Marshall. Marshall missed Saturday’s game with an injury and Sean Berkstresser moved onto the line.

“It’s a process for me,” Gendur said. “I’ve got to get back in shape and do the things I do well.”

Last season Gendur did those things well enough to represent Victoria in the ECHL All-Star game. He won the fastest skater competition with a time of 13.816 seconds, which was even faster than the NHL and AHL competitions.

“Gendur creates a lot of room because his speed backs the other team off,” Smith said. “He can gain the zone for us on the power play. He’s got a cannon. He gives us something a little different. I’d like to see him get that first goal for his confidence. He’s been through a lot and that was unfortunate. His year is only getting on track now.”



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Snow day: Tim Mayer, the scheduled referee for Saturday’s game, didn’t make it to Johns-town.

The Chiefs said Mayer was caught in a blizzard-related traffic jam on the Pennsylvania Turnpike outside of Somerset.

Linesman Ray King moved into the referee spot, and worked the game with linesman Tom George.



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No. 7’s perspective: Former Johnstown Jets star Reg Kent is a longtime Chiefs season-ticket holder.

Kent, whose No. 7 jersey number is retired and hanging from the War Memorial rafters, never experienced a home losing streak like the Chiefs’ 13-game stretch through Friday’s loss.

“The guys work hard. They’re skating hard. It’s just not happening,” said Kent, whose

815 points in 602 games with the Jets rank third all-time in Johnstown pro hockey history.

“I’m at a loss for words. I’ve never seen a situation like that where there’s been a stretch that long. They’ve been close. Maybe the puck hasn’t been bouncing our way. They’ve made changes in personnel. It’s got to turn around. The law of averages dictates that.”



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Short staffed: The Chiefs’ scratches included forwards Dan Collins, Bryan Marshall, Matt Myers and Jim McKenzie, all of whom are injured.

Myers and Marshall suffered their injuries on Friday.

“They were held out for precautionary reasons,” Chiefs GM Bill Bredin said.