Lakers announce transfer of Shawn Evans amid “…ongoing legal matters surrounding an insurance claim”
Shawn Evans, Peterborough Lakers, Mann Cup 2022 (Photo: OLA)
Last week, the Peterborough Examiner reported that long-time Peterborough Lakers forward Shawn Evans had been asked by the team not to play in or attend the Lakers’ banner-raising home opener after the team learned Evans had filed an insurance claim during Game 6 of last year’s Mann Cup.
Evans, who ended up missing the Cup-winning Game 7 due to an ankle injury sustained while playing on the Peterborough Memorial Centre’s turf floor, filed the claim “…with a third-party installer the City of Peterborough hires to install the lacrosse carpet…” at the arena.
“It hurt not playing and raising the banner…it honestly was a sad day for me and my family,” Evans told Global News last week. Evans first played for the Lakers as a 17-year-old call-up during the 2003 Major Series Lacrosse season. Two decades later, they remain the only Senior A side he’s ever played for, collecting many Mann Cups and other individual accolades & records along the way. Prior to his injury in Game 6 last year, Evans had set a new Mann Cup point-scoring record, passing John Tavares for the all-time lead.
The Lakers own the turf that is used in the Peterborough arena, and coincidentally purchased a new carpet for the upcoming season a handful of months back. The arrival of that turf has been delayed and is only now expected to arrive on July 10. The City of Peterborough is no longer allowing the old tarnished turf to be used, the Lakers and other teams presently playing on the arena’s concrete surface instead.
Today the team confirmed that forward Joel Tayler had recently injured himself after slipping on that concrete surface at the PMC. “We say we can still play on the old carpet… In our view, there’s nothing wrong with it,” Lakers team spokesperson Brian Cowie told the Examiner on Wednesday. The article also confirms that the new Peterborough turf will cost $320,000; a sum that will be paid back by the team to the City over the next several years through a loan agreement.
“He said he (Evans) filed the claim to ensure his health and safety were taken care of,” the Global News report continued, also adding that the Lakers team were oddly only made aware of Evans’ insurance claim last week.
Evans, who missed the first two games of the Vancouver Warriors’ 2023 National Lacrosse League regular season due to the same injury, had played just a single game for the Lakers this year, and won’t get a chance to play in another. Today the team announced that they had transferred his rights to the Akwesasne Bucks (Senior B), claiming the player had made two recent requests to be moved there. The Bucks are coached by former Lakers Head Coach Jamie Batley, who the Toronto Star reports also recently obtained Joe Resetarits’ rights from Peterborough.
“(On Monday), he put in to be transferred,” Lakers GM Paul Day told the Star. “Reg Holinshead, the (vice-president) of Junior-Major at the OLA, notified me yesterday. I talked to (Bucks head coach) Jamie Batley and today we worked out a deal.
“Before the season he had asked to go there as well but obviously the board wanted to keep him here for a last year. For him, he’s given so much to the organization. That’s his choice that he wants to finish there.”
Evans’ recap seemingly differs from Day’s, the star player telling Global News today that he wanted to remain with the Lakers, and that the team blew his insurance claim out of proportion. See part of his recent interviews below.
Below is the full statement shared by the team on social media earlier today. In a tweet replay soon after publishing the statement, the team corrected one claim, saying the transaction between themselves and Akwesasne was a transfer and not a trade. In Peterborough’s statement, they also confirm they received some monetary compensation for Evans as part of the transfer.
- Peterborough Lakers Statement -
Shawn Evans traded to Sr. B Akwesasne Bucks
June 14, 2023
The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers Lacrosse Club has announced the trade of Shawn Evans to the Akwesasne Bucks Sr. B team for the 2023 season. This trade comes as a results of Evans’ second request to be traded this year, with the Lakers ultimately granting his request after careful consideration.
Evans initially expressed his desire to be traded before the start of the season in May, citing the need for certain concessions to be made in order for him to continue playing with the Lakers. The organization accommodated Evans’ request, leading to his participation in the first game of the season, where he contributed 1 goal and 5 assists.
However, Evans has been unable to join the line up since then due to work commitments and ongoing legal matters surrounding an insurance claim. These issues have also impacted the laying of the carpet at the Lakers’ home arena, resulting in the City’s decision to deny its use by the Lakers and for games involved the Junior A’s and minor leagues. Additionally, Evans has stated that he has not fully recovered from an injury sustained during game 6 of last year’s Mann Cup.
The second trade request was brought to the Lakers’ Board of Directors by General Manger Paul Day, who learned through the OLA that Evans had applied to Lacrosse Canada to be re-classified for Sr. B Lacrosse with the Akwesasne Bucks. The Board approved the negotiation for the trade last night, and a deal was reached today with Akwesasne. As part of the deal, the Lakers will receive some monetary compensation.
Evans has indicated that this will likely be his last season, and while the Lakers’ Board would have preferred to see him finish his career in Peterborough, they respect his decision. Throughout his career, Evans has enjoyed tremendous support from the Peterborough Sr. and Jr. Lakers organizations, and his exceptional skills and character have made him a beloved figure among fans.
The Peterborough Lakers express their gratitude to Shawn Evans for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. The team will continue to focus on their pursuit of success and remain committed to their loyal fan base.
Shawn Evans, Peterborough Lakers, 2022 Mann Cup (Photo: OLA)
Evans also posted a statement on his Facebook page shortly after 2pm ET on Wednesday:
A huge thank you to the Lakers fans for the unwavering support over the past 20 years. Truly the best lacrosse fans in the world.
There is no better feeling than having a city cheering on the team on a Thursday night at a packed Memorial Centre and hosting the Mann Cup over my head with a sold out crowd waving their bras and shirts.
I want to thank my Lakers teammates from past and present for an unbelievable experience. This wasn’t by choice and could have been handled differently in a professional manner; instead I will choose to cherish the unbelievable and greatest moments of my lacrosse career wearing the blue and red with pride.
Thank you Lakers Fans and teammates.
Turner, Erica, Shawn and Scott Evans
So did his brother, Scott Evans, who played over a dozen Senior A seasons in Peterborough alongside Shawn. His Facebook post:
To my brother, teammate and fan of the Peterborough lakers. It is unusual for me to post but I cannot stay silent when a organization is spreading misinformation and treating one of their players with as little regard as they have with Shawn. During Mann cup of 2022 Shawn suffered a significant ankle injury as a result of a expired and improperly laid carpet. The board new full well the condition of the carpet and had the players continue to play regardless. The truth is Shawn had not filed a claim against the city of Peterborough or the lakers as of yet. The response by the board has been rash and unprofessional. Their treatment of Shawn has been unprofessional in a situation that very in professional sports. Shawn was told to lie and stay away from the home opener in which he missed being on the with his son and daughter and the u-7 team he coaches as the banner was being raised. Shawn has received threats indicating harm to him personally as well as blaming him to tarnishing his legacy and of the evans name. Or the course of the last 20 years, Shawn has sacrificed time away from his family, missing birthdays, his kids sports, and weddings in order to play for the team he loves. His unique style of play, tenacity, heart and love of the game is only matched by those who loved to watch him play. Shawn loyalty to the lakers cannot be questioned. The question is, where is the organization loyalty to their players, especially to one that is home grown? It breaks my heart to see what the lakers have done to Shawn. He’s been made a scapegoat in a situation he has no fault.
To the lakers board and management many I consider friends you should be ashamed of how to handled this situation. If I was a sponsor or season ticket holder I’d be asking for my money back.
Shawn, thank you for all you have done as a laker. being a major part of helping turn around a once struggling franchise, 9 Mann cup championships, and countless memories on and of the floor. For all your lacrosse camps, school visits teaching the game of lacrosse. We cannot thank you enough ❤️
It’s a sad DAY for Peterborough lacrosse
Update (Thursday, June 15, 2023, 9am ET) Evans posted a follow-up Facebook message to fans on Thursday morning. Within the first hour of being posted, the message had received nearly 200 likes and countless supportive replies.
Thank you all for your support, overwhelmed with messages and positivity, means a lot to me and my family.
Don’t take away from the players of the Lakers, they are a talented group of guys who will be going for 5 mann cups and should have the fans behind them because they deserve it and earned it.
I wish the Players best of luck this year going forward and hope they can bring another Mann Cup 🏆home to Peterborough.
Drive for 5.
Update (Friday, June 16, 2023, 4pm ET) On Friday afternoon, the Lakers share two videos on social media, one an interview with Day and YourTV Peterborough-Lindsay, and another a team interview with captain Robert Hope. The interview with Day provides more details of Peterborough’s decision-making process regarding their transfer of Evans. Scott Evans also replied to the team’s tweet, claiming Day told his brother Shawn, “If someone got hurt at your house and sued you would you invite them back?”