The Fort Frances Lakers have started announcing players who are expected to return in the 2026-27 season, looking to finish the job of bringing the Bill Salonen Cup back to Fort Frances.
On Thursday, July 9, the Lakers announced the return of top point-getter Tie Schumacher, who led the team with 44 points in 47 regular-season games and was an SIJHL all-star selection.
“Tie has proven to be one of the most lethal offensive players in the SIJHL, highlighted by his 4/4 accuracy shooting at the SIJHL All-Star game,” said Lakers Head Coach and GM Luke Judson.
“As our leading scorer last season, I’m excited to see what Tie can accomplish in his final year of junior hockey.”
On Tuesday morning, the Lakers also announced that defencemen Max Caddo and Carter Thiessen will return to the team.
Caddo, a six-foot-three, 210-lb defenceman from Thunder Bay, was part of the Lakers’ defensive core that allowed only 98 goals against last season, which was the lowest in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) in 2025-26.
“Max brings a level of physicality and competitiveness that you can’t teach,” said Judson.
“He thrived last season matching up against the top players in our league night in and night out. It often goes unnoticed on the game sheet, but Max’s presence was the difference in some of our most consequential games.”
Thiessen, from Brandon, Man., returns for his third and final season with the team.
“Over the past two seasons, he’s developed into one pf the league’s most reliable two-way defencemen and emerged as a leader who embodies what it means to be a Fort Frances Laker,” Judson said.
“He was especially impactful during the second half of the season and throughout the grind of a deep playoff run.”
The Lakers have previously announced the return of Gunnar Simon, who has been named the team’s captain for next season.
The forward from Monticello, MN will enter his third season with the Lakers this fall. Simon served as an assistant captain during the 2025-’26 season, scoring 28 points in 47 regular-season games.
By way of new additions, on June 3, the Lakers announced the signing of goaltender Domenik McInenly, a six-foot-one goaltender from Red Deer, Alta., who has spent the past two seasons with the United States Premier Hockey League’s Ontario Jr. Reign in Ontario, Calif.
“We’ve been lucky to have outstanding goaltending in Fort Frances the past few seasons, and I am confident that will continue with Domenik,” Judson said.
“We have kept an eye on Domenik and are thrilled to get him in purple. After two outstanding seasons in the U.S., we’re looking forward to Domenik proving himself in the CJHL.”
Following a breakout season, SIJHL Rookie of the Year, Goalie of the Year, and league MVP Brady Cates is expected to pursue opportunities elsewhere, while his goaltending partner Nolan Koethler is currently continuing rehab after a farming accident that saw him knocked out of the SIJHL playoffs. Judson is hopeful Koethler can make a comeback for the Lakers sometime early next season.
The Lakers will continue to announce returning and new players on their social media channels over the course of the rest of the offseason and will be hosting the NWO showcase in Fort Frances Aug. 7 to 9, which will see players from across the country show off their talents for scouts and coaches with Junior A teams from across the country.
