The Delta Islanders have been busy doing their own version of holiday shopping as they look to stockpile talent for the present and the future.
Coming off their best season in franchise history, the B.C. Junior "A" Lacrosse League club will attempt to build on it in 2013. The Islanders will return 13 players and should be well-positioned to take a serious run at a Minto Cup berth especially with two B.C. teams getting spots in the national tournament as the host province.
"I came here with a three-year plan in mind and the first one was to take major strides as a franchise and make it into the finals," said league and B.C. Lacrosse coach-of-the-year Shaun Springett. "We accomplished that and the next step is to be in the Minto Cup. It's exciting to think of the players we have coming back and right now we're looking to fill some holes."
After a two-year hiatus, the league draft will return next month. It is designed for all graduating midget age players in the Lower Mainland who do not play for an association affiliated with a junior "A" club.
In the meantime, there are two crops of graduating intermediate players who weren't part of the draft process and are free to sign with any club.
The 2012 class includes plenty of talent from the defending Intermediate "A" regular season champion Richmond Roadrunners and the Islanders are doing what they can to bring as many of them as possible across the river.
The club has a geographic advantage and Richmond head coach Greg Rennie has connections with the franchise as a former coach/GM.
The Islanders even hosted a meet and greet pizza social with the Richmond players earlier this month to "sell" what their program has to offer.
"It's a hot situation," said Rennie. "I can't tell you how many phone calls I have had regarding interest in our players. There are teams really pushing hard for them."
Perhaps none more so than Jordan Gilles, considered a "can't miss" transitional player who very well could have been the number one pick if the draft had taken place two years ago.
"He is just a complete player," added Rennie. "I know Coquitlam, New West and Delta are going hard after him. "He is a phenomenal athlete with a great sense for the game and good hands too."
The Islanders are also expected to sign league scoring champion Cody Nass who will skip his final year of intermediate eligibility with Richmond to make the early jump to junior "A." Nass appeared in 17 regular season and playoff games with Delta in 2012, producing 28 points.
Second-year Delta intermediates Evan Messenger and Jon Phillips could also be headed to junior as the club looks to add more offensive depth with the departure of graduates Logan Schuss and Mike Mallory.
Messenger and Phillips were third and sixth respectively in league scoring.
Springett will soon announce an addition to his coaching staff after offensive assistant Sean Robinson resigned. The WLA standout with the New Westminster Salmonbellies could no longer juggle his playing and coaching duties. The Islanders will begin workouts in late January at Sportstown where the club's signed junior and intermediate players will be invited.
