Wallaceburg Lakers Going Young And Local

After a difficult season last year, the Wallaceburg Lakers aren’t expecting to be atop the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League this year. In fact, head coach Ken Shine expects the team to take their lumps again this year as the team looks to build toward the future through youth, and local players.

“We’re going to be young,” says Lakers coach Ken Shine about how his roster is shaping up this season.

“We have a lot of Wallaceburg kids, it’s good for the community, but it will be a big learning curve for a lot of them to play Junior hockey this season,” continued Shine.

Last season, the Wallaceburg Lakers finished last in the Great Lakes loop with a 5-34-1 record, missing the playoffs. While the playoffs remain the goal for the Wallaceburg Lakers, Shine understands with his youthful team, it will be a challenge.

“We don’t have a lot coming back. We don’t have a lot of veterans,” says Shine about his 2014-2015 roster. We have three overagers, so our thought is we’re going to be young. Our goal is to make the playoffs, I think it’s realistic, but we’re really young. We’re building something, but it will take time.”

Of his veterans, Shine pointed to Lucais Meyskens, who the Lakers will count on for leadership and scoring, a trio of veteran defensemen, and Joel Sowinski in net to secure their own zone. Wallaceburg has also signed Brendan Ritchie of Chatham to be their 16-year-old this season.

The Wallaceburg Lakers open their 2014-2015 regular season Wednesday, September 10 when they host the Amherstburg Admirals at 7:30pm at Wallaceburg’s Memorial Arena.