Staff
The Fort Frances Lakers cleared up some unfinished business and also made steps to move forward to next season.
Head coach/general manager Wayne Strachan officially announced the trade of forward Nolan Ross to the RBC Cup champion Portage Terriers (MJHL), which was first reported in the Daily Bulletin last week.
In effect, it was not so much a trade as a return of the 20-year-old Fort Frances native to Portage, who had dealt him to the Lakers in January for future considerations—which turned out be Ross himself.
In a connecting deal formally announced yesterday, Ross and his twin brother, Davis, then were shipped to the Virden Oil Capitals (MJHL).
That’s where they’ll play their final junior seasons together after not being teammates for the first time ever after Nolan was sent here.
Strachan also unveiled the signing of two blueliners for next season—one veteran and a newcomer.
Robbie Bonthron will be back with the two-time defending SIJHL champs after a season that saw him show his skills not only on the back end, but up front as an emergency fill-in at forward during the playoffs.
The 20-year-old from Kaministiqua had three goals and 13 assists in 50 games during the regular season.
Bonthron added a goal and two assists in nine playoff games on the Lakers’ way to the SIJHL title, then notched one goal in the team’s second-place run at the Dudley Hewitt Cup.
Joining the Lakers this fall will be defenceman Isaiah Olschewske, who played with the Richmond (Va.) Generals in the Elite South division of the of the U.S. Premier Hockey League.
Olschewske, an 18-year-old from Leesburg, Va., had two goals and 13 assists in 35 regular-season games last year with the Generals, along with 60 penalty minutes.
He was held pointless in four playoff games.
As previously reported, the Lakers will hold its summer evaluation camp/tryouts July 17-19 at Bronco Arena in International Falls.
