Two more Peterborough Lakers have the opportunity to crack NLL rosters this season. The MSL team already boasts a multitude of pro talent and has committed to developing players coming out of their junior system as well. This past season they welcomed draft eligible junior Lakers grad Turner Evans, as well as acquiring Chad Tutton’s rights from the Brampton Excelsiors.
Evans, the cousin of Shawn and Scott, was 5th on the Lakers in scoring with 11 goals and 30 assists, and easily made the jump from junior to senior lacrosse. In his last year of junior he led the Jr. Lakers in scoring with 94 points and sat 5th in the league in scoring, while adding 34 playoff points. Evans also had a successful field career at Ohio State, playing in 59 games, registering 97 points, and earning several scholarly awards.
Evans was drafted 10th overall, the first pick of the second round, by the Toronto Rock. The Rock already boast a highly skilled offensive unit that includes several players under 6’0 (think Sanderson, Hellyer, or Gamble). Evans, at 5’9, is on the shorter side but uses his size almost effectively as his MVP cousin Shawn. Evans is able to maneuver around defenders and make crisp passes to his teammates. If he can make the Rock in his first year he’ll be a valuable asset and will flourish well under the leadership of Josh Sanderson, a similar type of player.
Tutton was drafted 5th overall by the Georgia Swarm, who had four picks in the first round. Tutton joined the Lakers midway through the season and made an impact with solid defense and physical play. He only scored one goal in the regular season and two in the playoffs but each were great highlight reel transition goals. Tutton can help replace the transition that was lost when the Swarm traded away Brock Sorensen and Andrew Suitor (both Lakers themselves).
“To the Swarm, I can bring my size, my defensive ability, as well as running the ball on transition,” Tutton said. “I’ll be a real team player and will do anything to coaches ask of me and work my tail off for the team.”
From Courtice, ON, Tutton spent his junior years with the Whitby Warriors, winning two Minto Cups in 2011 and 2013.
“This feels awesome, it’s something I’ve been looking forward to my whole life and now it’s finally here,” Tutton said. “I didn’t care where I was going but it’s great to be in Georgia, they had a lot of great picks and they have a lot of great guys and I’ve got friends there so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Tutton also had a successful field career at the University of North Carolina, where he played midfield for the Tar Heels. He played three games for the MLL’s Florida Launch in 2015 before committing to the Lakers, to refocus on the box game in preparation for the draft. Tutton was happy to learn from the NLL veterans on the Lakers.
“Almost every single guy on the team plays in the NLL right now or will be soon,” he said, “so I took a lot from each and every one of them… You just have to keep improving your game as you continue to move up in the level of the game.”
Part time Laker Riley Quinlan, also draft eligible and projected on some drafts to go as high as the third round, was undrafted. Quinlan, a defenseman, spent most of the season with the Sr. B Ennismore James Gang after a good 2014 rookie campaign with the Lakers. In their bid for a Mann Cup berth, the Lakers simply didn’t have enough room to commit a full roster spot to Quinlan this season.
