The anticipation is building as the inaugural game for new Forest Lake Lakers is just days away. There is an undeniable sense of optimism floating around the team. The Lakers will open the season this Saturday at the Forest Lake Sports Center @ 7:30PM as they take on their rivals, the Hudson Crusaders. What’s different you ask? Just about everything - with the exception of longtime owner and GM, Ralph Hayne. Coming off a sub-par season, changes needed to be made to the direction of this proud and storied franchise. With that being said, Hayne relocated the Lakers to the Forest Lake Sports Center, a beautiful 5 year old facility that is now under the direction of the Forest Lake Area School District. The 5 year contract included a new locker room with team offices and upgrading the training center, giving the Lakers some of the best resources for its players and staff in all of junior hockey. The training center will be shared by the Lakers, the FL varsity teams and the youth association. Lastly, the Lakers brought in a new staff by way of new Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations, Dennis Canfield, a gritty, no nonsense systematic coach, with a proven track record of winning and developing players. “We are 100 percent committed to bringing the Lakers back to their glory days and are more than excited to kick off this new chapter of the team in the proud hockey town of Forest Lake”. The coaching staff includes Terry Flood, a local FL coach with junior hockey coaching experience, and Matt McAlpin, Buffalo, MN.
The Lakers’ roster boasts locals Jake Peterson (FL), Jake Gunderson (FL attending Totino Grace HS), Brandon Gillespie (Chisago) and Ryan Paal (Ham Lake). Peterson and Gunderson will leave the Lakers in early November to play for their respective high schools. The roster also includes returners Matiss Kivlenieks (Latvia), Jessee Game (CA), Josh Fisher (Washington State), Jesse Knudsen (St Louis Park), Zach Milavitz (CO). “Our recruiting has brought us a solid core of players. I’m more than pleased with the chemistry of the new team”, said Hayne.
Saturday’s game will begin with an opening ceremony featuring FL Mayor Chris Johnson and School Board Business Manager, Larry Martini.
The Lakers’ games will be webcasted all season. The play-by-play this year will be by local announcer Joe Moore. Saturday’s game will include guest color commentator Mike Staloch, President of the MN Junior Hockey League.
In addition to their league season, the Lakers will be hosting a game with a team from China named HC Harbin on Friday, October 10 at 7:30 PM. “Who thinks of China and hockey in the same sentence?”, said Hayne. This will be the first non-North American team the Lakers have played in their 20 years. HC Harbin is being hosted in the US by the Iowa State Cyclones, a team the Lakers try to schedule annually. More details about the HC Harbin game will be coming in the next few weeks.
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