There will be plenty of Richmond flavour on and off the floor when the Delta Islanders open the B.C. Junior "A" Lacrosse League season next weekend.
The club changed the direction of its management and coaching staff last season by welcoming back Greg Rennie as assistant general manager and head coach.
Rennie had left the Islanders three years ago and stepped behind the bench of the Richmond Intermediate "A" Islanders where he promptly guided the B.C. Intermediate "A" Lacrosse League team to three consecutive provincial berths and a pair of regular season championships. The run culminated with a silver medal finish at the 2013 provincials. Bruce Davidson, who also had ties to the Richmond organization, is Delta's new GM.
The Islanders already had Richmond content on their roster, including 2013 scoring champion, league MVP and rookie-of-the-year Cody Nass who skipped his final year of intermediate to get an early start on his junior "A" career.
Now the club has announced the signings of two more Roadrunner alumni.
Defensive standout Brad Hofmann and sniper Spencer Bromley will be key additions at both ends of the floor. Hofmann served as the Roadrunners captain while Bromley finished second in league scoring behind teammate Tyler Vogrig. Both made appearances with Delta last season as call-ups.
"Brad is a phenomenal leader, a force in the face-off circle and arguably the best defender in intermediate last year," said Rennie. "Spencer is a small but gritty player who is very elusive and tough for opponents to get their hands on" Both Hofmann and Bromley are currently in their sophomore seasons playing field lacrosse at McGill University in Montreal.
Goaltender Ryland Hood, who made several appearances with Delta last season, will be between the Islanders' pipes this season - sharing the workload with fellow rookie Matt Keith.
The club will also be relying on third-year Richmond sniper Tyler Nett who finished with 55 points last year, including 24 goals.
With other key returnees such as Eli McLaughlin and National Lacrosse League draft pick Taylor Northway, the Islanders are expected to contend for their first-ever league championship this season.
With the Ladner Leisure Centre undergoing renovations, the club will play all home games at Sungod Arena in North Delta.
