Staff
The Fort Frances Lakers will put their 1-2 record on the line tonight when they host the Dryden Ice Dogs at 7:30 p.m.
The Ice Dogs (1-0) opened their SIJHL season with a 9-1 win over the Sioux Lookout Flyers on Tuesday thanks to five power-play goals.
The Lakers, meanwhile, haven’t played since a 4-3 loss to the K&A Wolverines last Saturday in Thunder Bay.
The home team has bolstered its defence corps for tonight’s game, with Minnesota natives Ryan Presthus and Cody Hasbargen recently joining the squad from the Winkler Flyers’ camp.
The Lakers also acquired Jordan Carne from the Fort William North Stars.
Carne had one goal in three games with the defending SIJHL champs to begin the season.
Tonight also will be the first chance for local fans to get a look at veteran defenceman Sacha Alaby, who suited up for the Lakers in their two road games last weekend and is expected to be an integral piece of a young blueline corps.
Alaby, a Montreal native, is excited to get his first game action in front of the home crowd.
“I want to see what it’s like,” he enthused. “[Goalie] Zac [McMichael] and I have been waiting for this for a while.
“He told me it was 400-500 for that first game so it should be good,” Alaby added. “I heard it was crazy for the playoffs [last year].
“Fan support is big and getting those kind of crowds is outstanding.”
Through three games, the Lakers have the third-best power play at a 20.8 percent success rate.
But they have killed just 69.2 percent of their own penalties to sit last in the league in that category.
