LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Anyone know for sure who is coming in new next season ?

As far as I know, it's still Dustin Manz, Louis Boudon, Niko Esposito-Selivanov, and Robert Blueger at forward, Arvid Henrikson on defense, and Seth Eisele in net. I haven't heard anything about anyone leaving early, but you never know. If anyone does leave early, or not come back for whatever reason, that will likely mean someone additional coming in.

 

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Thanks Bill. Esposito should be interesting to say the least with his name recognition . Blueger 's brother was the most valuable player for MN State a couple seasons ago. Now it will be interesting to see if we lose anyone between now and the start of the new season . I can't wait until it starts up again but as they say, you don't want to wish your life away , as it is going fast enough .

 

[LSSULaker889294]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Hopefully attendance can go up this coming season with another strong year. It would nice if we can get more Sault, Ontario people to come over to the games. I wonder if there is any way to try and attract the Canadians?

 

[joecct]

Hopefully attendance can go up this coming season with another strong year. It would nice if we can get more Sault, Ontario people to come over to the games. I wonder if there is any way to try and attract the Canadians?

Beer?

 

[islander98]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Beer?

Real beer?

 

[joecct]

Real beer?

That is a good question.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Hopefully attendance can go up this coming season with another strong year. It would nice if we can get more Sault, Ontario people to come over to the games. I wonder if there is any way to try and attract the Canadians?

How long are the (Customs) waits at the bridge these days? Are they longer/shorter than they used to be (10-20-30 years ago)? For games, I guess the late afternoon and evening times are what's most relevant.

Winning more on a consistent basis will probably bring in more fans from across the river.

Having more kids from the Canadian Soo and surrounding area would help. The problem with that is it provides a big recruiting challenge. Most of the talented Northern Ontario kids (Soo, Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay, and all the small towns) seem to want to play Major Junior hockey rather than go the NCAA Div 1 route. I know the coaches still look for players over in the Canadian Soo area, but it's difficult to talk them into playing Div 1 hockey. How much recruiting time are they going to devote to that when the results aren't any better? We do have a Northern Ontario recruit (Jesse Tucker) that has committed to the Lakers, but we got him last year while he was playing in the OJHL. He played at Green Bay in the USHL this season.

 

[Deman]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Real beer?

They've had beer at the arena for a few years now. Normal beer, like Miiler, Bud, etc, with some larger crafts, like Bells, along with some local Soo Brewing Company.

How long are the (Customs) waits at the bridge these days? Are they longer/shorter than they used to be (10-20-30 years ago)? For games, I guess the late afternoon and evening times are what's most relevant.

Winning more on a consistent basis will probably bring in more fans from across the river.

Having more kids from the Canadian Soo and surrounding area would help...

Customs is really hit or miss. Sometimes you'll see them have 3 or 4 lanes open on the American side, and it goes quick. Other times you may have cars backed up to the arches with only one or two lanes open.

Winning helps, but the bridge fare did go up by .50c this year, so that certainly doesn't help matters, especially with the Greyhounds doing as well as they have been over the last few years.

Concerning local kids: It may help, but if recent history shows anything, Canadians would come over while their guy is playing, but once he graduates/goes pro, they'll be gone again. I doubt it's financially feasible, but if the school could get some sort of partial discount on tickets to help make up for some of the bridge fair, but then they'd have to do something for us Americans too.

 

[islander98]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

That is a good question.

I guess that my comment was too subtle? I mean real Canadian beer that is at least 5% abv. Not that weak, flavourless Bud or Coors.

 

[joecct]

I guess that my comment was too subtle? I mean real Canadian beer that is at least 5% abv. Not that weak, flavourless Bud or Coors.

No, it was spot on. The difference in abv explains why Canadians drink the building dry when the WJC is in the USA.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

From the Laker Hockey Talk show, it sounds like Mike Mannara will also be joining the Lakers this coming season on D. He has one more year of Junior eligibility but they think he's ready to come in now. Also, they're still working out details of when Notre Dame will come to the Soo for a series but Damon said it will happen (didn't say which season).

 

[Laker Dude]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

From the Laker Hockey Talk show, it sounds like Mike Mannara will also be joining the Lakers this coming season on D. He has one more year of Junior eligibility but they think he's ready to come in now. Also, they're still working out details of when Notre Dame will come to the Soo for a series but Damon said it will happen (didn't say which season).

Sounds like the non conference series with Northern will start up again in 2 years.

 

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

How long are the (Customs) waits at the bridge these days? Are they longer/shorter than they used to be (10-20-30 years ago)? For games, I guess the late afternoon and evening times are what's most relevant.

Winning more on a consistent basis will probably bring in more fans from across the river.

Having more kids from the Canadian Soo and surrounding area would help. The problem with that is it provides a big recruiting challenge. Most of the talented Northern Ontario kids (Soo, Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay, and all the small towns) seem to want to play Major Junior hockey rather than go the NCAA Div 1 route. I know the coaches still look for players over in the Canadian Soo area, but it's difficult to talk them into playing Div 1 hockey. How much recruiting time are they going to devote to that when the results aren't any better? We do have a Northern Ontario recruit (Jesse Tucker) that has committed to the Lakers, but we got him last year while he was playing in the OJHL. He played at Green Bay in the USHL this season.

Both the economy and population of sault canada and all of northern ontario have really taken a hit over the past ten years. Long gone are the days when the Canadian side could support both the Hounds and the Lakers. There are alot less high end prospects in the north than back in the glory days of the 70s and 80s. I like the NOJHL; it's a fun league and entertaining hockey but they have few if any legitimate D-1 prospects. The Lakers need to continue concentrating on the more established leagues like the USHL and BCHL for talent while better marketing their product to the entire eastern U.P. for fan support.

 

[CKrouth]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

Both the economy and population of sault canada and all of northern ontario have really taken a hit over the past ten years. Long gone are the days when the Canadian side could support both the Hounds and the Lakers. There are alot less high end prospects in the north than back in the glory days of the 70s and 80s. I like the NOJHL; it's a fun league and entertaining hockey but they have few if any legitimate D-1 prospects. The Lakers need to continue concentrating on the more established leagues like the USHL and BCHL for talent while better marketing their product to the entire eastern U.P. for fan support.

You mean to tell me that the great Randy Russon, who wrote several articles on how the NCAA D-1 teams in the UP were passing up prime talent in the NOJHL and are all doomed to fail, is wrong? Say it isn't so.....

 

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

You mean to tell me that the great Randy Russon, who wrote several articles on how the NCAA D-1 teams in the UP were passing up prime talent in the NOJHL and are all doomed to fail, is wrong? Say it isn't so.....

Not to disparage Randy but I think most of us here realize that he is close to the powers that be in the NOJHL and hypes the league as much as he can. Like I said it's a fun league to watch and I really enjoy going to Eagles games, especially when they play the Tbirds but anyone can see that there are few (if any) D-1 caliber players on each team. As far as I can tell the majority of the players go on to either USports hockey in Canada or play at the D III level here. Good hockey and good players but not a league that any D-1 team would spend much time scouting.

 

[islander98]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

but anyone can see that there are few (if any) D-1 caliber players on each team. As far as I can tell the majority of the players go on to either USports hockey in Canada or play at the D III level here. Good hockey and good players but not a league that any D-1 team would spend much time scouting.

I don't dispute that there are only a few D1 capable players on any team in the NOJHL. However, I think that you are a little bit too quick to disparage USports. Many of the USports teams are full of players from the OJHL and the WHL that have aged out and are using up their scholarships to continue their playing time. I think that the top USports teams are certainly on par, or better, from a talent perspective, with the top D1 programs. However, they don't have the same financial support and therefore coaching and overall staff. I am not saying that USports and D1 as a league are comparable but I would not agree with your talent assessment of USports. $.02

 

[Deman]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

I don't dispute that there are only a few D1 capable players on any team in the NOJHL. However, I think that you are a little bit too quick to disparage USports. Many of the USports teams are full of players from the OJHL and the WHL that have aged out and are using up their scholarships to continue their playing time. I think that the top USports teams are certainly on par, or better, from a talent perspective, with the top D1 programs. However, they don't have the same financial support and therefore coaching and overall staff. I am not saying that USports and D1 as a league are comparable but I would not agree with your talent assessment of USports. $.02

I'm sure there are D1 talent across every league. The hockey system is -so- extensive, not just here in North America, but across the world, that there are going to be D1 players that are either missed or passed on. Some players could potentially make a huge impact on an NHL team that will dwell in some lower-end USports school because of where they were born, or which junior league they play in, though I think the same can be said about any of the major sports.

 

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

I suspect that when the Laker coaches cross the river on scouting trips now, it's usually to look at kids playing AAA midget hockey in the hopes they can find one with talent that is willing to go the D1 route rather than play major junior.

 

[jnacc]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

I don't dispute that there are only a few D1 capable players on any team in the NOJHL. However, I think that you are a little bit too quick to disparage USports. Many of the USports teams are full of players from the OJHL and the WHL that have aged out and are using up their scholarships to continue their playing time. I think that the top USports teams are certainly on par, or better, from a talent perspective, with the top D1 programs. However, they don't have the same financial support and therefore coaching and overall staff. I am not saying that USports and D1 as a league are comparable but I would not agree with your talent assessment of USports. $.02

I'm not that familiar with USports Hockey. I do know that over the past decade or so, Canadian colleges are much more competitive when playing the Lakers compared to years past. I think it's fair to say that Canadian University hockey is a step up from D III but a cut below D-1. I don't believe that the Lakers or any NCAA D-1 program for that matter, are in direct competition with USports Hockey when it comes to recruiting. College programs in the U.S. mainly focus on 16 -20 year old players in the USHL/NAHL and the western Canadian junior leagues with some passing interest in the OJHL. It seems that the top end USport teams like Alberta and UNB focus entirely on CHL kids who are aging out and have not signed pro deals while the lower end programs look at leagues like the OJHL and the N.O. That is not a bad thing and I never meant to imply that USport hockey is bad. It's just a different animal with different recruiting practices and philosophies. My original point was that the Lakers really shouldn't bother with the NOJHL or Northern Ontario for reasons already explained.

 

[islander98]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2019 off-season thread

I suspect that when the Laker coaches cross the river on scouting trips now, it's usually to look at kids playing AAA midget hockey in the hopes they can find one with talent that is willing to go the D1 route rather than play major junior.

I think that there is a change in perspective for many Canadian kids. While the top tier prospects at 15 or 16 still look to play major junior, even some of them give serious thought to keeping their NCAA eligibility and play Junior A. Most of the kids that have any educational aspirations, and are middle 6 players, only consider Junior A in Canada. Some will think about the USHL or the NAHL, but most consider Junior A in Canada as a better choice. Quality free to play hockey close to home and with their buddies. Having made a few sweeping generalizations, I think there is a danger in making sweeping generalizations. A prudent coach scouting for Div 1 should look at all leagues of Junior A in Canada. While some of the D1 programs recruit straight out of Bantam or Midget, more and more of those programs are recruiting older kids playing Junior A. The risk is much less because it is a huge jump from playing midget hockey, at any level, to playing D1. The jump from Junior A is much less intimidating.

I guess this is a very circuitous way of saying that I don't think that the D1 teams are competing with major junior in Canada. They are 2 completely different paths attracting different kids.