Forest Lake Lakers

Forest Lake Lakers
City Forest Lake, Minnesota
League USPHL-Elite
Division Midwest
Founded 1993
Home arena Forest Lake Sports Center
Colors Purple, Black and Silver
General manager Kasey Yoder (2016)
Head coach Kasey Yoder (2016)
Franchise history
1993–2000 East Metro Lakers
2000–2009 St. Paul Lakers
2009–2014 Edina Lakers
2014–present Forest Lake Lakers

The Forest Lake Lakers are a Tier III Jr. A ice hockey team located in Forest Lake, Minnesota, a Northern suburb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The Lakers play in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) Elite Division. From 19932015 the team played in the former Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL).

History

Formed by Ralph Hayne[1] in 1993 as the East Metro Lakers, the team called Aldrich Arena in White Bear Lake home until 2000. The team renamed "St. Paul Lakers" and moved to Highland Arena for one season before relocating to Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights until 2009.

Renamed "Edina Lakers" in the summer of 2009, the club called Minnesota Made Ice Center home until summer of 2014.

Under the guidance of coach Mike LaValle, the Lakers won the USA Hockey Junior B National Tournament in 1999.[2]

In 2015, the Minnesota Junior Hockey League was merged into the United States Premier Hockey League as part of the Midwest Division, a new Tier III league within the USPHL. However, the Midwest did not have its own league playoff championships, but instead the top teams from the Midwest Division played the top teams from the USP3 Division for a single championship. The Lakers won their conference semifinals, qualifying for the USPHL USP3/Midwest playoffs but failed to move on past the round robin stage. In 2016, the Midwest Division was split up among the USPHL Elite and USP3 Divisions with the Forest Lake Lakers going to the Elite Division.

Season-by-season records

Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA Regular Season Finish Playoffs
1999–00 36 4 31 0 1 9 97 266 7th, MNJHL
2000–01 36 11 21 4 26 130 205 4th, MNJHL
2001–02 42 13 24 5 31 145 209 6th, MNJHL
2002–03 42 26 16 0 52 186 156 4th, MNJHL
2003–04 40 20 18 1 1 42 174 170 3rd, MNJHL
2004–05 48 14 29 3 2 33 176 211 5th, MNJHL
2005–06 48 10 35 2 1 23 163 271 7th, MNJHL
2006–07 40 6 31 1 2 15 144 298 6th, MNJHL
2007–08 48 9 38 1 0 19 174 299 8th, MNJHL
2008–09 48 12 33 1 2 7 168 279 8th, MNJHL
2009–10 50 27 19 0 4 58 195 162 6th, MNJHL Lost Division Quarterfinals
2010–11 45 21 20 4 46 162 173 5th, MNJHL
2011–12 48 20 27 1 41 160 249 6th, MNJHL
2012–13 50 23 23 4 50 189 220 6th, MNJHL-MN Lost Division Quarterfinals
2013–14 46 12 30 4 28 107 205 7th, MNJHL-MN Lost Division Quarterfinals
2014–15 42 26 16 52 163 109 6th, MNJHL-MN Lost Division Semifinals
2015–16 48 39 7 2 80 257 91 1st of 9, Western Conf.
2nd of 17, USPHL-Midwest
Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 2-1 vs. Decatur Blaze
Won Conf. Semifinals, 2-1 vs. Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings
1-1-1 in USPHL Round Robin
(L, 1-3 vs. Eels-USP3; W, 6-3 vs. Hounds-Midwest; T, 2-2 vs. Hitmen-USP3)

Alumni

The Lakers have produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division I and Division III, and ACHA college programs, and professional hockey.[3]

One notable former player is Joel Rechlicz, who played with the Lakers in 2003–04 at the age of 16. Recruited by former Lakers General Manager Scott Ludwig, Rechlicz was signed by the coaching staff at the team tryout held in the Madison area in the summer of 2003. Rechlicz went on to play professional hockey in the ECHL, AHL and NHL.

Coaches

Coach Seasons Notes
1993–95
Mike LaValle[5] 1995–99 Named assistant coach at Augsburg College
Jeff St. Martin 1999–02
Don Babineau 2002–04 46-34-1-1 record over two seasons.
Cal Ballard 2004–05
Stu Ronsberg 2005–08
Dan Strot 2008–09
Wes Durand 2009–10 Single season most wins as a member of the MnJHL in franchise history and most goals scored in single season in franchise history.
Kasey Yoder[6] 2010–11 Named assistant coach at Austin Bruins (NAHL)[7]
Joe Long[8] 2011–12 Named assistant coach at Hamline University[9]
Dennis Canfield[10] 2014–2016 Named head coach of the Atlanta Capitals (NA3HL)
Kasey Yoder 2016–present

References

  1. "About Our Sponsor". White Bear Lake Hockey Association. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  2. "Lakers Sink Mariners in Semifinal". Los Angeles Times. 30 March 1999.
  3. "Alumni". Forest Lake Lakers. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  4. "Joel Rechlicz hockey stats". HockeyDB.com. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  5. "Staff Directory". Augsburg College Athletics. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  6. "Edina sticks with Yoder as next head coach". MNJHL. 25 April 2010.
  7. "Former MNJHL Coach Kasey Yoder is headed to MN State Tournament". MNJHL. 4 March 2014.
  8. "Edina Lakers Tap Joe Long as Next Head Coach". Lakers Junior Hockey. 19 April 2011.
  9. "2013-14 Men's Ice Hockey Coaching Staff". Hamline University Athletics. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  10. "Changing of the Guard". Lakers Junior Hockey. 4 April 2014.

External links

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