LAC LA BICHE - The Junior A Lac La Biche Lakers, the community's new hockey squad that is set to hit the ice for their opening season in October, held their spring training camp at the Bold Centre from May 11-12. During the weekend camp, about 35 prospects looking for a spot on the Lakers’ roster showcased their skills and abilities in three inter-squad scrimmages.
Prospects selected from the spring training camp will go to the Lakers’ main training camp, which is scheduled to take place in September, a few weeks prior to the start of the regular season. The team is hoping to have 25 players aged 16-21 on its roster for the 2024-2025 season.
To date, the Lakers have two signings – Ryan Cunningham from Sturgeon Lake in northern Alberta and New Zealand native Samson Jansen Middleton. According to Jacob Hegerfeldt, a managing partner and co-general manager of the Lakers hockey franchise, Middleton, who played for the Canterbury Red Devils of the New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL) will be coming to Lac La Biche this fall to attend the team’s main training camp. Cunningham was at the spring training camp. Previously, he played U18 hockey in High Prairie and Grande Prairie.
Even though the Lakers, who joined the NJHL in January, haven’t officially begun playing, the team has already started to garner interest from local hockey fans. During the weekend training camp, a handful of people sat in the Bold Centre stands watching the inter-squad games, with teams wearing black and white jerseys to differentiate them.
The Lakers are one of the newest squads in the nine-team National Junior Hockey League
