RED LAKE — The thrill of playing for his hometown team is clear when you see Carter Deschamps.
The 17-year-old forward had a smile from ear to ear on his face while wearing the colours of the Red Lake Miners following Friday’s 6-3 win over the Kam River Fighting Walleye to open the 2023-2024 Superior International Junior Hockey League regular season at Norwest Arena.
“It felt amazing [to put on the Miner jersey],” beamed Deschamps. “Being the youngest [player] on the team, and having [the] support [of not only my teammates but everyone back in Red] Lake. It was super special.”
Deschamps spent the 2022-2023 season with the Bishop’s College School Under-16 prep team. The program is based in Sherbrooke, Que., and is involved with the North American prep school hockey league.
Deschamps suited up for one hundred games last season and was able to amass 15 goals and 28 assists for 43 points.
He also played on the Under-16 AAA team for the Thunder Bay Kings during the 2021-2022 season, picking up 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points in 33 games played.
Red Lake has produced a pair of notable players; Warren Harrison was a fifth-round pick of the Oakland Seals in the 1969 National Hockey League Entry Draft while fellow forward Mitch Molloy played a pair of games with the Buffalo Sabres during the 1989-1990 season.
“I had a decision to go back to school, or to come back and play for [Head Coach and General Manager Lee Stone],” reflected Deschamps. “I thought it was an awesome opportunity, and I'm really happy to be playing for my home team.”
“Red Lake is a smaller area, so we get a lot of people that are willing to come from the town and support us [at home games].”
The town saw a drop in its population in the 2021 Census with 4,094 as compared to 4,107 back in 2016.
The Miners as a franchise have been under the Red Lake banner since 2018 after formerly being known as the English River Miners when they joined the SIJHL in the 2013-2014 season.
After splitting their weekend set with the Walleye, the Miners will play five of their next six games at the Cochenour Arena beginning with a home and home series against the Dryden GM Ice Dogs on Friday.
