Staff
When the rest of the SIJHL gets this news, it’s going to be a very unhappy Hallowe’en for them.
The Fort Frances Lakers announced today the return of forward Lucas DeBenedet, last year’s SIJHL scoring champion, to the roster.
“Lucas will join the team for practice [today] and will hopefully be in the lineup for [tomorrow’s] game if all goes well with the paperwork being cleared,” Lakers’ GM and head coach Wayne Strachan said this morning in an e-mail.
DeBenedet was the most productive member of the SIJHL’s most dangerous trio, the “DLM Line,” last season along with Mason Meyer and Lyndon Lipinski, collecting a league-high 48 goals and 112 points.
His efforts earned him the CCM rookie-of-the-year award, as well as a nod as a CCM first-team all-star.
DeBenedet was drafted in the third round by the Minot Minotauros of the USHL in the off-season.
The 19-year-old from International Falls had two assists so far with Minot, but only played in five of the team’s 14 games and hadn’t seen action since Oct. 10.
With the return of forward Colton Spicer from a one-game suspension, the Lakers will be able to boast the current and last year’s reigning points leaders when they host the Minnesota Iron Rangers at the Ice For Kids Arena.
In related news, Fort Frances traded forward Dylan Mascarin to the Kanata Lasers (Central Canadian Hockey League) for a player development fee.
The Lakers acquired Mascarin earlier in the season from the Wellington Dukes (Ontario Junior Hockey League) but “Dylan felt it best for him not to join our team,” Strachan said.
He also noted the team has traded for an unnamed defenceman from outside of the SIJHL, with more details to be announced.
Meanwhile, the Lakers will be without forward Tristan Salesse for an indefinite period of time due to an infection in his leg.
Salesse, who missed the last three games, is now on medication for the ailment.
Strachan is hoping the problem will clear up in the near future.
