With playoffs right around the corner, every NLL game matters. The Georgia Swarm, Philadelphia Wings, and Panther City are all tying to make a final push to secure one of the final spots at the big dance. The NLL this season has been pretty surprising, but this weekend told us a lot about the state of some of these bubble teams right now.

Rochester (15) – Calgary (7)

Rochester surprised everyone and ended the Roughnecks five-game winning streak with a dominant performance at Blue Cross Arena. The Knighthawks were able to pull away with strong second and fourth quarter performances by Curtis Knight (3A, 1A) and Ryan Smith (4G, 1A) respectively. 

Calgary opened up the scoring with a powerplay goal from Jessie King to give them an early 1-0 lead. After a back and forth battle through the first quarter, Rochester outscored Calgary 6-1 in the second quarter, three of which were scored by Curtis Knight.  

It was a pretty lackluster third quarter as both teams scored once giving Rochester a 9-5 lead. Ryan Smith exploded in the fourth with three goals over a four minute span to seal the game for the Knighthawks. Joel Watson was a brick wall in net, finishing with 43 saves and a .860 save percentage in the win. 

Curtis Dickson finished with two goals and five assists in the losing effort, and Jessie King had two goals and two assists. 

Halifax (16) – New York (13)

Jeff Teat scored ten points (2G, 8A) but it wasn’t enough as the Thunderbirds hammered the Riptide with 55 shots on goal in a 16-13 win in the Nassau Live Center on Saturday. With the win, Halifax clinched a playoff spot, and also eliminated New York from playoff contention. The high scoring contest saw twelve goals scored in the first quarter. Scoring slowed down some in the second and third quarter, and the Thunderbirds held on to the victory despite New York trying to battle back in the fourth quarter. 

It was a big night for Jeff Teat, as he broke Tom Schreibers rookie assists record (61)  and Randy Stats rookie points record (95). He wasnt the only one who set a rookie record on Saturday, Chris Orleman broke Matt Kings rookie record for saves in a season (603) as well. 

Austin Shanks (8 points) and Clarke Petterson (7 points) led the way for Halifax in the victory. 

Georgia (12) – Panther City (9)

Lyle Thompson and the Georgia Swarm move one step closer to the playoffs with their 12-9 win over Panther City on Saturday. 

The Swarm jumped out to an early lead after the first quarter, but Panther City battled back and scored three straight goals to tie it at six heading into halftime. Things went back and forth in the third quarter with three lead changes, but Georgia took over in the fourth quarter, outscoring Panther City 4-1 in the final frame. 

With their win, the Georgia Swarm have set themselves up for a “win or go home” matchup with the Philadelphia Wings next weekend. 

Saskatchewan (17) – Seals (14)

The Seals losing streak extended to six games as they lost to Saskatchewan 17-13 in Saskatoon. 

The Rush had an early 2-1 lead but fell behind at the half 7-4. They came back in the third quarter and were able to trim the Seals lead to one entering the final frame. The Rush took control behind an electric home crowd and outscored the Seals 5-2 to secure the win. Robert Church led the Rush in scoring with eight points and Jeff Shattler had a strong performance in his final home game in Saskatoon. He scored two goals and four assists. 

Austin Staats and Jeremy Noble led the Seals in scoring with 8 points each. 

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The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, announced today that the Priestner Sports Corporation has acquired the Saskatchewan Rush from owner Bruce Urban. The group, led by Mike Priestner, the owner of Go Auto, a Deloitte Best Managed Company that spans 47 car dealerships across Canada as well as the owner Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, takes over the club effective today, solidifying the Rush’s position in Saskatchewan for the long term. Colin Priestner will act as the team’s Governor while continuing his role as the GM/President of the Blades, while Jared Priestner will serve as Alternate Governor. All lacrosse operations will continue to be run by Rush GM Derek Keenan.

“This is a transitional and progressive day for our league and the sport of lacrosse, as we welcome Priestner Sports to the NLL and thank Bruce Urban and his team for years of hard work and success both in the community and on the field of play,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “The Rush have been, and will continue to be, a model franchise not just for the National Lacrosse league but for all of sports in North America, and are key to our continued growth and business success as we head toward our 2021-22 season this fall.”

“First and foremost, we must thank Mr. Bruce Urban for allowing us the privilege of carrying on the Rush legacy,” said Colin Priestner. “We recognize all he has done to bring the best lacrosse in the world to Saskatoon, while giving back to both the city and its surrounding areas. We welcome the challenge of maintaining the winning tradition he established here, while pushing ourselves to find new and interesting ways to grow the game and the Rush fanbase which, in our humble opinion, is already the best in the league.”

“I am pleased to transfer ownership of the Rush organization to Jared, Colin, and Mike Priestner,” said Bruce Urban. “The Priestners are experienced operators, who will continue to run this team with pride and professionalism. Cindy, Brandon and I will greatly miss the Rush fans, sponsors, media, and of course the players, coaches, and team staff. We will cherish the wonderful memories made over 10 seasons in Edmonton and 5 in Saskatchewan.”

The Rush have been one of the most successful franchises not just in the NLL but in all of North American sports, winning the NLL title in 2016 and 2018, and finishing as runner-up in 2017, all under head coach Derek Keenan. The team was 7-3 and again in first place in the NLL Western Division when the 2019-20 season ended due to the Pandemic. The Rush have averaged over 13,400 fans in their past five seasons in Saskatoon, the best in the NLL during that timeframe.

About The Priestner Sports Corporation

The Priestner Sports Corporation has owned and operated the Saskatoon Blades since 2013, a period in which the team’s record improved every season until the COVID-shortened 2019-2020 season. With a consistent track record of exceeding industry standards and producing winning results, the Priestner Sports Corporation has demonstrated the ability to recognize potential and effectively utilize the people and processes that are required to make each property a leader in its marketplace. The group looks forward to extending its track record of success with the Saskatchewan Rush of the NLL. For more information about the Saskatchewan Rush, tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and all team information, visit SaskRush.com.

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When I was a 3-year-old growing up in Toronto, all the kids at school loved soccer. Therefore, I loved soccer, and that was the sport I wanted to play. I had a lacrosse stick at home, but it was for fooling around in the house. Soccer was what I wanted to play.

My stepdad wasn’t having it.

He pushed me in the lacrosse direction. He didn’t outlaw soccer, but he wanted me to try out lacrosse first to see if I liked it. I went to one practice, and I was hooked.

I met Scott Gillingham early on, who remains one of my good buddies, and his lacrosse game awed me. I wanted to be like him.

I was a good runner. If I could get the ball in my stick, I could run from run from one end to the other. That is, if I could control it all the way there.

I fell in love with the game, especially box, and began to learn its heritage. It’s part of our upbringing, our culture. It’s a medicine game, and the more I played, the more I learned of what it can do.

I grew up in a rough neighborhood. Sports got me away from it. When I got to the arena, all I thought about was sports. When I got on the floor, I always had a clear mind. I used to play for my well-being. When I was young, all I cared about were sports. Sports, sports, sports. I always loved being around the boys, hanging out and playing the game I loved. Winning always helped.

But I think you learn a lot at a young age when you start losing. Some kids get down on themselves when they lose, but sometimes losing is almost better than winning. You have to learn from it. You learn from your mistakes, and losing taught me a lot of lessons that apply to sports and beyond.

I really bought into the process of being a part of something bigger than myself. Being a part of a team taught me to work well with others, to lead by example and to lead by voice. You realize that you won’t always win. Sometimes you will lose: in sports, at work, at school, in life. Whatever you do, there are highs and lows, and sports taught me that growing up.

You can’t always think you’re the best. My father always used to say,

“There’s always going to be somebody better than you, always going to be someone tougher than you.”

He was right. When you play in a big game or in a final, and that’s all you’ve cared about for months and years, you don’t always win. Sometimes you lose. And when that gets taken from you, you’re left to become a stronger person on and off the floor.

I learned a lot of life lessons through sports, and I’m very grateful for my teammates who have put me back in place and calmed me down. Sports have taught me to control my anger, how to deal with ups and downs, push through and persevere.

When I look back, my lacrosse career feels like a blink of an eye. But when you’re in it, it doesn’t feel so fast. When you’re on a five-game winning streak, you’re riding high. Then, you drop three in a row, and you’re down in the dumps.

There will always be someone faster, stronger and better than you. But as long as you give everything you’ve got, you can’t be disappointed in your process. As long as you give everything you’ve got, there’s nothing to be disappointed about in yourself.

In 2014 when I was with the Calgary Roughnecks, we played the Rochester Knighthawks in the NLL Championship. Rochester had won the last two championships, and we were aiming to knock them off their perch.

We won the first game, 10-7, at home. Then, we traveled to Rochester for Game 2. A win would have secured the Cup. We lost, 16-10, forcing a Game 3 right after.

With three minutes to play, we led the 10-minute mini-game, 2-0. We gave up three goals in the final 2:14 to lose the game and the championship, 3-2.

That one hurt. That one really, really hurt.

But it’s a learning curve. You feel that hunger, and you don’t want to feel that pain again. Ever again.

It’s all about how you take it. I took it as a positive thing.

A few years later in 2018 with the Saskatchewan Rush, I had another shot at the NLL Cup. Again, it was Rochester in my team’s way. Again, we won Game 1. Again, we lost Game 2. But this time, the decider went in our favor, 15-10, and I finally got to hold that trophy.

I will never forget something my older sister Cindy said to me once when I was training. At one point, I was so tired that I felt I had to stop, so I did. She asked me why I stopped. I said I couldn’t breathe; I was too tired. She asked what happened five seconds after I stopped. I replied that I caught my breathe.

She said, “Well, why didn’t you just push through for five more seconds?”

That stuck with me for my whole life. When I feel like I can’t go anymore, I remember when she said that to me, and I push and push. It’s mind over matter. As long as your mind says you can do it, you can push through. As long as you believe you can do it, you can. As soon as you tell your body you’re done, your body will shut down. Your brain is a very powerful muscle. If you train it to preserve, man, you can do anything you want in your life.

Lacrosse has shaped me to be the man I am today. It’s made me a better teammate, a better father and more patient. It’s helped me release anger and frustration. It’s shown me how to be a better man and given me the confidence that I can do whatever I set my mind to.

I have won trophies and been given accomplishments. I always wanted to be the all-time leading scorer for aboriginal people, and as of right now, I am. I’m an NLL champion, a World Indoor Lacrosse Championships medalist and NLL MVP.

None of it would have been possible without my teammates, my coaches, my family, my wife, and my entire support system. I wouldn’t be anywhere without the Iroquois Nationals, the Calgary Roughnecks, the Saskatchewan Rush and everyone who makes them go. The people who have surrounded me take credit for where I am and who I am.

Cups and awards fade. Sure, I’m proud of my accomplishments. I worked hard for them. But I always thought,

“Did someone else deserve it a little bit more?”

In the end, it’s not what’s important. Winning trophies and MVPs, of course that’s what I wanted and what I worked for. But once you get them, it’s like, what’s next? The hunger is insatiable.

Lacrosse isn’t forever, and neither is that fleeting moment of victory or praise. But the memories and relationships you build within the sport can be.

What I’m most proud of from my career is those friendships. There is a unique bond you build with someone whom you respect and are willing and ready to go to battle for on the field. I’ve taken pieces of wisdom from so many people that lacrosse has put in front of me, and those relationships that will flourish for a lifetime are the crown jewel of my career.

I have three kids now. My oldest, Ava, is a 9-year-old princess. Then I have my two boys, Jace and Jax, who are 3 and 1, respectively. They’re little bruisers already. Must take after their mother.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jeff Shattler (@jshattler) on Sep 10, 2020 at 6:32am PDT

Jace was supposed to start lacrosse this year, but COVID-19 will likely delay that to 2021. I want lacrosse to provide him with the same wisdom and experiences it did me.

When I was a kid, I thought I knew everything, so I wouldn’t listen to my parents.

“Sure, mom, you always say that.”

I’m sure many kids were the same. But when it came from a teammate, someone I really respected, it was different. When I had a teammate come out of their way to set me straight or put me back in line, I took notice.

I think every kid should be part of a team, a family, outside of their household. It teaches you life lessons you don’t learn on your own. You need someone else to give you that little bit of a push to find out where you stand. It teaches you off the floor how to present yourself, how to talk, how to change your look. Sports does that for young minds.

That’s what I got out of lacrosse, and that’s what I hope my children can get out of lacrosse. The game is everything to me, and it will always be an influence in my life.

All kids need their lacrosse. I’m lucky I found mine.

This article was originally published Oct. 27, 2020.

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There would be no Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin without Isaiah Kicknosway.

The next World Junior Lacrosse Championship (WJLC) will be a historic tournament. There are eight teams representing eight different nations, but for the first time, two of those nations are Indigenous. 

The Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin (Ah-nish-ih-nah-bay Bah-gah-ah-dow-way-win, which means Anishinaabe Lacrosse) will represent one of the largest Indigenous ethnic groups in North America, encompassing territory that stretches from Quebec to Montana, as well as bands in Oklahoma, Kansas, and the Three Fires Confederacy. These tribes are currently known as the Ojibwe (Oh-jib-way), Odawa (Oh-dow-wah, Ottawa), and Bodewadmi (Boh-day-waid-mee, Potawatomi). The Anishinaabe have a strong lacrosse tradition that will make its debut at this tournament.

The man behind the team is Isaiah Kicknosway, hailing from Walpole Island First Nation and with heritage from all three major Anishinaabe tribes. Kicknosway grew up with lacrosse and reached the highest level of the sport with a spot on the Iroquois Nationals. 

“The Iroquois Nationals are the pinnacle, the most sought after organization for a lacrosse player to play for, and I was fortunate enough to achieve that,” he said.

Playing for Team Iroqouis was an honor, but Kicknosway wanted to create the same opportunity for his own nation. The Iroquois currently have a rule that no more than three team members may be from a non-Iroquois, federally recognized Indigenous nation. He knew there would need to be someone to spearhead the creation of another Indigenous team. 

“After achieving that goal of playing for those teams, it just felt a little not as fulfilling as it could have been, because of my foundation of understanding where I come from,” Isaiah Kicknosway explained. “I understood the difference of playing for another nation, and then never being able to play for my own nation or even my own first nation my own rez [reserve].“

Lacrosse was once a very popular game among Anishinaabe peoples. Just as it is today, lacrosse was a social game that brought many people together from far and wide, and it was played during large gatherings throughout the year. This all started to wane in the early-to-mid-1900’s when boarding schools sponsored by the American and Canadian governments forcibly removed children from their families to attempt to erase all forms of Indigenous language, culture and beliefs. In Canada specifically, it was also illegal for Indigenous people to travel for any kind of cultural or spiritual activity. All of this led to a huge amount of culture loss, and Anishinaabe lacrosse was one of the practices that almost died out. 

Kicknosway wanted to do something to combat this cultural erosion. He had benefited from the incredible opportunities lacrosse can bring, and his love for the game led him to believe that this would be one of the ways that Anishinaabe people could begin to further reclaim their heritage and renew many of the traditions that had once been commonplace among their many communities. Thus, Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin was born. 

The work came together at a breakneck pace. Isaiah Kicknosway founded the Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin in December 2019, and he had his work cut out for him. The first step would be to find talent and interest across this vast area of the Anishinaabeg (plural for Anishinaabe) to field a team and get the organization off the ground. There are dozens of reserves and reservations across Canada and the United States (the two countries have different names for the territories reserved by Indigenous nations in treaty negotiations) that are home to Anishinaabe people, and it would be a huge task to reach out to each of them. 

“In 2019, I traveled around to different First Nations communities to find out where the game was in each of these communities,” he said. “Who I found through online research either played or knew somebody that played to create connections.”

Kicknosway knew this work would have to be very strategic. He would have to find ways to nurture the game where it was established but also where interest was growing. In his travels, he found there were some lacrosse organizations that were decades old, while other places were just getting started. Some places were playing box, others field, and still others focused more on the traditional wood stick version of the game that is seeing a comeback in recent years. 

“You have to assess the interest, where there already is interest, and try to grow from that and try to get other local communities involved that are close to that,” Kicknosway explained.

Emails from interested players started coming in quickly. It was looking promising that they could field a full team when the time came for tryouts. Within a few months of founding the organization, Kicknosway received a call from the organizer of the WJLC, inviting his team to come and play in the international youth box tournament in Winnipeg.

“It was kind of a shock,” Isaiah Kicknosway said. “I got a call from the organizer Chris Fox … that we were going to be accepted and be able to play in the tournament. [Now] we have to get a team ready in seven months and an organization at the exact same time.”

It was very surprising to have an invitation to this kind of event so soon in the organization’s history. Despite the fast pace of these developments, Kicknosway knew he couldn’t turn the offer down. 

“It’s an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” he explained. “To play lacrosse in the box form in traditional Anishinaabe territory … I think it’s the perfect place and the perfect opportunity to showcase our inaugural team and what the overall mission of [Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin] is all about.”

This was going to be the opportunity to really show the world who Anishniaabe Nationals are and the talent present there. Beyond just showcasing ability, this competition sets up a bigger conversation about Indigenous sovereignty and rights among nations.

Indigenous nations are sovereign, which means they hold the same rights to self determination as any other recognized nation, like France or Japan. These rights are often mitigated and limited through the federal governments of the U.S. and Canada, restricting opportunities to exercise this sovereignty. 

International sport is one way that some tribes are trying to realize this inherent right, like the Iroqouis Nationals traveling on their own passport and representing their own nation. This tournament would be one of the biggest international stages ever to host two sovereign tribal nations in international competition, which would allow them to compete with other recognized nations as equals. It would also set a precedent for Indigenous inclusion on the world level. 

“[It’s in] our basic human rights to compete,” Isaiah Kicknosway said. “ [It’s] in our rights as sovereign people and in our rights to be able to play.”

Things were taking many positive turns, and the future was very bright for the Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin. But then the world shut down. 

As with so many things, COVID-19 delayed the tournament and stuttered all attempts at hosting tryouts and organizing a team. The Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin went from a meteoric liftoff to being grounded where they started. 

Despite all of this, it was likely a good thing for the long-term viability of the organization. Going from starting an organization to trying to coordinate a competitive program for an international tournament all within a few months is a lot to go through for even the best administrators. 

“I believe it gave us a lot of time to reevaluate and prepare for things in the future, which we’re doing,” Kicknosway explained. “We’re progressing pretty well at this point now.”

The good news: the WJLC will still happen in August 2021, at least as of now. For Kicknosway and the Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin, this tournament is only the beginning. 

“We’d like to be able to play in as many tournaments as possible to give that opportunity to First Nations youth, both boys and girls, men, and women as much as we can,” Kicknosway said. “To play lacrosse is very much a gift and a huge opportunity. But it’s not only that, but the opportunity to play for your nation and against other nations.”

Kicknosway is hoping that this example will inspire other Indigenous nations with lacrosse traditions to consider fielding their own teams and bring greater diversity and Indigenous representation to the game.

Ultimately, one of his biggest goals is to see young players come up through the organization and inspire growth of the game in Anishinaabe communities. Currently, Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin is looking for youth players interested in trying out, and the organization is always open to input and feedback.

“If you’re from an Anishinaabe community and you play lacrosse, please connect with us through our website and through our socials,” Kicknosway explained. “If [Anishinaabe youth] play high school lacrosse, if they play college, if they play just at their middle school, or if they just play with their friends, we want to be able to connect to them. [We want to] be able to hear what they have to say about what they would like to see us do. We really want to connect with those communities, even if it’s a few individuals in a community.”

Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin are actively seeking players to try out. They can be reached on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and through their website.

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Here’s what you might’ve missed in the lacrosse world this past week:

At LaxAllStars, we wrapped up our Jeff Shattler week by talking about his 2018 NLL Cup MVP, giving him a first look at his MSNLazer shaft, and talking about his offseason passion of snowboarding.

We also took a look at some of our favorite MCLA helmets. 

The Six Nations Chiefs announced that 2021 could be their final season of MSL play. We explained why it’s important that the lacrosse community help save the organization. 

Marty Ward hopped on the Going Offsides podcast. 

BYU’s women’s team was forced to stop practicing amid COVID-19 concerns in the state. 

Meanwhile, the NCAA moved lacrosse from “high risk” to “intermediate” on its COVID-19 tiers. 

Lacrosse Nova Scotia set up some awesome free clinics for young black players. 

Premier Lacrosse named Brian Silcott its new Head of Player Experience. 

The Ivy League delayed the start of spring sports. 

The PLL announced a collab with Method Man. 

We discovered that Eli Manning is now a #LaxDad. 

Kyler Murray’s Hail Mary to D-Hop reminded us of another Hail Mary.

World Lacrosse announced its official (and controversial) new 6v6 format.

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Jeff Shattler has been featured prominently on Lax All Stars this last month, so we’re putting all that content in one place for you to easily navigate and digest. We went deep with the two-time NLL champion and former NLL MVP, and we want the lacrosse community to be able to find it all together neatly and nicely.

Welcome to Jeff Shattler Week

We put together an intro to Shattler so those who don’t know or aren’t super well acquainted with who the Saskatchewan Rush player is and what he has done can be informed before diving deep into him. Learn more about the NLL veteran here.

I’m Glad I Found My Lacrosse & Hope All Kids Do, Too

Shattler penned an ode to lacrosse, but more importantly, to what he found in lacrosse. The sport gave him something to do, something to be, and a purpose in his young life. It has been instrumental in developing him into a man, a husband and a father.

“All kids need their lacrosse. I’m lucky I found mine.”

Jeff Shattler Custom Shaft Wows Two-Time NLL Champ

Shattler teamed up with MSNLazer to create a custom wood shaft that fit the player’s exact needs. The NLL star couldn’t believe what he was holding when he finally got it in his hands. And as an added bonus, it gave him plenty of nostalgia.

“I love the style of it, and that it’s a wooden stick. It brings me back to when it all started.”

Shattler Lacrosse Academy Could Develop Next Great First Nations Talent

Shattler does what he can to help young laxers with his Shattler Lacrosse Academy, and one of its crowned jewels is its Aboriginal Program. Shattler is the all-time leading scorer among aboriginal box players, but he knows that won’t last forever. It could be one of his underlings who surpasses him.

“I couldn’t be prouder is one of my students surpassed me,” he explained. “It would just mean they set a goal and followed through with it. I try to tell my athletes to set goals on and off the floor.

“I’d be a proud coach.”

Ojibwe-Inuit Jeff Shattler Finds Great Pride Wearing Iroquois Nationals Jersey

When Shattler won NLL MVP in 2011, it caught a lot of attention. He was invited to join Team Canada for that year’s World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, but after speaking with his grandmother, he turned it down in favor of the Iroquois Nationals. This is the story of how it became one of his best decisions.

“I’m proud to be of aboriginal descent, and that’s where I belong. I switched from Canada to Iroquois, and I’m glad I did.”

Jeff Shattler & The Power of Adaptation

Growing up, Shattler was never a gear hound. In fact, he cared so little about what equipment he used, for a while he would use sticks straight out of the bag or play with whatever a friend gave him while warming up. This is just one way in which the two-time NLL victor has taught himself to adapt, which has come especially handy in this pandemic.

“I grew up in a really big family, so you have to adapt to what you’ve got, and I learned that at a very young age. It didn’t matter. It really didn’t matter. I didn’t discriminate against anything. I’d use anything as long as it worked.

“You adapt to what you use.”

2018 NLL Cup MVP – Jeff Shattler Cements His Legacy

Jeff Shattler was named 2018 NLL Cup MVP after his four goals in Game 3 of the Cup series against the Rochester Knighthawks were crucial in securing a second championship for the Rush. It was his second time winning the league’s title, and it helped further cement his legacy as a lacrosse legend.

“I’ve been waiting for this feeling for a while. We worked hard all season and we deserve it. We played well in front of this great crowd. I love playing in front of this crowd – the best fans in the league.”

Jeff Shattler Shares Secret to Sanity: Snowboarding

Every year on his December 26 birthday, Shattler scales the slopes and snowboards by himself, basking in the peace and tranquility of shredding the mountain in solitude. The sport is his favorite, even before lacrosse, and it’s vital to his mental health.

“It goes snowboarding, lacrosse, hockey for me. Lacrosse has always been a passion, but snowboarding is my favorite sport in the world.”

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The Six Nations Chiefs need your help.

When we talk about the best dynasties in sports, many people think of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. During their era, the Bulls won six titles, including two three-peats. It’s a feat that one of their closest competitors, the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors, failed to accomplish. 

In fact, the three-peat is an incredibly rare feat. Only three franchises have ever accomplished it in the NBA. That drops to two in the MLB. Only one in the NFL, and that was before the Super Bowl era. The NHL has three. One in the WNBA. One in the NLL, with the Rochester Knighthawks having accomplished the feat once.

I say this because the idea that any franchise capable of a three-peat being at risk of collapse seems like an idea that should be unfathomable. Despite the financial hardships brought on by COVID-19, elite sports franchises just survive anything…until they don’t. See, there’s another dynasty in lacrosse that’s accomplished the three-peat, and they’re at risk.

The Six Nations Chiefs, winners of six Mann Cups since their introduction to Major Series Lacrosse back in 1993, including their 1994-1996 three-peat, are one of the best franchises in lacrosse. In their 27-year history as a franchise, the Chiefs have made the finals more times (10) than they’ve missed the playoffs (6). In fact, if you happen to have been born in ‘93, the Six Nations Chiefs have made the Mann Cup final in just over 37% of your entire life. That’s only a few percentage points lower than the Los Angeles Lakers, who have made the Finals 32 times. 

More importantly, the Chiefs have been an incredible showcase of talent, particularly Native talent, since their founding. Just take a look at the most recent Chiefs’ roster. We’re talking about a squad that could arguably compete for an NLL title and still have room to compete for a field championship: 

Lyle and Jeremy Thompson. Dillon Ward. Chris Cloutier. Dan Coates. Dhane Smith. Cody Jamison. Brendan Bomberry. Tehoka Nanticoke. Ian Mackay. Tyson Bell. Tyson Bomberry. Randy Staats. Hell, they’ve even got reigning NLL MVP Shayne Jackson.

This is, in a lot of senses of the word, the team many might point to when we talk about “your favorite team’s favorite team”. 

So, when the Chiefs announced that 2021 might be their final season as a franchise, it was time to panic. This is the team that a kid like Tehoka dreamed of playing for since childhood. This is the team that Brendan Bomberry listed as part of every Six Nations player’s goals for their career. This is, to a certain extent, the only truly indigenous franchise in the sport, a beacon of pride for the creators of lacrosse that routinely reminds the rest of the lacrosse community why a community of fewer than 150,000 people (smaller than my hometown of Eugene, Oregon) still manages to put together a top-three squad in the world every time international competition comes around. The Chiefs might feature Canadians as well, but this has always been a franchise by the Iroquois, for the Iroquois. To lose it would not only be to lose one of the best, most consistently successful franchises in all of lacrosse, but to lose a real bastion of the lacrosse community. 

The biggest hurdle facing the Chiefs? They cite a lack of fan support, which has only been made all the more difficult by the current pandemic. COVID-19 has been a huge blow to attendance for everyone. But to say that there’s a lack of fans for this organization seems entirely incorrect. Not that I intend to say in any way that the team is misleading anyone, but rather that the lack of fans in the stands seems at odds with the amount of Chiefs love out there in the lacrosse community. I’ve streamed SN games from Oregon in the past. Hell, just listing off the names of their 2019 roster should be plenty to get lacrosse fans across the world interested. This is a team with true NLL talent, a (mostly) homegrown squad of some of the world’s brightest stars.

One of the challenges facing the Chiefs, and the MSL writ large, is the delayed NLL season. With the NLL presuming to start in April, there’s some crossover between the two seasons that could hurt the MSL. As the Chiefs’ article says, they’ll need to do some brainstorming in the MSL to counter the potential overlap. 

But I’m hoping to cast the net wider. Look, I’m just a washed up lax bro with blog access. If I had the money, or the mental capacity, to save the Chiefs myself, I would do so. I don’t. So, instead, I’m reaching out to my fellow regular lacrosse community members. The Six Nations Chiefs are one of the most influential, successful, and downright coolest lacrosse organizations out there. This is a franchise that takes multiple NLL MVPs and pairs them with one set of colors so proudly representing the heritage of this game isn’t something we can just take for granted.

It also isn’t something we should just start mourning before the last dirt has been thrown on the grave. Let’s step up.

To Duane Jacobs, himself a legend in Six Nations history as one of the OG Chiefs, and the rest of the SNC board, I say this: the lacrosse community sees you, and we hear your struggle. I’m not sure what we can do to help, but we want to. I might not be able to use a season ticket from across the continent, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see this team continue to succeed. I very much doubt I’m alone. Whether it’s drawing attention to find new sponsors, attempting to crowdsource funding, finding a way for individuals to help out, or just trying to organize the continent’s most elaborate club lax bake sale, I want to make sure that, by the time 2022 rolls around and things are hopefully back to normal, that normal includes a 37% chance that I’ll be watching the Chiefs in the Mann Cup. 

For now, let’s get the word out there. At worst, we’ll enlighten a lot of the more field-oriented (read: American) lacrosse community about a sick franchise and hopefully inspire some people to go seeking out highlights. Hopefully we can connect the right people to this cause and find a way to keep watching. 

I would like to continue living in a world where I can watch three MVPs share an O shift. But also, if the lacrosse community can create so much attention and pressure that we can convince an international governing sports body to allow the Iroquois into The World Games, we can do this. Spread the word. Keep the spirit of the creator’s game alive. Let’s #SaveTheChiefs.

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If you’re looking for Jeff Shattler on December 26, don’t. He’s busy.

Every season on his late December birthday, Shattler scales the slopes in solitude, the soft snow supplying solidarity.

“On my birthday, I go snowboarding by myself,” he said. “It’s like a tradition that I do. It’s just me and the mountain.”

He pops in his earbuds and connects with the mountain, sometimes parting from the paved path for the road less traveled among the trees. There are no interrupts, no interjections, no responsibilities. There is nothing but earth sprawled in his sight.

“When you’re snowboarding down a mountain on a 45-minute run, you don’t have to talk to anybody,” he explained. “You’ve just got beautiful views; you see mountains upon mountains upon mountains. Fresh powder, cold day, and you’re just by yourself.”

By the time Shattler is done for the day, he’s a new man.

“It’s an opportunity to clear your mind and make yourself feel so much better,” he said. “Clear my mind, clear my head, and I feel great when I get back to my family.”

He snowboards well more than once a year, though his birthday is when he sets out alone. Sometimes it’s with his wife, sometimes it’s with a couple friends, but Jeff Shattler will get himself on the mountain when winter comes.

It may surprise some, but snowboarding is the favorite sport of the two-time NLL champion.

“It goes snowboarding, lacrosse, hockey for me,” Shattler explained. “Lacrosse has always been a passion, but snowboarding is my favorite sport in the world.”

It was lacrosse that gave him the opportunity to discover his deep love for snowboarding, though.

Shattler didn’t first strap into a board until he was 17, something he wishes had happened earlier. The late start meant it took longer for him to develop his devotion to snowboarding, but when he was traded from the Buffalo Bandits to Calgary Roughnecks in 2006, he was exposed to something greater than he’d ever known.

“I saw the mountains and what I could snowboard on, and I couldn’t wait,” he said. “I started really, really loving the sport when I moved to Calgary, because I got to snowboard in some of the best powder in the world.”

It’s a dangerous game, sending you speeding down snowy slopes with potentially unforgiving consequences. Shattler said he avoids terrain parks, but he accepts the risks associated with the sport. It’s not a bug of snowboarding; it’s a feature.

“I like going through the blades and trees and seeing that control,” he said. “At any moment, I could hit an edge or whatever it may be, but in that moment when you’re going down, it’s a freeing feeling. Just you and nature, all the worries in the world are behind you.”

For Shattler, the outdoors has always been his second home. He recently took up mountain biking, which is providing him with a similar outlet during the summer months, and hiking is a common family activity for the Shattlers.

It’s important for his mental health, so whether it’s snowboarding, mountain biking or laying at the beach, Shattler will make sure he’s collecting vitamin D.

“I always feel better when I’m outdoors,” Shattler said. “When I’m inside, no sun, no nothing, I get depressed. I like to be outside as much as possible, enjoying beaches, lakes, hikes, waterfalls.”

During the winter, there are fewer opportunities outside, making snowboarding that much more precious.

Jeff Shattler will continue solitary shredding every December 26, and he will always find a way to hit the slopes. Moving forward, his goal is to snowboard many of the world’s most wonderful peaks with his family by his side.

“I want a snowboard family,” he explained. “I want to start traveling, to see Vail and hit some really cool spokes. I want my kids to get involved. We’re all going to get better together.”

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Jeff Shattler has been in the game for a long time. Ever since he was 3, Shattler has been picking up lacrosse sticks and terrorizing opponents with his strength and skills. But he hadn’t ever picked up a stick like the Jeff Shattler Custom Shaft, until now.

Shattler and Scott Fitchett, the brains behind MSNLazer, were connected by a mutual friend when the business launched. The relationship has flourished, and it led to Shattler helping Fitchett create a wood lacrosse shaft tailor made to the veteran pro.

Using new technology and methods to take the wood lacrosse shaft to places never seen before, MSNLazer discovered how to make the lightest stick on the market from the most primitive lax material there is. To take it to the next level, it developed ways to custom built from its multiple prototypes to give the player exactly what he or she needs.

That’s where Shattler came in.

MSNLazer spoke with Shattler about what he wants out of a shaft – grip, length, feel, everything – then got to work on producing a wood lacrosse shaft that was perfect for him.

“Jeff has been a champion and a leader pretty much everywhere he has played and been,” Fitchett explained. “He’s been dominate on both sides of lacrosse. We tried to mirror that in his sticks.

“The Mamba Mentality Shaft was the perfect starting point. We customized the two-way shaft with a 42-inch length and with an 8 face profile similar to what he has used on the floor.”

Fitchett outlined the precise alterations that were made for Shattler’s stick.

“It’s very similar to our standard shafts, but we modified the cuttting process to meet Jeff’s specs and extended the shaft to meet his length needs,” Fitchett said. “We completed it with custom grips, Shattler graphics, and of course his signature.”

Shattler couldn’t have been happier with the final product. Holding his one-of-a-kind handmade stick took him back to simpler days.

“I love the style of it,” Shattler said, “and that it’s a wooden stick. It brings me back to when it all started.”

Now, the Jeff Shattler Custom Shaft is available to the public, giving you the opportunity to use the same piece of traditional lacrosse technology as one of the greats. It’s meant especially for transition studs aiming for an unmatched feel and control, but with the precise laser cuts and gorgeous artwork, it can also be a treasured piece of lacrosse memorabilia in your collection.

The Jeff Shattler Custom Shaft comes in lengths from 30 to 40 inches long with a wood butt end built in at the bottom. Depending on the edition you choose, the shaft weighs between 100 and 200 grams – so light you’ll feel like the ball is floating. All shafts are made in Canada from hand-selected Canadian lumber.

You can also find the Jeff Shattler Signature Shaft at the Shattler Lacrosse Academy website.

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When the Saskatchewan Rush won the NLL championship in 2018, Jeff Shattler was named 2018 NLL Cup MVP, adding a new exclamation mark to his already illustrious professional lacrosse career.

It took three games to decide the winner of the 2018 crown between the Rush and the Rochester Knighthawks. In Game 1, the Rush used a seven-goal run to cruise to a 16-9 victory, but the team found itself in an even series following a 13-8 defeat in Game 2. It all came down to a meeting in Saskatchewan.

Rush veteran Shattler stepped up when his team needed him most.

The forward scored four goals in Game 3, doubling his playoff total to bring it to eight. Seven of those came in the championship series.

His performance earned him 2018 NLL Cup MVP honors, and it was crucial in delivering a 15-10 triumph to secure the title in front of more than 13,000 screaming Saskatchewanians.

“I’ve been waiting for this feeling for a while,” he told Scott Zerr of NLL.com in 2018. “We worked hard all season and we deserve it. We played well in front of this great crowd. I love playing in front of this crowd – the best fans in the league.”

The year before, the Rush had fallen to the Georgia Swarm in the Cup series, 2-0, and it helped ignite the fire for the team to get all the way in 2018. Shattler wasn’t on the squad in 2017, though, and obviously the additional of the eventual 2018 NLL Cup MVP made a big difference the second time around.

It was a second championship in three seasons for the Rush and the second for Shattler in his career (2009, Calgary Roughnecks). Relive Shattler’s heroics from just a few years ago for one of the all-time greatest moments in the all-time great’s career.

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Jeff Shattler has never been a high-maintenance laxer.

In fact, he cared so little about what tools he took to tackle his trade, Shattler used to play with totally fresh sticks.

“A lot of people laugh at me when I say this, and a lot of people don’t know this: I used to use lacrosse sticks right out of the bag from the store,” he said. “I’d literally take it out of the bag, I’d step in the pocket, and I’d use it that game.”

He didn’t even always give himself that much of an advanced notice.

“Sometimes it would be my buddy’s,” Shattler explained. “He’d just give me a stick in warm up. I’d take one shot, it’d go off the bar and in, and I’d be like, ‘I’m using this stick today.’”

Shattler’s laissez faire approach to his lacrosse gear started at an early age, and it had to. His family didn’t have much growing up, and there was only so much money available for sports. Fortunately, tape was affordable.

“When I was a kid, we didn’t have a lot of money, so I would have to tape my strings and sidewalls,” Shattler said. “I’d tape the head of my stick, because it was broken in two different places. I had like six different places where the tape was holding my strings together, my head together, and if I slashed somebody too hard, it would fall apart.

“So, I had to really be able to adapt.”

Shattler has earned the reputation of a physical player who isn’t afraid to distribute a bruise or two. His aura in the box might make you think that’s who he is, but when he isn’t at the arena, Jeff Shattler is a different story.

It took social media’s explosion and a pandemic for Shattler’s lighter side to meet the public eye, but with nothing to do but be at home and armed with an internet connection, he and his wife, Lindsay, adapted.

“My wife brings out that side of me. We like to joke around,” Jeff Shattler explained. “We were in our house all the time, going a little crazy. Those Tik Toks were all my wife’s idea. I jumped on board.”

While those who don’t know Shattler might have been surprised to see him dancing around in a full-body sweatshirt like a confused crab, anyone who knows him well could have seen it coming, Shattler said.

“I’m a pretty quiet guy if you don’t know me. I usually don’t talk much. But people who know me, they know me quite well,” he said. “I usually don’t say much when I’m first introduced to somebody. I’m quiet, I’m set back, but as soon as I start feeling comfortable, I open up a little bit. That’s the way I’ve always been.”

Though he said he’s always been a character, that doesn’t mean Shattler would have been putting himself out there in ridiculous ways when he was much younger. He credited Lindsay with giving him that sense of freedom, something that has been greatly needed in this pandemic.

“I don’t know if I would have been posting videos like that back in 2005, but my wife brings that out of me, and that’s what I love her for,” he said. “We’re having some fun and trying to keep our minds occupied, because honestly, we thought it was two weeks they were going to stop the NLL. It’s crazy. It’s just crazy times we’re living in.”

As much as Shattler misses lacrosse, though, he made a point to explain that the sport does not consume him, and it never did.

“I don’t think about lacrosse until I get to the arena,” he said. “Some guys, they think about it all week. Obviously, I think about lacrosse, but I don’t think of it where it takes over my life. When I’m at home, my family is my family. I’m not the type of guy who will live lacrosse.”

This was something he figured out as a young person watching others in the sport; Shattler adapted to keep his lacrosse life healthy.

“I love the game, don’t get me wrong, but I only really think about the game when I get to the arena, and that’s the honest-to-God truth,” he explained. “And that went for any sport I did, because it’ll just consume you. I think that’s what separated myself at a young age, because I love the game, but I never looked at it as a negative or where it took control of my life or where I wanted it so, so bad. I would just give everything I had when I was there, and if I did that, I could feel good about myself. Then, I could move on to the next game.”

Shattler now has a favorite stick – the Jeff Shattler Signature Shaft from MSNLazer – but for years, he didn’t have the luxury of choice. And that was okay. He made do.

“I grew up in a really big family, so you have to adapt to what you’ve got, and I learned that at a very young age,” he said. “It didn’t matter. It really didn’t matter. I didn’t discriminate against anything. I’d use anything as long as it worked.

“You adapt to what you use.”

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Here’s what happened this past week in lacrosse, 11/2-11/8

Here at LaxAllStars, we caught up with a pair of elite box players, finishing our coverage series on Dhane Smith (Team Canada, Chaos LC, Buffalo Bandits) and Jeff Shattler (Iroqouis Nationals, Saskatchewan Rush):

–We looked at the first-rate First Nations talent being developed at the Jeff Shattler Academy 

–We also took a look at Shattler’s decision to play for the Iroquois, and the impact he’s had for the Nationals. 

-Meanwhile, back with Dhane, we recapped his illustrious career and talked about his off-season sports and activities while lacrosse is on hiatus. 

–LAS podcaster extraordinaire sat down for a chat with lacrosse legend and Atlas LC assistant, Ric Beardsley on the Going Offsides pod 

-Justin Meyer took a dive into the story of a brave survivor, Carl Becker, as the Kitchener Lacrosse great takes on cancer 

-We dropped some dope new merch just in time for holiday shopping sprees 

-The NLL’s rookie class chimed in about the league’s April return date 

–Turtle Island Lacrosse walked us through the history of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, as we began Native American Heritage Month.

-Paul Rabil reminded us of some celebrities who have played our great game. 

-World lacrosse welcomed its 68th member, the Virgin Islands. 

-Penn State, a likely top five team for 2021, announced its captains 

-Sixth year senior, part-time model, and self-described cookie fiend Julia Lisella sat down with US Lacrosse to chat about returning to Colorado 

-An actual NCAA DI lacrosse team dropped a 2021 schedule

-The University of Oregon welcomed a new head coach.  

-STACK dropped a six-week training plan to get you ready for the upcoming season. 

-Axios took a look at the success of the PLL’s bubble. 

Need to catch up on the Going Offsides Podcast? Listen Below:

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Dhane Smith has been a prominent feature in Lax All Stars coverage for the last week and two weeks ago as we looked into his history in lacrosse, his experience in Buffalo, his multisport lifestyle and more. To wrap up two total weeks of Dhane Smith mania, we’ve put it all in one place for you to easily navigate.

‘I Belong Here’ Says Dhane Smith, First Black NLL MVP

To kick off our reporting, we helped introduce Smith by resurfacing an important and thorough piece originally from Signature Lacrosse in July that explained Smith’s actions to combat racism and minority issues within lacrosse. It explained the purpose behind Smith’s “I Belong Here” campaign and his own personal stories dealing with racism in the sport.

“The mission for the ‘I Belong Here’ campaign is simple; educate the lacrosse community about the challenges still faced by lacrosse players and coaches of color today while creating loyal allies willing to support inclusion in lacrosse.”

Dhane Smith Turns Malice to Motivation, a Black Athlete Succeeding in White Crowds

Smith opened up about his experience with racism in sports this summer on social media, and he has championed an inclusive and positive attitude for lacrosse to be for everyone. Being Black in lacrosse and other white-dominated spaces has been a challenge for Smith at times in his life, especially growing up, but through it all, he kept with his craft and promised to himself that he would prove the bigots wrong.

Learn about how he turned that malice into motivation.

“It’s very important. You can’t focus on all the positives. There are going to be negatives throughout your life. It’s how you overcome those things.”

Multisport Family Molded Dhane Smith into Lacrosse All-Star

Smith has always played several sports, and it’s in his blood. There are a number of sports that run in his family, and without competing in athletics other than lacrosse, Smith doesn’t think he would be where he is.

“Being a multisport athlete helps you think and understand differently. That’s why I am where I am today. I’ve played so many different sports, I wasn’t able to get sick of it.”

Born for the Bandits – Thank You, Buffalo

In his own words, Smith described his devotion and appreciation for Buffalo and the Bandits, his professional box lacrosse home since the 2012 NLL Draft and boyhood team. He grew up admiring the Bandits while watching his cousin Billy Dee Smith make a name for himself with the franchise, and he’s been living the dream ever since draft day.

“Then it happened. My name was called. I was in shock. That shock shifted to joy.”

Kitchener Lacrosse Great Carl Becker Is Fighting Cancer

Smith’s hometown of Kitchener, Ontario, has a rich lacrosse history, and Carl Becker is in part responsible. He was important to two Founders Cups wins in 1987 and 1988 with the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves, the same Jr. A program Smith grew up in. He went on to win the Mann Cup in 1993 and the Presidents Cup in 2003 with the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks.

A couple months ago, Becker was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and pituitary adenoma. His family and friends launched a Go Fund Me to help cover expenses, and have greatly surpassed their original goal by more than double.

Dhane Smith Embraces Golf & Tennis in Lacrosse Hiatus

When it isn’t lacrosse season, Smith still needs an athletic outlet. Over the last few years, golf has become one of his go-to extracurricular activities, and during the pandemic, tennis has fit in nicely as a socially-distant competitive opportunity. He’s been converting his Bandits roommates – Josh Byrne, Ian McKay, and Chris Cloutier – who are all already golfers, into bigger tennis players.

“I’m kind of changing them into tennis players as well, We get competitive when we play a lot.”

Next Week

Next week, we shift our focus back to Jeff Shattler, with features on his life in quarantine, his massive love for snowboarding and more. You can find some of the content from the Jeff Shattler Week #1 here.

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In 2011, Jeff Shattler was one of the hottest names in box lacrosse. He was named NLL MVP that year after scoring 29 goals and dishing 46 assists for the Calgary Roughnecks, the top regular season finishers in the league. It was the player’s sixth season in the NLL, and it was the one that elevated him to superstar status.

His play caught the attention of Team Canada, which was set to compete at the 2011 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship that May in Prague. Canada invited Shattler, originally from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory in northern Ontario, to join its team for the coming tournament.

“I was really into going to Prague for the Worlds in box,” Shattler said.

But Canada wasn’t the only party interested. Duane “Dewey” Jacobs, the head coach of the Iroquois Nationals, called Shattler shortly before he planned to commit to Canada and asked if he had a status card, because the coach would like him on his team.

Choosing between Canada and the Iroquois Nationals left Shattler with a lot to process. He took the news to his grandmother, an Ojibwe.

“I told my grandmother, and she goes, ‘Isn’t there a Team Iroquois?’” Shattler remembered. “I said, ‘Yes, I believe there is, grandma.’ And she goes, ‘You’re playing for Team Iroquois.’”

Shattler didn’t immediately go with her demand. He reflected himself on how he felt and realized that he agreed with her.

“I’m proud to be of aboriginal descent, and that’s where I belong,” he said. “I switched from Canada to Iroquois, and I’m glad I did.”

Shattler isn’t Haudenosaunee, though, with Ojibwe roots on his mother’s side and an Inuit father. World Lacrosse only allows the Iroquois Nationals three non-Haudenosaunee passport-carrying players from other indigenous communities, and players must verify their citizenship enrollment with proper documentations from his respective nation. It makes acceptance that much more special for Shattler, and donning the Iroquois Nationals colors means everything for the player, he said.

“I’m very proud to be accepted and to be part of something as powerful as it,” he explained. “It’s an honor to play with the best Native players out there. There are some great lacrosse players I get to learn from, like Lyle Thompson and Cody Jamieson. These guys, they’re great lacrosse players, and to be considered with them, I consider it a high honor.”

He played for the Iroquois Nationals at the 2011 WILC and 2015 WILC on the Onondaga Nation, winning silver medals in both events. Shattler was supposed to compete again with the team at the 2019 WILC in Langley, British Columbia, but the birth of his third child, Jax, came one week before the start of the tournament, and in one of the few times ever in Shattler’s life, something came before lacrosse.

“I didn’t find it very fair to bring my wife and my newborn down to the games, so I had to bow out,” Shattler said.

It remains to be seen if 2023 will be in the cards for Shattler, but representing the Iroquois Nationals on the world stage twice is already two times enough for him to feel humbled.

“We are a very, very proud people,” he said. “I believe when we step on the floor, all the fans, they love the way we play: the grit, the passion, the stick skills. We’ve been playing this game for hundreds of years. It’s an honor to put on a show for people who have never seen the game before. It’s a privilege to put on the jersey, and it’s an honor to represent it.

“My whole life, I just wanted to be one of the best lacrosse or hockey players, whichever it may be,” he continued. “I had the opportunity to excel at lacrosse. I know the World Championships might behind me now, but I’m gonna ride this wave until I can’t anymore.”

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The Shattler Lacrosse Academy offers a whole host of programs, but the most unique is the Aboriginal Program.

Jeff Shattler, the man behind the Shattler Lacrosse Academy, has played in the NLL for more than a decade and a half, won league MVP once and the NLL Cup twice. The Toronto native comes from a mix of Ojibwa and Inuit heritages and has been a mainstay of the Iroquois Nationals program for years.

Shattler is proud of his roots and the game’s history among his people. He wants to spread that knowledge and appreciation for lacrosse to everyone, but it’s especially important for fellow First Nations people to know its story.

That’s why he made it a point to start an aboriginal program within his academy.

“I want our youth to know and understand what the game means to our people,” Shattler said. “It’s a part of our story and way of life. Not just to play for ourselves, but for the people around us and for the creator’s enjoyment.”

Shattler is racked up huge numbers in the NLL, with 250 games played and 923 points to his name so far. With 363 goals, he is the all-time leading scorer among aboriginal players in box lacrosse.

It won’t stay like that forever, and Shattler knows it. Records are meant to be broken, and while it’s nice to have the recognition now, there is a temporary status to the mark.

The Shattler Lacrosse Academy is based out off Saskatchewan, where Shattler and his family live and where he plays professionally for the Rush. There are 74 First Nation FSIN groups in the province, he Shattler values providing children in every one with an opportunity in lacrosse.

Someone will surpass him someday, and Shattler aims for it to be one of his own underlings.

“I couldn’t be prouder is one of my students surpassed me,” he explained. “It would just mean they set a goal and followed through with it. I try to tell my athletes to set goals on and off the floor.

“I’d be a proud coach.”

To learn more about the Shattler Lacrosse Academy’s Aboriginal Program, go here. More information on the academy as a whole is available here.

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Today marks the start of Jeff Shattler Week at LaxAllStars. It’s part of something new we’re doing to emphasize athletes and game growers who help make the sport the special outlet that it is.

Who Is Jeff Shattler?

Jeff Shattler has been a mainstay in the NLL for well over a decade, first entering the league after the Buffalo Bandits selected him No. 10 overall in the 2005 NLL Entry Draft. He played just one game for the Bandits before being shipped to the Calgary Roughnecks in exchange for Kevin Dostie. Shattler spent the next 11 seasons in Calgary, winning an NLL championship in 2009 and an NLL MVP in 2011. In 2017, he signed a deal with the Saskatchewan Rush as a free agent, and in the following year, he achieved the second NLL title of his career.

Shattler has been active outside of the NLL, too. He won the Mann Cup with Brampton Excelsiors in 2008 and has played with the WLA’s Victoria Shamrocks for years, including a Most Outstanding Player recognition from the association in 2013.

Internationally, Shattler has become a fixture for the Iroquois Nationals, appearing in the 2011 and 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships (WILC) for the program and helping them win silver medals at both competitions. In 2015, he was named to the WILC All-World Team for his outstanding transition play.

That isn’t all Jeff Shattler is; he’s also a husband, a father, an Obijwe and Inuit, a snowboarder and more. Most importantly, he’s a human being, and one of the many human beings who have played a part in making the sport of lacrosse special. This week, and in two weeks when we complete the second half of this series, we aim to showcase Shattler for everything that makes him who he is, including, but not limited to, one of the best lacrosse players there is.

Jeff Shattler Week #1

Yes, that’s right: Week #1! With an athlete as dynamic and storied as Jeff Shattler, it’s going to take two weeks to just start uncovering the tip of the iceberg.

Tomorrow, we will publish our first of many in-depth looks into the life and career of Shattler. Including everything from his childhood in Toronto, finding his place in lacrosse, his many accolades in the sport, what motivates him, his family and what keeps him sane, we will illustrate what makes him who he is.

Week #2 begins Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, with looks into his maturation, his love for snowboarding, a check in on his home town and more.

There may just be some contests and other opportunities for free swag, so always check back to see what’s going on.

Strap up, it’s Shattler season. Things might get a little wild.

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For all intents and purposes, let’s just agree to say 2015 was a simpler time. The World Indoor Lacrosse Championships were being hosted by the Haudenosaunee and the games were being played between two locations on the Onondaga Nation territory and the big seat-fillers were in Syracuse. Canada was undefeated in WILC play. The Iroquois Nationals had a lot to prove. It was lacrosse-perfect.

From September 15th through the 27th, 13 teams from around the world duked it out to be crowned champion. It all came down to one game (as tournaments usually do) and, in typical WILC fashion, it was Canada and the Iroquois Nationals squaring off in the big finale. Canada practically strolled through the week undefeated at 5-0, while the only loss suffered by the Iroquois came at the hands of the Canadians in group play, 11-9.

The gold medal game moved over to Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome and a temporary board system was brought in. It was one of the more unique atmospheres for a box lacrosse game that the LaxAllStars crew has ever been a part of. How about you relive it with us?

Canada vs Iroquois Gold Medal WILC 2015

Hypest of the Highlights

Long Highlights From Above

Full Game – Canada vs. Iroquois Nationals for Gold,

Gold Medal Game Rosters

Team Canada Roster

2 Mydske, Brett
3 Smith, Billy Dee
4 Rubisch, Kyle
6 Dawson, Dan
7 Campbell, Scott
15 Evans, Shawn
16 Corbeil, Chris
22 Dilks, Ryan
23 Priolo, Steve
24 MacIntosh, Jordan
37 Coates, Dan
42 Matthews, Mark
48 Vinc, Matt (goalie)
71 Dickson, Curtis
77 Bold, Aaron (goalie)
86 Leblanc, Stephan
88 Greer, Zach
92 Smith, Dhane

Iroquois Nationals Roster

2 Thompson, Miles
4 Thompson, Lyle
9 Point, Craig
10 Bomberry, Adam
15 Garrison, Tyler
17 Jonathan, Brier
22 Thompson, Haina
26 Bucktooth, Brett
55 Goodleaf, Angus (goalie)
71 Goodwin, Brandon
74 Thompson, Jeremy
77 Shattler, Jeff
79 Smith, Sid
81 Vyse, Roger
83 Staats, Randy
93 Powless, Johnny
94 Green, Wenster
99 Thompson, Mike (goalie)

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Editor’s Note: This is the next article in our series of major figures in the professional lacrosse industry. We’ve started with the NLL, and today we are profiling the ownership group of the Calgary Roughnecks, which just so happens to be the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Use the hashtag #LeadersInLacrosse on social media. Here are the profiles we have done so far:

• Introduction – Leaders In Lacrosse: Here Are The NLL’s Owners
• Georgia Swarm – John Arlotta, Andy Arlotta: Georgia Swarm Owner Profiles
• Toronto Rock – Jamie Dawick: Owner Of The Toronto Rock
• Saskatchewan Rush – Bruce Urban: The Man Behind The Rush Franchise

The Calgary Flames And The Roughnecks

Let Me Get This Straight…

An Overview Of Pro Sports Franchise Ownership

Yes, the Calgary Flames actually do directly own the Calgary Roughnecks franchise. This is a bit unusual in pro sports to have one professional sports franchise directly own another franchise from another league, or even other sport. There are plenty of organizations that act as holding companies for multiple professional sports teams, and allow people or groups to structure their investments. Obviously, there’s a lot of intricacy to this, but you can learn more about the basics of how holding companies work here.

An example of this is Comcast Spectacor which owns the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia Wings.

The Flames are actually owned by the Calgary Sports and Entertainment group, which owns other teams like the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.

In a sense, the Roughnecks are owned by this same holding company but based on this release I found from the NHL the Flames actually technically own the Roughnecks. That is a bit more unusual, but not really all that surprising.

Brief History

Having the same person or company own multiple sports franchises across sports was actually not as widely accepted until recently. The NFL actually used to have a policy where if you owned a franchise you were actually not allowed to have a significant interest in non-football sports investments. An example of this is when the San Francisco 49ers were fined $500,000 by the then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue when the owner of the 49ers at that time, Edward “Eddie” DeBartolo made the team a subsidiary of the DeBartolo Corp., which also owned the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

The policy shifted to allow for franchises to be owned if they weren’t in competing markets, but the NFL changed its policy in 2018 to remove that restriction.

Multiple franchise ownership across different sports was more common at lower levels of professional sports or in sports that hadn’t achieved the same level of financial success that the NFL had. Now, there are far fewer restrictions on how that all works.

How It Has Worked In Lacrosse

Field Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse used to have different franchise owners until the league announced it would be moving to a model that had the league own each individual team, much like how the Premier Lacrosse League operated in its first year. The WPLL also operated closer to the same model during the 2019 season after it removed the specific location ties to each of its teams.

This idea makes sense for those situations because there are certain advantages to not being tied to a local market or have to deal with multiple ownership groups.

The NLL

The NLL has historically always had various ownership groups or individuals owning different franchises. The league has stepped in and owned different franchises at different points, particularly during periods that required restructuring a number of years ago. The league has actually seen a lot of success over recent years in terms of growth with what has happened since.

This is the only hockey franchise I am aware of that directly owns an NLL team, although there are other holding companies that own both lacrosse and NHL teams. It makes complete sense to me why.

Many NLL teams play their games at hockey arenas, so if I were a pro hockey team owner, having another team to draw fans to the arena and generate revenue would theoretically work. Companies that own major event venues like NHL arenas like that are always looking for people to rent it out and use the space, so they can get as much of a return on the investment and expenses involved with owning it. I know there have been reports in the past about some NLL franchises struggling to generate revenue, but it would at least work in theory and could be a good longterm investment as the league continues to grow and expand.

The Roughnecks Franchise

Anyway, enough talk about business. Let’s get into the good stuff about some pro lacrosse.

The Early Years Under Brad Banister & Co.

The Franchise Is Born

Brad Banister originally took over the expansion franchise of the Roughnecks back in 2001. Oil is a big industry in Calgary and is a major financial center for that industry in the region. Calgary’s franchise was named the Roughnecks in order to pay homage to workers on oil rigs.

Chris Hall led the Roughnecks through their first five seasons after replacing Kevin Melnyk and won the NLL championship in 2004, the first of three championships for the Roughnecks franchise (2004, 2009, 2019).

The Roughnecks won its second NLL title in 2009 with Banister as the leader of the ownership group.

Transition Period

Banister announced just before the 2011 season that he was placing the team for sale. The NHL’s Flames initially indicated at that point they were not interested in purchasing the team.

Halfway through the season, as no new buyer had been found, the team was in danger of folding.

The Flames and Banister announced the sale of the Roughnecks franchise that next summer, while Banister would help the franchise during the transition period.

Success Under The New Ownership

Soon after the Flames took over the Roughnecks franchise, Curt Malawsky took over as head coach. Malawsky has a regular-season record with the team of 44 wins and 44 losses but recently won the 2019 NLL Championship, defeating the Buffalo Bandits and their addition of NLL goalie legend Matt Vinc in two games in a three-game series.

Dane Dobbie won the league-MVP award that season, but Dobbie was quick to praise young goaltender Christian Del Bianco for his performance, particularly during the finals series.

The Roughnecks franchise has also featured major league award winners like Mike Poulin (Goaltender of the Year, 2012), Curtis Dickson (Rookie of the Year, 2011) and Jeff Shattler (who won the league-MVP and Transition Player of the Year awards in the same season), among others.

The Calgary Flames And Its Success

Brief History Of The Flames Franchise

The Flames franchise began in 1972 and was relocated in 1980 to Calgary. This team is the third major professional hockey team to represent the city (Calgary Tigers, Calgary Cowboys, Calgary Flames).

The Flames have been to the Stanley Cup three different times (1986, 1989, 2004) and won its only NHL title in 1989. After hitting a rough patch in the early 2010s, the Flames have made the playoffs the last three seasons and won the Pacific Division last year. The Flames currently sit 31-24 and in fourth place in the Pacific Division.

Videos

Here are a few fun moments from the Calgary Roughnecks’ franchise (not comprehensive).

Buffalo at Calgary 2019 NLL Championship Game 2 – YouTube User: Logical Lacrosse

Riptide vs. Roughnecks | Full Highlights – National Lacrosse League

Pace scores hat trick in 91 seconds – National Lacrosse League

Correction: The original article listed Comcast Spectacor as also currently owning the Philadelphia 76ers. Comcast Spectacor sold the 76ers franchise to Josh Harris in 2011, and is owned by Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, of which Harris is chairman. This article has been updated to reflect this correction.

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On this week’s edition of Lacrosse Classified, we talk about goaltending depth in the NLL in our G Wilson Construction Under Review and Jake manages to win last week’s Stampede Tack Who Ya Gott, but we don’t hand him the prize. Jeff Shattler and Lyle Thompson join us on the show.

Jeff Shattler, Lyle Thompson: Lacrosse Classified, Ep. 61

First up is former NLL MVP, Jeff Shattler of the Saskatchewan Rush. We talk about the adjustment to the three lefty system and about the growth of lacrosse in Saskatchewan and the Shattler Lacrosse Academy.

Then we have another former MVP, Lyle Thompson of the Georgia Swarm. We get into such a detailed talk about life with Lyle that we almost forget to talk about lacrosse.

As always a big thank you to our sponsors, Pure Vita Labs, the Vancouver Warriors, Associated Labels and Packaging, Stampede Tack & G Wilson Construction.

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With the NLL expansion draft right around the corner, its time to go through the exercise again of going through the rules and regulations of the expansion draft as well as who might be available in a few weeks to begin to fill the rosters of the New York Riptide and the new version of the Rochester Knighthawks.

Once again, to clarify for some fans who are confused over the Rochester/Halifax situation, the Halifax Thunderbirds are not an expansion team.  Last season’s Rochester Knighthawk roster and franchise rights are moving to Halifax for next season. There will be a new Rochester Knighthawks next season, keeping the old name, but with an expansion roster and new ownership, the Pegulas, who also own the Buffalo Bandits.

In order to not confuse you more on the Rochester/Halifax situation, the team I refer to as Halifax in this article is the team that is moving to Halifax this offseason, and the references to Rochester are for the new expansion team.

The Basics

Here’s the simple parts as to how the NLL Expansion Draft will work:

1. A coin flip happened during the NLL finals between Rochester and New York.  The winner had the choice between No. 1 pick in the NLL expansion draft or No. 1 pick in the entry draft.   Whatever the winner of the coin flip didn’t choose, the loser of the coin flip received. The Riptide won the toss and elected to take the first pick in the entry draft this September as expected.  As a result, the Knighthawks received the first pick in the expansion draft.
2. Each existing team loses two players.  They might lose those two players to the same team or lose one to each.  This does mean that the expansion team is only filling 11 of its 25 roster spots through the NLL Expansion Draft.
3. Each team is allowed to protect 11 players.  They cannot protect more than five forwards and one goaltender.  The number of defenders they choose to protect is unlimited.  If there is a question as to whether or not a player is a forward, the Commissioner has the final say.
4. The teams will send protected lists into the NLL office on June 25.  We would expect that the league will release the lists the following day.  During the timeframe between the protection list deadline and the expansion draft on July 9th, there is a trade freeze, except with the expansion teams themselves.

Going through these rules there are a couple of things to note.  First off, as we look at one team in particular below, the Commissioner must sign off on every team’s protected list.  There is some debate as to whether one player is a forward or a transition player.

Also, since the last article, I have had several questions over the Riptide’s decision to take the No. 1 pick in the entry draft when there is no clear No. 1 pick at this time.  The reality is that last season, a gentlemen’s agreement was made between the two teams as to who would select players from what teams in the NLL expansion draft. If these two teams are able to reach a similar agreement, the draft order for the NLL expansion draft becomes somewhat irrelevant.

Other Considerations

You might look at my list of projected picks and protected lists and think I’m crazy because some great players were not protected or picked.  There are a few things to keep in mind.

The first thing to keep in mind is the unrestricted free agent conundrum. Free agents are normally players that are at least 30 years old and whose contracts have expired.  This isn’t always the case. Practice roster players can also be free agents as can restricted free agents (under 30 years old) that don’t receive a qualifying offer.  But we will keep things simple for now. Let’s look at the 30+ year olds.

If a player is a UFA (unrestricted free agent), the odds of them being protected just decreased considerably.  The reason for this is that if the expansion team drafts a UFA, that player is about to become a free agent two weeks later, and lost to the expansion team for no more than a compensatory draft pick a year later.

But….

Each expansion team could draft one UFA in their entire draft, and then slap the franchise tag on that player. The franchise tag gives the player a salary of 25% more than league maximum and immediately takes them out of free agency.  Each team is only entitled to one franchise player however, so each expansion team can only do this once. It would have to be a fairly high-level UFA to make it worthwhile.

But…

If a player is 34 years of age or older, they can reject the franchise tag altogether and so protecting any UFA that is 34 or older is completely unnecessary.

You would have seen a number of UFA signings recently such as Joe Resetarits, Evan Kirk, Chris Corbeil, Kyle Rubisch and Jordan McBride.  The question is why sign these players ahead of the NLL expansion draft when you now have to protect them. In all but one of these cases, the answer is simple.  These players are far too good that an expansion team would certainly use their franchise tag on these players and they would be lost to the team holding them, so you still have to protect these players.  When that’s the case, it doesn’t matter if you sign the player before or after the expansion draft.

For those UFA’s that won’t be franchised, teams will certainly want to hold off on signing them until June 10th.

East Coast vs. West Coast

Here is something completely new to consider this year.  Last year the expansion teams each had a location: one in the east and one in the west. Where a player lived was completely irrelevant because there was at least one expansion team within reach of where they lived.  This year its different. Both expansion teams are out East. How willing are teams out East to select players living in British Columbia?  The answer is the same one I commonly give when people are asking for tax advice, “It depends.” It depends on the player’s personal situation.  Do they have a job or a family that they cannot relocate? Can the expansion team give them a job out East that allows them to relocate? How good is the player?  Can you select and then trade the player to another team out west?

While the answer I am going to give you isn’t simple, you will see a few instances where I see a team passing on a player that is from BC for one that is based in Ontario that is only marginally lesser of a player.

Trades & Handshake Deals

We saw a number of trades and handshake deals occur last year that will throw everyone’s projections out the window, and one in particular that the league needs to take steps to avoid happening again, as it ruined the drama and strategy behind the NLL expansion draft for most fans.

The handshake deal I’m referring to was a pre-arranged agreement between Philly and San Diego in which they agreed that San Diego would only draft from the four teams out west, Philly would only draft from four of the five teams out east, and they split the two players from Toronto. Rather than having an NLL expansion draft where one team would pick, the other team would take a minute or two to analyze what they should do next, instead we received an expansion draft where all 18 players selected were known in advance and the GM’s read them off no more than 10 to 15 seconds apart.  I really hope we don’t see a repeat performance of that as the fans that had invested time into the NLL Expansion Draft felt cheated.

This was far from the only handshake deal that happened, and this can throw everything off.  One simple example was Calgary and San Diego coming to a handshake deal where Calgary agreed not to trade Frank Scigliano and leave him unprotected, in exchange for Calgary dictating who the second player they would lose would be.

There were also deals that were on the up and up and very open.  Buffalo worked out an official trade where they agreed to send an additional player to Philly in exchange for Philly not selecting Chase Fraser.  San Diego worked out a pre-arranged trade with Buffalo that if San Diego selected Bryce Sweeting from Colorado that it automatically triggered a trade to send Sweeting to Buffalo.

So with all of that said, let’s get started, out west.

Team-by-Team Analysis

Saskatchewan Rush

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Mark Matthews
• Ryan Keenan
• Robert Church
• Ben McIntosh
• Curtis Knight

Defense (5)

• Kyle Rubisch
• Chris Corbeil
• Ryan Dilks*
• Mike Messenger
• Matt Hossack

Goaltender (1)

• Evan Kirk

Unprotected List

• Connor Robinson
• Matthew Dinsdale
• Jeff Shattler
• Brett Mydske
• Jeff Cornwall
• Jordi Jones-Smith
• Travis Cornwall
• Scott Campbell
• Nick Finlay
• Jeremy Thompson
• Nic Bilic
• Adam Shute
• Peter Dubenski
• Ryan MacLean
• Mason Pynn
• Tyler Gaulton

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Brett Mydske
• Ryan Dilks
• Jeremy Thompson

Non-Franchiseable

• Jeff Shattler
• Scott Campbell

Projected Picks

• Connor Robinson
• Jeff Cornwall

Analysis

I have made one change since the last projection, and it became very obvious as the regular season came to an end.  Curtis Knight will be protected, Connor Robinson will not. This isn’t to say that Robinson won’t be with the Rush next year.  Here’s my theory. The Rush will have four 1st round picks this year.  They can likely get Robinson back with the #9 or #10 pick.  I would expect that trade to be made in advance.

With the list below it leaves the Rush in the pickle it was in last year.  Brett Mydske and Jeff Cornwall are not protected. This time I believe the pick is Cornwall and not Mydske.  Mydske is a UFA. That means franchising him and finding someone willing to pay franchise money and give back assets.  With Cornwall you can avoid paying franchise money. He’s a better target.

I don’t expect Cornwall to play for the expansion team that selects him either.  He’s starting a new career as a firefighter in BC. I doubt he has the ability to play out east.  However as Dan Carey stated on Lacrosse Classified a few weeks ago, he’s willing to take the best available player, even if that means having to trade that player later.  Could the Rush trade to get both players back with all of their draft picks? Anything is possible.

I was asked repeatedly about whether Adam Shute would be selected, and I just can’t see it happening.  First of all, Shute is a medical student in Calgary. He can’t go out east. Also, there are just too many attractive options on the Rush.  Keep in mind, Marty Dinsdale is also available. How crazy would it be that he gets bypassed two years in a row in the NLL expansion draft. That’s just how deep the Rush roster is.

One final note.  Ryan Dilks, as far as I understand, is now a UFA.  Since the Rush signed him to the practice roster late in the season, any practice roster players are UFA’s.

San Diego Seals

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Austin Staats
• Turner Evans
• Casey Jackson
• Kyle Buchanan*
• Connor Fields

Defense (5)

• Brodie Merrill
• Adrian Sorichetti
• Tor Reinholdt
• Cam Holding*
• Drew Belgrave

Goaltender (1)

• Frank Scigliano

Unprotected List

• Connor Kearnan
• Dan Dawson
• Garrett Billings
• Connor Kelly
• Paul Dawson
• Garret McIntosh
• Ethan Schott
• Kyle Hartzell
• Johnny Pearson
• Nick Ossello
• Zach Miller
• Garrett Epple
• Brandon Clelland
• Tyler Carlson
• Rylan Hartley
• Graydon Bradley
• Mike Schlosser
• Jules Heningburg
• Brendan Ranford
• Joe Walters
• Evan Messenger

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Garett McIntosh
• Garett Billings
• Cam Holding
• Tyler Carlson
• Kyle Buchanan

Non-Franchiseable

• Paul Dawson
• Dan Dawson
• Kyle Hartzell
• Joe Walters

Projected Picks

• Connor Kelly
• Connor Kearnan

Analysis

This is one of those situations where I wish the league data would be better.  Cam Holding might, or might not be a UFA, the information isn’t clear.  But in any event, I think he’s protected as he’s too good of a UFA that can be franchised to head out east.

I really struggled with the last few protected players and the projected picks.  Leaving Garrett Billings unprotected would be a risk, but a risk worth taking in my mind.  He is a UFA, and one year away from being non-franchiseable. Between that, and not likely to move out east, I just don’t see him being picked if he’s exposed.

I did switch the final forward that I would protect to Connor Kelly.  He only played two regular season games this past year because of injuries, but his upside potential is far greater than the others on the list.  Yes field lacrosse is a different game, but he’s playing exceptionally well in the PLL so far. Two good young players may be exposed. But to my faith in who gets picked, you could easily sway me that I’m wrong.

Calgary Roughnecks

Protected Players

Forwards (4)

• Curtis Dickson
• Dane Dobbie*
• Jesse King
• Wes Berg

Defense (6)

• Zach Currier
• Tyler Burton
• Mitch Wilde
• Tyson Bell
• Eli Salama
• Dan MacRae*

Goaltender (1)

• Christian Del Bianco

Unprotected List

• Rhys Duch
• Riley Loewen
• Tyler Pace
• Reece Callies
• Dan Taylor
• Curtis Manning
• Greg Harnett
• Mike Carnegie
• Shane Simpson
• Chad Cummings
• Anthony Kalinich
• Cole Pickup
• Tyler Richards
• Sean Tyrell
• Bob Snider
• Ryan Martell

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Tyler Richards
• Dan MacRae
• Curtis Manning
• Rhys Duch
• Dane Dobbie
• Riley Loewen

Non-Franchiseable

• Mike Carnegie
• Bob Snider

Projected Picks

• Chad Cummings
• Greg Harnett

Analysis

If you look at this list at first, you might think I’m nuts.  Calgary not protecting the overtime hero, but protecting a player that didn’t even play last year, and not protecting another major forward.  Rhys Duch, the overtime hero, suffered a significant injury. He’s one of my favorites out on the floor, and I hope he recovers from this. But it will be tough for him to play next year, and a year from now he’s a non-franchiseable UFA.  There isn’t much sense in protecting him.

Tyler Pace won’t need protecting for a simple reason.  He has US immigration problems which meant all last season, he couldn’t enter the US for any games.  There is no chance either of the two US based expansion teams select him.

As for Wes Berg, why protect him?  Simple, Calgary needs to trade him, not lose him in the NLL expansion draft, and he has some significant value still in my opinion, as long as another team can work out a deal with him.  He’s too valuable to simply lose for nothing.

I changed my mind on Dan MacRae.  He’s the team captain and certainly a franchise tag target if he’s exposed.  That means that Dan Taylor isn’t protected, but I think that there are other targets.  Cummings is an obvious target. Don’t be surprised if Reece Callies is the other target instead of Harnett. 

Colorado Mammoth

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Kyle Killen
• Ryan Lee
• Eli McLaughlin
• Jacob Ruest
• Jeff Wittig

Defense (5)

• Taylor Stuart
• Robert Hope
• Jordan Gilles
• Dan Coates
• Joey Cupido

Goaltender (1)

• Dillon Ward

Unprotected List

• Jeremy Noble
• Chris Wardle
• Cory Vitarelli
• Josh Sullivan
• Tim Edwards
• Scott Carnegie
• Ian Llord
• John Lintz
• Julian Garritano
• Steve Fryer
• Brandon Humphrey
• John St. John
• Steven Lee

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• John Lintz

Non-Franchiseable

• Brad Self
• Cory Vitarelli
• Scott Carnegie
• Ian Llord

Projected Picks

• Jeremy Noble
• Chris Wardle

Analysis

Call me crazy, but yes, I think an expansion team should take a chance on Jeremy Noble.  The Mammoth are ready to move on from him, but he’s too talented not to take that chance, and I fully believe he’ll come out of his slump.

As for the 2nd pick, Wardle is an attractive option, but so is Steve Fryer, in an expansion draft with few good goaltending options.

Vancouver Warriors

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Mitch Jones
• Logan Schuss
• Keegan Bal
• Tony Malcolm
• Jordan McBride

Defense (5)

• Matt Beers
• Justin Salt
• Colton Porter
• Zack Porter
• Chris O’Dougherty

Goaltender (1)

• Eric Penney

Unprotected List

• Brandon Goodwin
• Owen Barker
• Joel McCready
• Brody Eastwood
• Jean-Luc Chetner
• James Rahe
• Jarret Toll
• Tyler Codron
• Dallas Wade
• Reid Mydske
• Travis Burton
• Ian Hawksbee
• Aaron Bold
• Nate Wade
• Andrew Gallant
• Ty Goff
• Zac Christianson

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Jarrett Toll
• Tyler Codron
• Joel McCready

Non-Franchiseable

• Aaron Bold
• Ian Hawksbee

Projected Picks

• Jean-Luc Chetner
• Owen Barker

Analysis

Here’s my issue with how Vancouver handled things this offseason.  Jordan McBride was a UFA. I highly doubt either expansion team had any intention of having to franchise him and convincing him of moving out east, and the trade value of him being franchised would diminish significantly.  That’s why it made zero sense to me for Vancouver to sign him early and have to protect them.

My confidence in whether my projected lists is correct with Vancouver is very low.  Last year Casey Jackson was an obvious choice. The second selection, Brendan Ranford, someone who had never played in the league and was playing pro hockey in Europe.

Buffalo Bandits

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Shawn Evans
• Dhane Smith
• Josh Byrne
• Chris Cloutier
• Corey Small*

Defense (5)

• Steve Priolo*
• Ian MacKay
• Matt Gilray
• Nick Weiss
• Bryce Sweeting

Goaltender (1)

• Matt Vinc 

Unprotected List

• Thomas Hoggarth
• Chase Fraser
• Jordan Durston
• Kevin Brownell
• Mitch De Snoo
• Justin Martin
• Matt Spanger
• Ethan O’Connor
• Jon Harnett
• Reid Action
• Mark Steenhuis
• Craig England
• Zach Higgins
• Dallas Bridle
• Zach Herrewyres
• Josh Medeiros
• Devlin Shanahan

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Kevin Brownell
• Steve Priolo
• Jon Harnett
• Corey Small

Non-Franchiseable

• Mark Steenhuis

Projected Picks

• Thomas Hoggarth
• Chase Fraser

Analysis

One thing has changed since my last projection, Corey Small is protected, Thomas Hoggarth is not.  Will Small be franchised if he’s left exposed, absolutely. Hoggarth’s injuries are a concern. I fully believe that Steve Dietrich will make a trade to keep Hoggarth because he fits so well in that system.  

The second pick is between two players in my opinion, Chase Fraser and Zach Higgins.  There are only a few goaltending options available so Higgins may be one of those targets.  But from a purely trade value perspective, Fraser has more value, and let’s remember, the Bandits traded last year to hold onto Fraser. They might just do it again.

Georgia Swarm

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Lyle Thompson
• Miles Thompson
• Randy Staats
• Shayne Jackson
• Holden Cattoni

Defense (5)

• Jason Noble
• Jordan MacIntosh
• Chad Tutton
• Bryan Cole
• Brendan Bomberry

Goaltender (1)

• Kevin Orleman

Unprotected List

• Joel Tinney
• Jerome Thompson
• Zed Williams
• Alex Crepinsek
• Adam Wiedemann
• Leo Stouros
• John Ranagan
• Matt Dunn
• Connor Sellars
• Mike Poulin
• Craig Wende
• Tyler Ferreira
• Leroy Halftown
• Steven Orleman

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Jerome Thompson

Non-Franchiseable

• Mike Poulin

Projected Picks

• Zed Williams
• Adam Wiedemann

Analysis

Let’s start with this. Zed Williams is listed as a transition player for the Swarm.  I am assuming that the Commissioner’s office will list him as a forward.  If they do, that probably exposes him to the NLL Expansion Draft. 

The reason you protect Kevin Orleman over Mike Poulin is that Poulin is non-franchiseable and goes nowhere even if he’s not protected.

The group of four defencemen in Wiedemann, Sellars, Tutton and Bomberry, you could convince me that any two of those four gets exposed and one gets picked.  That part is a complete crap shoot.

Toronto Rock

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Rob Hellyer
• Tom Schreiber
• Adam Jones
• Dan Craig
• Reid Reinholdt

Defense (5)

• Challen Rogers
• Brad Kri
• Latrell Harris
• Sheldon Burns
• Billy Hostrawser

Goaltender (1)

• Nick Rose*

Unprotected List

• Johnny Powless
• Phil Caputo
• Kieran McArdle
• Dan Lintner
• Brandon Slade
• Brock Sorenson
• Creighton Reid
• Alec Tulett
• Damon Edwards
• Adam Jay
• Jay Thorimbert
• Jordan Magnusson
• AJ Kluck
• Paul Rabil
• Riley Hutchcraft
• Mitchell Gustavsen
• Scott Dominey
• Brad Lyons

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Nick Rose
• Jay Thorimbert
• Brock Sorensen
• Creighton Reid
• Rob Hellyer (possibly)

Non-Franchiseable

None

Projected Picks

• Brandon Slade
• Kieran McArdle

Analysis

Let’s start with this, and I doubt it makes a difference in the end, but whether or not Rob Hellyer is a free agent at the end of this year is in doubt, as to whether the season he missed with his knee injury counts towards his contract or not.  Regardless, he’s on the protected list if he’s a UFA or not.

Last year I debated hard about the last few players Toronto would protect and this year was the same.  If McArdle is exposed, he’s picked in an instant given where his roots are from. I’ll say that Slade is the second, although Powless is also an attractive pick, if he has the right coach.  Reid Reinholdt’s health also plays a role here, but if he’s good to go, he has to be protected.

New England Black Wolves

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Callum Crawford
• Joe Resetarits
• Tyler Digby
• Stephan LeBlanc
• Reilly O’Connor

Defense (5)

• Jackson Nishimura
• Adam Bomberry
• Ryan Fournier
• Joel Coyle
• Colton Watkinson

Goaltender (1)

• Doug Jamieson

Unprotected List

• Kevin Buchanan
• Dave Emala
• Dereck Downs
• David Brock
• Greg Downing
• Brett Manney
• Nick Chaykowsky
• Andrew Suitor
• John Lafontaine
• Mackenzie Mitchell
• Alex Buque
• Seth Oakes
• Adam Perroni
• Mike Byrne

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• David Brock
• Andrew Suitor
• Kevin Buchanan

Non-Franchiseable

• Greg Downing
• Brett Manney

Projected Picks

• Alex Buque
• John Lafontaine

Analysis

The Black Wolves made a major mistake in the 2018 offseason trading a 1st round pick for Alex Buque.  They have two goaltenders, one of which will be exposed, and in an expansion draft with few options in goal, Buque is as good as gone, and the 1st round pick they traded away didn’t amount to much in the end.

As for the 2nd player, I would lean towards Lafontaine, who has two championships under his belt, to help provide some experience to a new team.

Philadelphia Wings

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Kevin Crowley
• Josh Currier
• Blaze Riorden
• Brett Hickey
• Matt Rambo

Defense (5)

• Trevor Baptiste
• Kiel Matisz
• Steph Charbonneau
• Anthony Joaquim
• Liam Patten

Goaltender (1)

• Doug Buchan

Unprotected List

• Frank Brown
• Justin Guterding
• Jordan Hall
• Vaughn Harris
• Eric Shewell
• Dylan Evans
• Chet Koneczny
• Zac Reid
• Liam Byrnes
• Ryan Wagner
• David Diruscio
• Matthew Bennett
• Isaiah Davis-Allen
• Adam Osika
• Patrick Resch

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Dylan Evans
• Zac Reid

Non-Franchiseable

• Chet Koneczny
• Jordan Hall

Projected Picks

• Frank Brown
• Vaughn Harris

Here’s where the commissioner’s office will have to make a decision on the status of a player.  This is the list I am certain the Wings will submit to the league office. Now the decision that has to be made.  Is Kiel Matisz a forward or transition player? The decision in my mind was made very easy when Matisz was nominated for transition player of the year.  

The Wings have some significant talent that will be exposed and will be attractive to the expansion teams.  The fact that they have these players available is a testament to the long-term depth they are building.

Halifax Thunderbirds

Protected List

Forwards (5)

• Chris Boushy
• Kyle Jackson
• Cody Jamieson
• Austin Shanks
• Mike Burke

Defense (5)

• Graeme Hossack
• Luc Magnan
• Jake Withers
• Brad Gilles
• Daryl Robertson

Goaltender (1)

• Warren Hill

Unprotected List

• Ryan Benesch
• Eric Fannell
• Pat Saunders
• Steven Keogh
• Dawson Theede
• Brandon Robinson
• Mike Manley
• Mike Triolo
• Luke Van Schepen
• James Barclay
• Rowan Kelly
• Oran Horn
• Angus Goodleaf
• Sid Smith
• Nick Damude
• Cameron Simpson
• Joel Matthews
• Colton Armstrong
• Matthew Lee

Unrestricted Free Agents

Franchiseable

• Mike Manley
• Pat Saunders
• Angus Goodleaf
• Stephen Keogh

Non-Franchiseable

• Ryan Benesch

Projected Picks

• Eric Fannell
• James Barclay

We go from a difficult list to pick from with Toronto to an impossible list to pick from in Halifax.  With the fire sale that happened at the trade deadline, the list of whom to even protect with the last few spots is difficult, and the projected picks is a complete guess.  Fannell’s situation is dependent upon his health.

There are still a few days to trade with other teams.  Could you see the Thunderbirds trade picks to another team who is about to lose someone special?  Its possible, but the clock is ticking to see that happen.

Wrapping Up

Last year I was 84% correct on who would be protected.  I have to say this year is more difficult to pick those last few protected players.

If you know of any contracts that I have incorrect, please mention it in the comments.  Unfortunately, the league’s transactions page is missing several signings, and one simple item missing could change the projection altogether.

One thing is certain however, on June 26, we will be stunned by a few teams’ lists, and the debate will continue.

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