All new U18 Soo Indians
Soo Indians of the Under 18 Tier 1 Elite level are already at work ahead of the ’26-27 hockey season. With a fresh, new operator in local businessman Dennis Eby — who will also be the general manager of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association team — the Indians have also brought aboard the highly regarded Doug Laprade as their head coach.
The Indians, who are part of the U18 Tier 1 MAHA with other AAA Michigan based programs such as Belle Tire, Biggby Coffee, Compuware, Fox Motors, HoneyBaked, Little Caesars, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies and Victory Honda, have a tryout camp slated for May 8-10 at Big Bear Arena in Sault Ste. Marie.
The tryout camp is open to players with 2008 and 2009 birth dates at a cost of $125 per registrant. Canadian players are welcome to attend provided they have dual citizenship or are of First Nations descent.
(Players can register for the tryout via SooIndiansHockey.com. And, for more information, e-mail the team via sooindians18uaaa@gmail.com)
The aforementioned Dennis Eby, who recently took over ownership of the Soo Indians program, noted that the team facilities at Big Bear Arena include two skate sharpeners, an 85 inch television for game review and a huge work out facility.
Players who sign with the Indians for the ’26-27 season for a respectable team fee of $10,000 receive a return that includes three practices per week, additional skill sessions, hockey bag and equipment, warm up suit, winter jacket — and road trip travel that includes food and hotel.
“We are in one of the best leagues in the United States, the MAHA Tier 1 Elite League and besides league games, we will do two showcases — one in Detroit and one in Chicago. Our locker room is custom, we have North American Hockey League scouts on board and our players can affiliate with the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League,” noted Eby in a message to Hockey News North.
Meanwhile, the Indians will be led by a long time head coach in the aforementioned Doug Laprade, who Eby noted brings “an impressive wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to this exciting new chapter of Soo Indians hockey.”
To be sure, Laprade has a long association to hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. He played four full seasons for the Lake Superior State University Lakers, a Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association program. He later was an assistant coach with the Lakers for five seasons and also coached the Sault High Blue Devils for seven years and the Soo Eagles of the NOJHL for five more.
A product of Thunder Bay, Ontario, the 57 year old Laprade has resided in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan since he first arrived on scholarship to play Division 1 hockey at Lake Superior State in 1987.
As a hard driven, two way right winger, Laprade was part of the Lakers national championship team of 1988 under mercurial head coach Frank Anzalone. Laprade also became a National Hockey League draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.
In 1992, as a volunteer assistant coach, Laprade was part of another national championship team at Lake Superior State under esteemed bench boss Jeff Jackson, who went on to become the legendary head coach of the NCAA powerhouse Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Laprade had a later, three year stint at Lake Superior State as an assistant coach under former head coach Jim Roque.
Known throughout the game for being an honest, upfront individual and a person of integrity who has kept up with the times, Laprade’s other credentials besides his extensive coaching resume include being a Level 4 instructor for various USA Hockey coaching clinics.
Laprade’s staff of assistant coaches with the Indians will include John Ferroni and Joe Esson.
