First Nation defenceman making improvements with York Lions and eyeing pro career

The York University Lions men’s hockey team is expecting big things this season from defenceman Lucas Eagle, and that’s not just because Eagle, a member of Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan, packs 240 lbs onto his towering 6-foot-6 frame.

"If he isn't our most improved player in two years, he's tied for the lead," said Lions' head coach Russ Herrington. 

Eagle, 22, is now in his third season with the Lions. He struggled to get into the York lineup as a rookie and only appeared in eight matches. And then last season he continued to be a healthy scratch at times while making 16 appearances with the club.

Now that he's a third-year veteran, Eagle, a defenceman who focuses play in his own zone, realizes he'll have additional responsibilities with the Lions.

"Being an older guy, I kind of have to fill a bigger role on the team," he said. "We're short on D. We only have seven defencemen, so the likeliness of getting in most games is pretty high. I'm kind of working on improving myself and then improving the team as well."

Herrington said Eagle was a hard-working, coachable and versatile player when he first joined the Lions. And he has become a key member of the squad now.

"We just look to see continued growth from him," he said. "I think he's a guy that kind of drives our engine a little bit. The guys will rally around him. So, we're looking forward to seeing his continued progress this year."

Herrington also believes Eagle could go on to wear a letter, either as an assistant captain or the captain of the Lions in future years.

"He's certainly trending in that direction," he said. "I think he's a leader in our dressing room, just the way he takes care of himself. He approaches things as a pro."

And yes, a pro career is something that Eagle is eyeing. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining in the university ranks after the 2025-26 campaign is completed.

"I'm hopefully getting my degree," said Eagle, who is taking psychology classes. "After that, I would like to play some hockey outside of university—keep the dream going."

And he's not too fussy about where he would like to play pro, whether that be in North America or abroad.

"Anything I can get," he said. "Hockey is such a privilege to play and to be able to play it and get paid for it is obviously a dream for anyone. To see the world on top of that, I mean, why not take the risk and see what happens and see where the chips fall."

Herrington said he has talked to Eagle about what he needs to work on to get to the pro level.

"He's tall and sometimes the co-ordination and so on takes a while to catch up," he said. "So, he just needs to be patient in that regard."

Herrington said Eagle also needs to show more poise positionally when he has the puck.

"I thought he showed that (Sunday)," he said of the club's game against the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold, a game the Bold won 3-2. "It was one of (Eagle’s) better games where he took that extra second and that extra breath before making a play, which he has ability to do. On some nights, it's just that he's so anxious to make a play that he kind of rushes things."

Eagle said he is fully aware he needs to work on this aspect of his game.

"I think I could be a really impactful player," he said. "But at times I'm just thinking a little too fast. I feel like I play a quick game but my mind kind of shuts that down a little bit, sometimes where I hesitate."

Besides being a current leader with the Lions, Herrington said Eagle is also a role model for Indigenous youth. Plus, he's also heavily involved events in and around the school, located in Toronto’s north end.

"He's one of the first guys to volunteer to be involved with anything that's going on in the York community, whether it's purely within varsity, whether it's the greater school landscape, or if it's the greater community at large," Herrington said.

After his playing days are done, Eagle said he believes he will try to pursue a career with the RCMP, like both his parents.

"It's something that I feel suits me well, just wanting to help people and kind of carry that tradition on amongst my family," he said. "I've got a lot of knowledge on it, especially with both my parents being in it. And they're a huge help in that sense as well."

For now, Eagle is doing his best to help the Lions. The club has struggled early on this season and, following Sunday's loss, the York squad is still winless after five matches.

"It's been a tough start, so right now, we're just looking to find wins, find points," Eagle said. "I think that just takes a group decision and kind of everybody buy in and figure out the roles of each player. We've just got to bring it every game. It's not like we're far off or anything like that. We have good games against these teams. We just can't seem to find the extra goals and keep the goals out of our net.”

The Lions' next game is this Friday on the road against Thunder Bay's Lakehead Thunderwolves.