Delta Islanders honour Thomas Haydon with junior lacrosse tribute

The Delta Islanders paid tribute Saturday, June 13 to Thomas Haydon, a beloved Ladner resident, firefighter, and lacrosse player, during a special memorial game at the Ladner Leisure Centre.

Haydon lost a battle with pancreatic cancer in fall 2018 at age 36. He was a significant figure in the local lacrosse community as both player and coach, and served as the Islanders' first-ever captain when the Junior A team launched.

In his honour, the Thomas Haydon Memorial Game and Award was established in 2019. Each year, his former teammates and friends gather for an alumni game and social gathering before presenting the award and bursary to a member of the current Junior A roster.

During the second intermission Saturday, the award went to Jared Maznik, who leads the team this season with 18 goals, 17 assists, and 35 points.

The game itself ended in a 10-10 tie. On Sunday, the Islanders faced Nanaimo and earned a 9-5 win—their second victory of the season, bringing their record to 2-7-1.

With Port Coquitlam and Victoria currently holding the third and fourth playoff spots with 12 points each, Delta needs to string together wins in their final eight regular-season games. They play in Victoria Tuesday night and host Port Coquitlam at home Saturday at 7 p.m.