| St. Paul Lakers | |
 | |
| City: | Inner Grove Heights, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| League: | Minnesota Junior Hockey League |
| Founded: | 1993 |
| Colors: | Purple, Black and Silver |
| Franchise history | |
| 1993–2000: | East Metro Lakers |
| 2000–2009: | St. Paul Lakers |
| 2009–2014: | Edina Lakers |
| 2014–present: | Forest Lake Lakers |
The St. Paul Lakers were a Tier III Junior "A" team in St. Paul, Minnesota. They played in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League from 2003 to 2009.
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. In 2009 they moved to a new home and became the Edina Lakers.
Under the guidance of coach Mike LaValle, the Lakers won the USA Hockey Junior B National Tournament in 1999.[2]
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.
- New York Islanders (2008–10)
- Washington Capitals (2011–12, 2013–14)
- Portland Pirates (while signed with the Phoenix Coyotes) (2012–13)
- Iowa Wild (while signed with the Minnesota Wild) (2014–15)[4]
- Grand Rapids Griffins (while signed with the Detroit Red Wings) (2015)
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 |
References[]
- ↑ About Our Sponsor. Retrieved on 4 January 2015.
- ↑ Lakers Sink Mariners in Semifinal (30 March 1999).
- ↑ Alumni. Retrieved on 17 December 2014.
- ↑ Joel Rechlicz hockey stats. Retrieved on 17 December 2014.
- ↑ Staff Directory. Retrieved on 4 January 2015.
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