| Fort Frances Lakers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada |
| League | Superior International Junior Hockey League |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Home arena | Memorial Sports Centre |
| Colours | Black, Silver, and White |
| General manager | Luke Judson |
| Head coach | Tyler Miller |
| Franchise history | |
| 2007–2009 | Fort Frances Jr. Sabres |
| 2009–present | Fort Frances Lakers |
The Fort Frances Lakers are a junior A ice hockey team based in Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
Founded in 2007, the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres were the first junior A team to play in Fort Frances since the Fort Frances Borderland Thunder left the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) after four seasons in 2005. The Borderland Thunder wanted to play in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, but chose to go on hiatus when they did not receive clearance for the transfer. The Sabres new ownership group, led by Carolyn Kellaway, were approved as the seventh member of the SIJHL in 2007. [1] [2]
On September 14, 2007, the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres played their first game at home against the Thunder Bay Bulldogs, defeating the Bulldog 5–1 and also claiming their first team victory. [3] Alessio Tomassetti scored the team's first goal 3:14 into the first period. Goaltender Ryan Faragher, a Fort Frances native, earned the win while making 29 saves. [4]
In the summer of 2009, the Fort Frances team nearly folded. With the Thunder Bay Bearcats and Schreiber Diesels leaving the SIJHL, the ownership of the Sabres decided to pull their team out of the 2009–10 season despite initially telling the press and the league that the team was operating and would not be sitting out during the coming season. It was later revealed the franchise would be sold to new ownership, but as the season drew nearer, the team had not found a buyer. In an effort to keep the team alive, the community took over the franchise and turned it into a non-profit organization. [5] On September 10, 2009, the team rebranded by changing their name to the Lakers. [6]
The reborn community-owned Lakers played their first game as a non-profit organization on September 17, 2009, in Fort Frances against the defending league champion Fort William North Stars in their home opener. The Lakers lost 5–2 with an empty net goal. A night later, the Lakers won the first game of their new era by defeating the expansion Thunder Bay Wolverines in Thunder Bay 3–2.
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Results | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | 50 | 22 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 51 | 173 | 183 | 5th SIJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 0–3 (Diesels) |
| 2008–09 | 50 | 30 | 17 | — | 3 | 63 | 199 | 139 | 3rd SIJHL | Won Quarterfinals, 3–0 (Flyers) Lost Semifinals, 1–4 (Bearcats) |
| 2009–10 | 52 | 14 | 33 | — | 5 | 33 | 153 | 251 | 5th SIJHL | Won Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Wolverines) Lost Semifinals, 2-4 (Ice Dogs) |
| 2010–11 | 56 | 34 | 19 | — | 3 | 71 | 208 | 174 | 2nd SIJHL | Lost Playoff Seeding game, 1–2 (Wilderness) Lost Semifinals, 2–4 (Ice Dogs) |
| 2011–12 | 56 | 37 | 12 | — | 7 | 81 | 255 | 166 | 2nd SIJHL | Won Playoff Seeding game, 2–1 (Wilderness) Won Semifinals, 4–0 (Ice Dogs) Lost League Finals, 3–4 (Wilderness) |
| 2012–13 | 56 | 35 | 18 | — | 3 | 73 | 208 | 165 | 2nd SIJHL | Won Semifinals, 4–3 (Ice Dogs) Lost League Finals, 3–4 (Wilderness) |
| 2013–14 | 56 | 46 | 6 | — | 4 | 96 | 295 | 150 | 1st SIJHL | Won Playoff Seeding game, 6–4 (North Stars) Won Semifinals, 4–0 (Miners) Won League Finals, 4–3 (Iron Rangers) |
| 2014–15 | 56 | 43 | 11 | — | 2 | 88 | 254 | 197 | 1st SIJHL | Won Semifinals, 4–1 (North Stars) Won League Finals, 4–2 (Iron Rangers) |
| 2015–16 | 56 | 46 | 8 | — | 4 | 96 | 249 | 140 | 1st SIJHL | Won Semifinals, 4–0 (Miners) Won League Finals, 4–2 (Ice Dogs) |
| 2016–17 | 56 | 24 | 25 | — | 7 | 55 | 188 | 201 | 5th of 6 SIJHL | Won Play-in Series 3–1 (Norskies) Lost Semifinals 0–4 (Ice Dogs) |
| 2017–18 | 56 | 15 | 32 | — | 9 | 39 | 172 | 241 | 5th of 6 SIJHL | Won Quarterfinals, 3–1 (Miners) Lost Semifinals, 1–4 (Ice Dogs) |
| 2018–19 | 56 | 18 | 35 | — | 3 | 39 | 177 | 237 | 5th of 6 SIJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 0–3 (Ice Dogs) |
| 2019–20 | 54 | 21 | 27 | — | 6 | 48 | 174 | 214 | 6th of 6 SIJHL | Season cancelled |
| 2020–21 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 28 | 4 | 10 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [7] | |
| 2021–22 | 41 | 5 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 83 | 195 | 7th of 7 SIJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 0–3 (Ice Dogs) |
| 2022–23 | 54 | 9 | 41 | — | 1 | 22 | 134 | 301 | 7th of 7 SIJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Ice Dogs) |
| 2023–24 | 49 | 12 | 31 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 144 | 227 | 7th of 8 SIJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Bombers) |
Central Canada Jr. A Championships'
NOJHL – OJHL – SIJHL – Host
Round-robin play with 2nd vs. 3rd in semifinal to advance against 1st in the championship game.
| Year | Round-obin | Record | Standing | Semifinal | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | L, Toronto Lakeshore Patriots 1–4 L, Wellington Dukes 0–3 W, Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 6–3 | 1–2–0 | 3rd of 4 | L, Toronto Lakeshore Patriots 0–6 | — |
| 2015 Host | OTW, Toronto Lakeshore Patriots 2–1 L, Soo Thunderbirds 3–6 W, Dryden Ice Dogs 5–3 | 2–1–0 | 3rd of 4 | W, Toronto Lakeshore Patriots 6–4 | L, Soo Thunderbirds 2–3 |
| 2016 | L, Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 5–8 L, Soo Thunderbirds 5–6 L, Trenton Golden Hawks 0–3 | 0–3–0 | 4th of 4 | Did not advance | |
The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).
The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is a junior A ice hockey league and a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The league operates in the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Winners of the SIJHL playoffs compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup against the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup then moves on to compete for the Centennial Cup, the Canadian Junior A championship.
The Wellington Dukes are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Wellington, Ontario, Canada. They are in the Eastern Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and used to be a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League. Originally a Junior C team in the 1970s and 1980s, the Dukes merged with the neighbouring Jr. B Belleville Bobcats and took their place in the Metro League. The Dukes have won the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Junior A Champions three times. The Dukes also won the Buckland Cup for the third time on April 22, 2018.
The Dryden Ice Dogs are a junior A ice hockey team in Dryden, Ontario, Canada. They compete in the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The Thunder Bay North Stars are a junior A ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They are a member of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The Schreiber Diesels were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Schreiber, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The Thunder Bay Bulldogs were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from the Port Arthur section of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The Thunder Bay K&A Wolverines were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They were members of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. They played in the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League of Hockey Northwestern Ontario until 2009. The Wolverines were 4-time Thunder Bay Junior B and Northern Ontario Junior B champions, as well as 2009 Keystone Cup Western Canada silver medalists.
The Marathon Renegades were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Marathon, Ontario. They were currently members of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The Borderland Thunder are a defunct Junior "A" ice hockey team from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The Thunder Bay Bearcats were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The 2002–03 OPJHL season is the tenth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The thirty-five teams of the North, South, East, and West divisions competed in a 49-game schedule.
The 2010–11 SIJHL season was the 10th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The six teams of the SIJHL played 56-game schedules.
The 2009–10 SIJHL season is the 9th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The six teams of the SIJHL will play 52-game schedules, except for Wisconsin who will play a 20-game schedule.
The 2008–09 SIJHL season is the 8th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The six teams of the SIJHL will play 50-game schedules.
The 2007–08 SIJHL season is the 7th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The seven teams of the SIJHL will play 50-game schedules.
The 2005–06 SIJHL season is the 5th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The six teams of the SIJHL played 52-game schedules, except for Minot State University-Bottineau who played a 20-game season.
The Minnesota Iron Rangers were an American junior ice hockey team based in Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. Originally named Iron Range Ironheads, the Iron Rangers played in the Canadian-based Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The 2011–12 SIJHL season is the 11th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The seven teams of the SIJHL will play 56-game schedules.
The 2013–14 SIJHL season was the 13th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The seven teams of the SIJHL played 56-game schedules.