Staff
The 2017-18 edition of the Fort Frances Lakers is starting to take shape.
The SIJHL squad announced yesterday it had signed its first two players in advance of next season in defenceman Cohen MacPherson and forward Jeff Venzon.
MacPherson will beef up the Lakers’ defence corps, coming in at what head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan described as 6’5″ and 220 pounds (although his bio on the Elite Hockey Prospects site has him even heftier at 6’3″ and 254 pounds).
The 19-year-old from Thorold played with the Richmond (Va.) Generals of the United States Professional 3 Hockey League (USP3HL) and the USPHL Elite League.
He had 22 points in 41 regular-season games last season before adding four points in three playoff games.
Venzon, 20, hailing from Niagara Falls, last played two years ago with the Niagara Falls Canucks and the Pelham Panthers of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL).
The 6’2″, 175-pounder had 25 points in 37 games between the two squads.
Last year, Venzon was injured at a USHL training camp and was out for the season.
The Lakers will hold a tryout camp July 14-16 at Bronco Arena over in International Falls.
