Joey Payeur
When you’re a Junior ‘A’ hockey general manager, there’s no such thing as an off-season.
And when you’re trying to figure out how to return a former three-in-a-row champion to its previous high standing, that’s even doubly true.
Such were the circumstances over the weekend as Wayne Strachan oversaw the Fort Frances Lakers’ open tryout camp at Bronco Arena over in International Falls.
“I liked the camp,” said Strachan, who also serves as head coach of the team that was swept in the semi-finals last year by the Dryden GM Ice Dogs after having captured the SIJHL crown from 2014-16.
“We had good pace, the compete level was good, and the players worked hard to show their talent,” he noted.
Despite eight no-shows who previously had committed to attending, there still were 28 players who skated at the camp.
They included former Laker and current London Knights’ forward Cole Tymkin, along with five veterans from last year’s team and 22 potential roster additions.
Each of the three sets of positions had more than their share of highlights, Strachan said.
“We had a good group of forwards: speed, good skill set, and most worked hard,” he noted.
“In a summer camp, the defensive side of the game always worries a coach,” Strachan added. ‘But looking past that, most players up front put a good effort in.
“We had a good amount of defence that battled hard and finished checks, which was good to see.
“Again, finding your man and limiting opportunities in summer is a concern, but it is an area you can get a grasp on once practice starts in September,” he reasoned.
As for the goalies, Strachan was pleased with what he saw.
“The three goalies we brought in were solid,” he remarked. “They played well in the practice situations and in the games we played, all of them had their moments to shine.
“It’s tough on the goalies to go in cold and in those situations,” Strachan added.
“You can see them struggle at times but for the most part, all three battled hard in the net.”
Strachan wasn’t forthcoming with any names about who stood out among the new players specifically, not wanting to draw unwanted attention from other teams on the lookout to bolster their own ranks.
“We have a few local guys we want and hope they will commit to us soon, even a couple of locals that we feel if they impress in main camp could crack the lineup,” said Strachan, referring to the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 sessions that will decide who starts the season in a Lakers’ uniform.
“We had a couple of players from Alaska here that impressed and we will see how their fate goes in an NAHL camp next weekend,” he noted.
“There was a defenceman from Saskatchewan we were impressed with,” Strachan added.
“Really, all the goalies we had showed signs that they could play at this level at some point,” he remarked.
“It was good to see some local young players in camp that we can follow in the next year or two.”
Strachan said he had discussions with around 16 players about considering the Lakers in their hockey futures.
“A couple of locals and area players we had offered previous to camp, we have high hopes they commit to us,” he noted.
“They can definitely help us this season,” he stressed. “We offered one defenceman out of camp who has accepted, and we will announce that as we lead up to main camp.
“A few of the area and local players will probably play Midget hockey in Northwestern Ontario, and we would definitely like the opportunity to affiliate them and have them in main camp,” Strachan added.
“Some of the locals we didn’t speak to the staff will discuss a little more, but I will reach out to them all and will see where the numbers for main camp are at in a week or two.”
