Coach's Corner

Fort Frances Laker Coach/General Manager Wayne Strachan keeps you informed with all the latest team news

May 4, 2011

Fort Frances Lakers – SIJHL

Coaches Corner,

After plenty of time now to reflect on the end of the season and look back and evaluate how our team grew it was a huge success. Yes many people will say well we ended the same way we did a year earlier and that is very true. But, you can’t take away a lot from this season and say our player’s improved as a team, individually and became one unit.

We improved twenty plus wins and our thirty-four wins are the most by any Fort Frances based franchise to play in the SIJHL. Our seventy-one points are the second highest behind the Borderland Thunder’s seventy-three in the ’02-’03 season. Our power play led the league at a rate of 24.30% ratio. We improved from fifth place to finish in second a huge jump and a big accomplishment for the members of the team. We dropped our goals against by 69% for the season and that says volumes for our improvement defensively and our accountability.

We had several individuals improve form last year, the beginning of the year as they came prepared and in shape to improve their game. This paid off as many of our players vied for individual awards for the league. So our team improvement and the player’s improvement were noted around the league. We learned to become a team, the camaraderie we had and the dedication the players had for one another was great to see. I can honestly say this is the closest team I have coached at this level. They wanted to win for each other and not for their own benefit.

It has paid off for many of our graduating twenty year olds. All seven of them have interest to pursue their careers at higher levels; to name a few so far that have committed to schools for next season Dan Smith will be going to Bethal in Minnesota, Matt Caulfield will be attending St. Olaf in Minnesota both of the MAIC conference in NCAA division three. Also, Morgan McNeill will be heading to Ryerson in Toronto which plays in the CIS. The other four players are looking to solidify their options shortly. Tyler Stevenson leaves his junior career and SIJHL legacy in the top three ever in power play goals with twenty-nine.

It doesn’t stop there many of our younger players that can return are opening eyes to schools and other hockey avenues. Many people probably don’t know this but we had scouts from both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks at several of our games through January and February. It says a lot for our organization, what our program offers, plus our staff and players abilities.

Yes back to the beginning and ending the season in the semi-finals against our ach nemesis the Dryden Ice Dogs. If you look back at the years of the SIJHL based franchises in Fort, Dryden has ended the season of the teams more than to often. Do I feel we under achieved in the playoffs? Yes! To win that final game vs. Wisconsin in the first round to force the shoot out and come off that high we came out flat against the Ice Dogs. Not to take anything away from Dryden but in my mind the better team did not win and don’t get me wrong the Ice Dogs were a very good team and had many good individual players, but I truly feel we were better and would have given Wisconsin a tough time in the championship final for the SIJHL. But it didn’t happen and that’s how it goes sometimes in the game. Teams get hot and on a role and when teams get into that mode they are tough to beat…look at the NHL playoffs right now there are teams on a role, playing as a team and beating more talented teams right now.

Our staff is on a mission right now our goal is to be in the finals of the SIJHL and remain in the top tier of the league. “A mission for the Final” is our sole goal after two years of being bounced from the semis. From the first day main camp opens in late August that will be what we as a team will be gunning for the final round and a berth in the Dudley Hewitt Cup which will be held in Thunder Bay this year.

I would like to thank many people on behalf of the team; the board of directors for their endless work, the fan club for all of their help, the sponsors as without you believing in our organization we would not exist, our many volunteers who take time out of their lives to help in many ways and our supporters/fans who again were the best in the SIJHL.

We just recently had our annual fish fry and it was a huge success we have to thank all the supporters it was a great showing, the fundraising committee who did an awesome job, I have to thank my family, the Bird family and the many other people who put forth their time to make this a huge success to name a few; Wayne Allen, Dale and Mary Cooper, Tess’s Kitchen, Mary Polz, the Nobles and many others.

Its events like this that will keep the team alive and here for a long time for the benefit of the community and the hockey players in the community and that come to be a part of our community. You may not agree with all the decisions that are made within the organization but this team is for the community it brings business to our community, good entertainment, a chance for the local players as well as players from North America with junior ability to play in a strong community environment to strive for their goals in life. It’s a good thing for the community and there are many good hockey players present and future from our community that will have the chance to further their careers if the Lakers’ are around. So please keep supporting our community team and have a great summer!

BELIEVE, ACHIEVE, AND SUCCEED!

Fort Frances Lakers
P.O. Box 76 Fort Frances, ON P9A 3M5