By: John Humphrey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter
The task of planning to building another successful LaSalle Vipers squad kicked into high gear during the hot and humid days of the summer.
“When August 1 rolls around, I start getting excited again and start getting to roll around the rink and making the final plans for training camp,” said longtime Vipers general manager John Nelson. “That’s how it always starts for me.
“We might be in the middle of another heat wave, but that’s irrelevant,” continued Nelson, who was speaking to The LaSalle Post in mid-August. “I’m ready to get things going for hockey.”
Nelson confirmed that both head coach Anthony Iaquinta and assistant coach Jack Bowler were returning behind the Vipers bench and that the pair would be front and centre during the team’s training camp that opened with fitness testing on August 19 at the Vollmer Centre.
Eight returning players were among the 36 skaters and four goaltenders who were slated to attend training camp with the Vipers, who finished with a 29-20-1 record in the 2024-2025 season.
Iaquinta and Bowler joined the Vipers last fall after serving with the Lakeshore Canadiens of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL).
“We have a solid core of eight players returning this season, plus we also have (defenceman) Gage Evans coming back to us after having played up north last season,” said Nelson. “Having that many players back means that we will be an older team this season, and we how everyone progresses and elevates their game this season.”
Evans played with his home Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) last season after having played with the Vipers during the 2023-2024 campaign. The Windsor Spitfires’ draft pick (14th round in 2022) is the son of former Spits player Cory Evans.
While there were four goaltenders, including possible returnee Jake Windbiel, attending the Vipers’ training camp, the club’s puckstopping tandem will likely not be sorted out until late September or early October as Windbiel is one of four netminders attending the training camp of the Spitfires, all of whom played at least one game with the Spitfires last season. As a result, at least one, and possibly two, goaltenders will be assigned by the Spitfires to the Vipers early in the regular season.
Returning defencemen in LaSalle for the 2025-2026 GOJHL season include Brody Jones and Kieran McNally while up front Connor Chartrand, Matteo Vilardi, Adriano Tonin, Joseph Gingras, Jaksen Ward, Julian Gignac are all back as well.
The veteran presence in LaSalle could be further enhanced by the possible return of forward Max Brocklehurst. The offensively-gifted forward scored 11 goals and added 10 assists in 25 games in a rookie season that was significantly shortened due to an upper body injury. The Halifax native and Spits draft pick made his OHL debut last season and could be returned by the Spits again this fall.
The Vipers also stand to benefit significantly by the addition of star rookie forward Nicolas Rosati.
Rosati scored 25 goals and added 47 assists in 42 games with the Lakeshore Canadiens of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) in 2024-2025 enroute to being named the Rookie of the Year not only in the PJHL’s Stobbs Division but in the entire PJHL. The Spitfires’ 11th round pick in 2024 will be attending the OHL club’s training camp in September and was signed by the Vipers during the summer.
“We were very fortunate to have signed Nicholas,” said Nelson. “We think that he is going to be a dynamic player for us after he gets his feet wet in our league for a couple of months. “And we look forward to playing a part in his development as an exciting hockey player and young man.”
Also new this season will be a policy change for Vipers game at the Vollmer Centre that is aimed at enhancing the experience for some fans is the introduction of beer sales.
“Fans in other rinks around our league have had this opportunity for a while now, and selling beer is going to be a new experience for us this season,” Nelson claimed. “Our fans will be able to have a hot dog and a beer for the first time in 17 seasons, and we are anxious to see how this goes.”
The Vipers are scheduled to play two exhibition games, with both being against the Chatham Maroons. The two teams play on Thursday, September 9 at the Vollmer Centre before a return contest at the Chatham Memorial Centre on Sunday, September 7. The game in Chatham is actually part of a double-header as the Saginaw Spirit will battle the Spitfires in an OHL pre-season game that day. The Spirit are the OHL affiliate of the Maroons.
The LaSalle Vipers will open their 2025-2026 GOJHL season on Wednesday, September 10 when they host the London Nationals.
Visit www.lasallevipers.com for further information and season schedule.
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