Feb 27, 2009 - 04:30 AM

By Brad Kelly

Over his 10-year career in the National Lacrosse League, Dan Ladouceur never changed his style of play or the team he suited up for.

In the end, both are admirable and respected legacies.

The end came a couple of weeks ago when Ladouceur, the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder nicknamed 'Big Dog', retired from the Toronto Rock.

"I think the writing was on the wall with the coaching change," says the 35-year-old of the change behind the bench when Jamie Batley took over from Glenn Clark just three games into the season. "The new coaching regime was coming in with a different style. Any time you change coaches, they have their own idea of what they need for personnel to implement their system.

"They wanted a different style of defence than I have or am able to provide in the run and gun, where as I traditionally have been and always will be a stay at home guy."

When the Whitby resident received a call from Mike Kloepfer, Director of Lacrosse Operations, with the news that the club wouldn't be able to offer him much floor time, and asked if he was interested in going to another team or retiring as a Toronto Rock, Ladouceur says the decision was an easy one.

He started as a Rock, and retired as a Rock.

"The ability to stay with one franchise my entire career has been a source of pride for me," he says of opting for retirement. "To maintain your value and the fact they want you in their organization, that you're good for the organization brings a sense of pride."

Ladouceur began his career with the Rock in 1999, earning five championship rings along the way. The highlights include 2000, winning both the NLL title with the Rock and Mann Cup championship with the Brooklin Redmen, as well as the NLL title in 2005 when the Rock, considered underdogs, proved the naysayers wrong.

Including playoffs, Ladouceur played 150 games all told, scoring six times and adding 12 assists. His career penalty minutes total over that time is 447, which stands as a league record. It's a mark he's not ashamed of.

"I played the role and did what needed to be done and it ended up in a whole lot of penalty minutes," he says. "I did what had to be done and I'm proud about that. Say what you want about it. I was asked to do a job and I did it.

"Goal scorers are measured in goals and guys who do other jobs are measured in other ways."

The 14-year veteran of the Durham Regional Police plans to take some much-deserved time off from training, with plans to coach his daughter's minor lacrosse team, as well as join Team Ontario again this summer in a coaching capacity.