The Fort Frances Lakers have named their captain and alternate captains for the season with Brady Krentz of Thompson, MB being given the honour of Captain.
Lakers General Manager Luke Judson says Krentz has shown great leadership over his time with the team.
“In his 3rd season with the Lakers, Brady is a player who has led by example through thick and thin,” Judson said. “Brady has led our team offensively since his arrival, and has stepped up this season as the one our players look to.”
Krentz, currently the Lakers points leader with 27–17 assists and 10 goals– says he hopes he can be a good leader for the team.
“It’s an honour to be named captain,” he said. “I hope to be someone the guys on the team can respect and look up to.”
Alternate captains named are Gavin Simon from Monticello, MN, Jack Wood from Rainy River, ON, and Ian Ness from Moorhead, MN.
“Gavin, Jack, and Ian are all players who represent what it means to be a Laker on and off the ice,” Judson said. “We are fortunate to have a locker room full of veterans who lead in their own ways, and I’m looking forward to seeing them challenge each other all season.”
Krentz says he feels like the whole leadership group are players the team can look up to.
“I think that everyone in the room respects anything that comes from our older guys, and especially those guys, whenever they’re talking in the intermission, or whether it’s at practice, everyone in the room is listening.” Krentz said. “The coaches can kind of rely on our group, that if it’s not going to be the coaches relaying a message to the team, it can be any of us, any of us four, that are talking.”
While production isn’t everything in a leader, the Lakers leadership group are among the top scorers on the roster. A defenseman, Simon has two goals and 14 assists, forward Jack Wood is tied for the team lead in goals with 10 and has 11 assists to sit second in team scoring with 21 points. Forward Ian Ness has five goals and two assists to sit 10th on the team in points.
The Lakers currently sit fifth in the eight team SIJHL. After a 10-2 win over the Kenora Islanders yesterday afternoon they are three points ahead of Red Lake in the standings. They will play the second place Sioux Lookout Bombers in a two-game series this weekend. Spectators at Friday’s Fort Frances Christmas Parade can receive free youth tickets to the Lakers’ Saturday game from the Flinthouse float.
