Lakehead Thunderwolves Hockey and Head Coach Don McKee are very happy to announce the commitment of Thunder Bay natives Jesse Pyatt and Ryan Baird to Thunderwolves Hockey for the 2008-09 season. Pyatt, a former OUA scoring champion and forward at Guelph, has one year of eligibility left and is transferring to Lakehead to complete his education. Baird was a standout defenseman for the Fort William North Stars of the Superior International Junior A League and also attended Lake Superior State of NCAA Division I. Both are healthy after coming off injuries and feel they can make contributions to the Lakehead hockey program.
Lakehead Head Coach Don McKee said both are proven quality hockey players and student athletes. Jesse Pyatt demonstrated excellence as a CIS player in 2005-06, scoring 26 goals with 21 assists. After sitting out of hockey for two years, he has expressed an interest in returning to university in pursuit of an education degree and helping the Wolves achieve a national championship at the same time. I believe his commitment to personal fitness should allow him to quickly perform at his previous level. Ryan Baird has qualified to play with the Thunderwolves by sitting out for one year after playing a full season with Lake Superior State of the CCHA. Ryan has recovered from injuries that required rehab and brings speed and strong offensive skills to the Lakehead blue line.
Pyatt said he is looking forward to the chance of playing at the Fort William Gardens as a member of the home team. I'm looking forward to the upcoming year and the chance to play for one of the premier programs in Canada. I think that our fans are in for an exciting hockey season as our team works towards winning a national title. The atmosphere at the Gardens has always been unreal, and I can't wait to play for the home team this time around.
Baird said he hopes he can contribute to bringing Lakehead a national championship. Lakehead is a great team with a very successful past. The organization and fans are second to none. Im really looking forward to playing in front of my hometown fans and doing everything I can to help this team win a national title.
Ryan Baird
Defense
Born May 29 1985 -- Thunder Bay, ONT
Height 5.10 -- Weight 175 -- Shoots L