Edina Lakers

The Lakers date back to 1993 when owner and president, Ralph Hayne attended a meeting about the reformation of Junior Hockey in Minnesota. Hayne went to the meeting expecting to learn about Junior Hockey and unbeknownst to him at the time, walked out with his own affiliation.

Hayne was actively involved in White Bear Lake area hockey and derived his team name from the phrase, White Bear Lakers. The Lakers started off as the East Metro Lakers and later became the Lakers. The Lakers are a member of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League and are a Tier III – Class A team.

Through out the years the Lakers have been through many changes; team colors and jerseys being a couple of them. This season Hayne decided to go back to the Lakers roots and the new colors and uniforms are now what they originally were 15 years ago. “There is something to be said about tradition,” Hayne has said.

The Lakers are known to be a team that prides itself on hard work and dedication. Mike Lavalle saw this in the Lakers and began coaching them in 1994. In 1999 he brought the Lakers to the Nationals for the third time, winning the title. Today Lavalle coaches hockey at Augsburg College.

Junior league hockey has traditionally been a place for hockey players to go instead of playing college. Today the Lakers is a place for dedicated hockey players to practice their skill before trying out and playing college hockey. The Lakers have seen more than 50 of its players go on to play hockey on an upper level, whether it be college or the NHL.

The Lakers have consistently brought a positive atmosphere for it players. The team always travels together and has family style dining while out of town. And as Hayne puts it, “parents are as involved with this team as when their boys were playing pee-wee’s.”

Currently the Lakers home ice is located at Minnesota Made in Edina, MN. Before now they have also been located at Aldrich Arena in White Bear Lake, Highland Park in St. Paul and Inver Grove Memorial Community Center. Minnesota Made is an outstanding hockey training facility and offers the players a dedicated locker room and showers.

Hayne is as passionate about his team as ever and is looking forward to another great 15 years.