Below are some of the smaller items making news in the National Lacrosse League and beyond, including trades, rumors, odd facts and injury updates.

7 November 2002:
      The NLL is poised to announce that it has acquired the domain name NLL.com for its web site, a significant improvement from both nationallacrosse.com, which it lost to a cybersquatter on Monday, and be-lax.com, the one-time name brought out of retirement temporarily after this week's domain fiasco. By shifting from word play or elongated names to the league's commonly-used abbreviation, NLL makes another step in its ongoing campaign to improve its credibility and notoriety. Acquiring NLL.com probably didn't come cheap, either -- last time we checked, it was registered and up for sale at a four-digit price. Please note that because of how domain names are updated across the Internet, it could be three days before all fans are able to access the site at its new address; in the meantime, be-lax.com will continue to work.

 

6 November 2002:
      Arena Football's New York Dragons reportedly are stealing like Winona Ryder in a Saks Fifth Avenue, poaching a total of four home dates from the New York Saints. In addition to the previously-announced switch (4 November) involving the Colorado Mammoth, flipped from Saturday, 22 February to Thursday, 6 February, sources tell the Outsider's Guide that matches with the Albany Attack (Sunday, 9 February to Thursday, 2 January), Philadelphia Wings (Sat, 29 March to Thursday, 6 March) and Columbus Landsharks (Sun, 9 March to Friday, 4 April) will also be affected. Three of the four former Saints home dates are now occupied by the Dragons; in the case of the fourth (the one against Philadelphia), the Dragons play the next afternoon.
      The Outsider's Guide has also learned that Columbus Landsharks draft pick Rory Glaves has accepted an offer to attend Canisius College. This would terminate Columbus' rights to Glaves, a crushing blow considering that he was selected seventh-overall in September's NLL Entry Draft. The Landsharks might not go down without a fight, though, with team insiders railing against Canisius' offer supposedly coming after the draft and noting that Glaves had every intention of playing professionally when they selected him.
      The NLL announced today it is has rescheduled its Edge clinic tour stop in St. Louis for Sunday, 23 February, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Central). The visit to the Gateway City had been scheduled for later this month. Edge is a series of skills clinics for boys and girls ages 7 to 17, going to cities that do not have NLL teams. Clincs are conducted by Philadelphia Wings veterans Kevin Finneran and Tom Ryan. To sign up, contact Joe Pilon at 917.510.9200 or JPilonNLL@hotmail.com.

 

4 November 2002:
      The NLL lost its domain name, nationallacrosse.com, to a reseller today, forcing a return to be-lax.com until a new domain name can be purchased. Effective immediately, all email messages sent to addresses on the nationallacrosse.com domain will not be received, so the league's director of public relations asks that you send such messages to him, DFrittsNLL@aol.com, and he will forward to the appropriate staff member. An announcement on a new permanent domain name will be coming shortly.
      The Colorado Mammoth announced today that its Saturday, 22 February game at the New York Saints has been rescheduled for Thursday, 6 February. Thursday night? Well, yeah, but no reason was given. Something to consider -- of only three weeknight games this season, two are now on 6 February. The other one? Philadelphia at New Jersey, putting the entire Eastern Division into action that night.
      In other Colorado Mammoth news, it will open training camp this Friday at 9:00 PM local time (11:00 PM Eastern), and continue with a pair of sessions the next day (10:00 AM and 5:00 PM local). Camp continues most weekends until the start of the season, with the majority of practices at the Arapahoe Sports Center in Englewood, CO. Some, however, will be held in Fort Collins, CO. All sessions are open to the public.

 

1 November 2002:
      The NLL dipped into its officiating past today to fill a long-vacant post, naming Rich Tamberrino as its new director of officials. Tamberrino began with the league as a referee in 1987, its debut season, and officiated games for eleven years before being promoted to deputy director of officials in 1998, a position he held for three seasons. "Rich has proven himself to be a top notch official, and a proven leader," commissioner Jim Jennings said. "We are pleased to welcome him as our new Director of Officials."

 

31 October 2002:
      Yesterday, we reported in this column that the Columbus Landsharks will practice in St. Catharines, ON, this season. Wrong. They're actually headed to Hamilton, joining the Toronto Rock and Ottawa Rebel, on the southern banks of Lake Ontario. While the Rock and Rebel are expected to train at Copps Coliseum, one-time home of the Rock, the Landsharks will work out at the Wentworth Triple Rinks in Ancaster. Suddenly, the city that couldn't support an NLL franchise has three camping out in town. One NLL wag put it best, wondering if the Buffalo Bandits (who currently train just a few miles from Hamilton), Rochester Knighthawks and Albany Attack will move their practices to Syracuse.
      The Calgary Roughnecks are launching tryouts of a different kind this weekend, looking to build a brand-new dance team. Team representatives will be at Southcentre Mall in Calgary this Saturday (Noon to 3:00 PM Mountain). The dance team will perform at all Roughnecks home games, and will make additional appearances on the team's behalf during the season. Tryouts are open to anyone over the age of 18.
      The Vancouver Ravens have listed forward Jamey Bowen as a holdout, but if you ask Ravens head coach Paul Dal Monte, it's not an issue of getting Bowen into camp. Bowen lives in Edmonton, and the Ravens are trying to reduce expenses such as flying in players, so Dal Monte is trying to trade his righthanded creaseman to one of the other western teams, Colorado and Calgary. However, one must wonder if there's more than meets the eye with Bowen -- Dal Monte is trying to deal for Toronto's Dan Stroup and Calgary's Ben Prepchuk, the latter of whom lives in Alberta and possibly would need to fly in each week, too.

 

30 October 2002:
      The Philadelphia Wings open their training camp this weekend at Tri-State Sports in Aston, PA, with a pair of sessions -- Friday from 8:30 to 10:30 PM and Saturday from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Camp will continue with bi-weekly practices up to the season opener on 3 January in Vancouver, although dates and times beyond this weekend have not been announced. "Our coaching staff is very excited about the group we have invited to camp," head coach Adam Mueller said. "With 23 returning players from last season, three off-season additions, and twelve players selected from our rookie camp, I expect to have one of the most competitive training camps I've seen in my 14 years in the league." As in the past, all practices are free and open to the public.
      The Toronto Rock today traded reigning "Mr. Irrelevant" Brian Lemastro to the New Jersey Storm for a conditional draft pick. If Lemastro makes the Storm's active roster, the Rock gets New Jersey's fifth-round selection in the 2003 Entry Draft; if not, the pick will be the Storm's ninth-rounder in the same draft. " Brian was going to have troubles commuting back and forth from Connecticut and we felt that it was a great opportunity for us to grow our team in the future," Rock head coach Les Bartley said. Toronto drafted Lemastro out of Hartford College with the final pick in the 2002 entry draft, held last month at the Air Canada Centre.
      In other Toronto Rock news, the team is about to return to Hamilton. No, it's not what you think. With Maple Leaf Gardens no longer viable as a practice venue and with Toronto-area practice space hard to come by, the team is very close to a deal which would bring its weekly practices to Copps Coliseum, where the team played in its debut season (Ontario Raiders, 1998). Including training camp, a total of thirty Rock practice dates are scheduled, with possibly a few sessions open to the public. Also, an exhibition game is in the works, but even if that doesn't happen, there'll be plenty of practicing in the area. The Ottawa Rebel is also expected to practice at Copps Coliseum this season, with the Buffalo Bandits working out in Grimsby, ON, and the Columbus Landsharks probably headed to nearby St. Catharines.

 

28 October 2002:
      The Lacrosse-Network.com family of web sites, including the Outsider's Guide, is in the midst of changing hosts. We expect that visitors to the site will not notice the change, but there is a chance of files turning up missing. If you find a broken link anywhere on Lax-Net.com, please notify the webmaster at webmaster@lacrosse-network.com.
      Following on a successful indoor lacrosse clinic earlier this month, the Philadelphia Wings have scheduled two more for the month of November. On Sunday, 3 November, the team will host a session for beginners and intermediate-level players, ages 13-17 (cost: $55), then will have a clinic for more advanced players, ages 8-16, on Sunday, 17 November (cost: $65). Both clinics will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the Sovereign Bank Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ, and will be conducted by players Jeff Ratcliffe and Jeff Spano and general manager Marty O'Neill. The scheduled clinics are for boys only, but a girls' session is in the works. Participants receive an STX lacrosse stick, a ticket to a Wings home game, and a Wings clinic t-shirt. For more information or to register, call 215.389.9743.

 

27 October 2002:
      The Ottawa Rebel opened training camp yesterday afternoon at the Civic Centre in Ottawa, and continued with camp there this morning with, by one reporter's count, approximately 35 players in attendance. This is the last of the Rebel in Ottawa for a while, though, as head coach Terry Sanderson is moving camp south to Hamilton, Ontario, beginning next weekend. No word on which Rebel players have reported to camp so far and which are still unseen.

 

26 October 2002:
      The sale of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, and (by affiliation) that of the Buffalo Bandits as well, continues to move slowly, with one bidder running for state office, another bidder preparing for the start of his arena football team's season, and a consortium of bidders falling apart. With the combined effort of Sherry Bassin and Frank DuRoss (once the owner of the NLL's now-defunct Boston Blazers) apparently in collapse, the race is down to Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano, the Independence Party's gubernatorial candidate, and Mark Hamister, owner of the Buffalo Destroyers. However, Golisano's interest hasn't progressed beyond discussions with NHL officials, while there are questions whether Hamister has the finances to make a competitive bid. The NHL is also starting to worry that bids will fall well short of expectations. When it took over the Sabres and Bandits in July, the NHL expected the package to sell for $80 to $90 million (American), but Buffalo News sources report that at least one bid will be close to just $50 million.

 

25 October 2002:
      The first stop on the NLL's Edge tour was a rousing success, with over 100 boys and girls coming out to last Saturday's session at PGE Park in Portland, OR. Next up: this Sunday at Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ (1:00 to 5:00 PM). Edge clinics are one-day skill-development sessions for children ages seven to seventeen, and are conducted by Philadelphia Wings veterans Kevin Finneran and Tom Ryan. To sign up, contact Joe Pilon at 917.510.9200 or jpilon@nationallacrosse.com.
      Several free agents have signed on with new teams. The much-travelled Neil Doddridge has inked a contract with the Calgary Roughnecks, which would be his sixth NLL team. Doddridge, who scored one goal in three games with the Washington Power last season, has also suited up for Detroit, Boston, Buffalo, and Syracuse in his eleven-year career. Also, the Rochester Knighthawks have come to terms with Bill Warder, a Fairport, NY native who played for the Columbus Landsharks last season. In ten games with the 'Sharks, Warder posted three goals and three assists.
      In other Rochester Knighthawks news, training camp opens on Saturday, 2 November at Total Sports Experience in Gates, NY. The opening session runs from 10:00 PM to midnight, then the players come back the next morning, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Both sessions are free and open to the public. Following the Sunday practice, players will be available for autographs.

 

24 October 2002:
      In a media conference call this afternoon, league commissioner Jim Jennings said that San Jose has become the front-runner to acquire an expansion franchise for the 2004 season. The Bay Area city's bid involves the owners of the NHL's San Jose Sharks, with whom NLL officials recently have been talking. A decision could come as soon as next month's owners' meeting, 18-19 November in Las Vegas.
      The New Jersey Storm will begin selling individual game tickets at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, 29 October. Priced from $10 to $25, Storm tickets can be purchased at the Continental Airlines Arena box office, at any Ticketmaster location, by logging on to ticketmaster.com, or by calling 201.507.8900. "The New Jersey Storm games are affordable family entertainment," Storm deputy governor Chip Santye said. "Our ticket prices should make it easy for fans to sample our exciting product. Once people see the speed of the game and the overall entertainment value of the event they become hooked."
      The Vancouver Ravens, who literally brought scores of players into their inaugural training camp, begin tryouts for their sophomore season this Saturday with a more pedestrial thirty-eight players. The tryout sessions will be held at Sportstown BC in Richmond, British Columbia, beginning with a double session on Saturday (1:00-3:00 and 6:00-8:00 PM Pacific time) and continue the next day from noon to 2:00 PM. "This camp will prove to be extremely competitive and intense with a combination of returning players, dispersion and entry draft choices, and free-agent signings," head coach Paul Dal Monte said. "It all gets underway this weekend as we begin preparations for the regular season just over two months away."

 

23 October 2002:
      The New Jersey Storm today added another longtime OLA notable to its staff, naming Peter Vipond as an assistant to head coach Jim Brady. Vipond won four Minto Cups in the 1960s as a member of the legendary Oshawa Green Gaels, and later won a Minto Cup as coach of the Whitby Warriors and five Mann Cups at the helm of the Brooklin Redmen. "Peter brings our club a wealth of experience and talent," Brady said. "We are thrilled that he will be assisting in what we hope will be a run to the National Lacrosse League playoffs." Like Vipond, Brady is no stranger to the OLA Major scene, serving as the summer circuit's commissioner.

 

21 October 2002:
      As first reported in this column three days ago, the Colorado No-Names have signed veteran defenseman Tom Phair away from their Eastern Division rival, the Philadelphia Wings. In heading to Denver, Phair reunites with Colorado president Steve Govett, who, as general manager of the Wings three years ago, brought Phair to Philadelphia. Phair began his career with a three-year stint as a member of the Buffalo Bandits.
      Attention ladies! The New Jersey Storm will hold auditions for its dance team on Thursday, 7 November, at the Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City. Registration begins at 6:00 PM, with tryouts beginning at 6:30. Applicants will be required to perform a double pirouette, execute a toe touch jump, and perform a combination taught at the tryout. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and have flexible evening schedules during the regular season, and are asked to bring resume and photo to the tryout. For further information, visit the Storm's web site, njstorm.com.

 

18 October 2002:
      In an interesting development, sixth-round draft pick Sean Orr has decided not to attempt to make the Ottawa Rebel's roster this season. Speaking with the Huntsville (ON) Forester, Orr says that contraction from thirteen teams to twelve will make cracking an NLL roster nearly impossible. Left unsaid is that no team profited more from the Montreal Express' suspension of operations than the Rebel, which added five Montreal players in last month's dispersal draft. Orr plans to try out with the Rebel next season, after bulking up a bit and working on his skill level. The team has supports Orr's decision.
      The Colorado No-Names appear poised to nab a veteran defenseman from a division rival. Unrestricted free agent Tom Phair has been signed away from the Philadelphia Wings, sources close to the team are reporting. The six-year veteran scored three goals and assisted on three others last season, a nine-game campaign cut short in February by a torn ACL. Phair played the last three seasons in Philadelphia, and before that spent three years with the Buffalo Bandits.

 

17 October 2002:
      Looking for a name for the Colorado No-Names? It's coming on Thursday, 24 October, at 10:00 AM Mountain time (Noon Eastern), at a location to be announced. Legal issues surrounding the name reportedly are what is taking so long.
      The NLL announced a slew of player signings today, including a few major names sticking around their old stomping grounds. The Albany Attack resigned forward Mike Regan (2002: 16 games, 32 goals, 26 assists), the Buffalo Bandits are bringing back franchise player John Tavares (16 gms, 42+46) for his twelfth season, and the Ottawa Rebel have inked defenseman Bruce Codd (16 gms, 9+36), the rumored soon-to-be-captain who was picked up in last month's dispersal draft. Elsewhere, the Calgary Roughnecks resigned goaltender Grant MacLeod (3 gms, 0-0, 22.57 GAA) and forward Adam Bysouth (16 gms, 6+7), the Colorado No-Names signed defensemen Tom Ethington and Billy St. George (no NLL experience for either), and Ottawa finally got forward Brad Self under contract (drafted by Buffalo in August 2001 but held out all of last season, including a trade to the Rebel).
      The Ottawa Rebel and Toronto Rock will again spread indoor lacrosse to new areas this preseason. The teams are rumored to be planning another trip to the Maritimes, following last fall's successful swing through Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St. John's, Newfoundland. However, their one confirmed exhibition so far is the other direction from Ontario -- a Saturday, 7 December visit to Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg, Manitoba (7:00 PM Central). The game is a litmus test for the city -- owners of the CFL's Blue Bombers are interested in bringing an NLL franchise to town, but want to make sure there's ample fan support before committing. If you're in the Winnipeg area and would like to support the push to bring an NLL franchise to Manitoba, tickets are available at Select-a-Seat outlets, and range from $9 to $30 (Canadian).
      The Philadelphia Wings will host the first in a series of indoor lacrosse clinics this Sunday (20 October) at the Sovereign Bank Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ. Wings players Randy Kleinmann and Kevin Galbraith, general manager Marty O'Neill, and others will be on hand to teach the basic skills of the indoor game to children ages 8-12. All participants receive a ticket to a Wings home game this season, an STX lacrosse stick, and a Wings clinic t-shirt.

 

11 October 2002:
      The Colorado No-Names could be very close to becoming the Have-A-Names. Just two weeks after rumors really began to kick up that the name-to-be was either "Frontier" or "Blizzard" (see News and Notes, 27 September), the talk of the league is that the former Washington Power will be rechristened as the "Colorado Mammoth" any day now. Kroenke Sports Enterprises, owner of the Colorado team, registered the domain name coloradomammoth.com in mid-September, suggesting that management is at least giving serious consideration to the name. The franchise has a history of taking its time making a name official, though, stretching the Power announcement into late October 2000 and the "Pittsburgh CrosseFire" one to November 1999.
      The Edge lacrosse clinic will visit northern New Jersey later this month, stopping off at the Blair Academy in Blairstown on Sunday, 27 October, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Extra-alert readers might have noticed a hometown touch to the first Eastern city selected for the tour -- NLL commissioner Jim Jennings lives in Blairstown. Edge is a travelling skills camp for children 7-17, conducted by Philadelphia Wings veterans Kevin Finneran and Tom Ryan. The tour kicks off next Saturday at PGE Park in Portland, OR. To register for an Edge clinic, contact Joe Pilon at 917.510.9200 or jpilon@nationallacrosse.com.

 

8 October 2002:
      Attention draftees! The Professional Lacrosse Players' Association could be looking for you. If you were selected in the 2002 NLL Entry Draft and were not been notified by the team that drafted you and invited to training camp by this past Saturday, you are asked to contact the PLPA at plpa@plpa.com, regarding your playing rights.
      The NLL announced today two changes to the schedule for its Edge lacrosse camp schedule. The stop in Provo, Utah, has been moved to Salt Lake City, but will still be held on Tuesday, 17 December. Also, the Minneapolis stop, slated for this Sunday, has been rescheduled for the weekend of 8-9 March 2003 and will now be the final stop on the tour instead of the first. Portland, Oregon, now kicks off the five-city Edge tour (Saturday, 19 October), a boxla skills clinic for children ages 7-17 conducted by Kevin Finneran and Tom Ryan of the Philadelphia Wings. The tour also will hit St. Louis and either Milwaukee or Madison, Wisconsin.
      The Buffalo Bandits recently redesigned their web site, bandits.com, with the color scheme much more in tune with the team's colors, blue and organge, than its predecessor. The layout is also more appealing to the eye. However, the content is very similar to that of the previous incarnation, and therein lies the problem -- aside from updating the roster to include all of their draft picks and posting current news stories, the site looks frozen in time from late March. Note to Bandits: Frank Neilson is no longer the interim head coach.

 

4 October 2002:
      The Buffalo Bandits will hold open tryouts at HSBC Arena on Saturday, 26 October. Registration begins at 8:00 AM, with drills and scrimmages at 10:00. Prospective Bandits must be at least 18 years old and have written medical clearance from their doctor. The cost to participate is $20 American ($30 Canadian). College lacrosse players (and those who plan to be), beware -- the open tryout will cost you your NCAA eligibility. For more information and to register, contact Gerry Dunlap at 716.855.4586.
      The Calgary Roughnecks and Vancouver Ravens will again take their preseason show on the road this fall, heading east to Saskatoon for an exhibition at Saskatchewan Place on Saturday, 21 December 2002 at 7:00 PM Mountain (9:00 PM Eastern). Tickets are $15 (Canadian), and go on sale this Monday at Sask Place, any Select-A-Seat location, or by calling 800.970.7328. Players from both teams will conduct youth clinics the day of the game, with separate sessions for those 12 and under and for those 13 and older. The cost of the clinic is $30, and includes a game ticket. Call 306.975.8844 for more information on the clinic.
      If Pat McCabe hops over the boards and becomes a player-coach with the New York Saints this season, it appears that Matt Panetta will be in charge of the bench. The eleven-year veteran was named today as McCabe's assistant coach, bringing the Long Island native back to the team where he played for nine seasons. Panetta ranks second in Saints history in goals (118), shots on goal (469), and penalty minutes (129); and fourth in games played (80), assists (94), points (174), and loose balls recovered (309).

 

2 October 2002:
      The Buffalo Bandits today signed veteran forward Rich Kilgour to a one-year contract. Kilgour, who scored six goals and dished out 22 assists last season, is one of only two remaining "original Bandits," having joined the club for its debut season, 1992. "We're very proud that once again, Rich has chosen to play in Buffalo," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. "That says a lot about Rich as a player and what he thinks of the Buffalo fans." Kilgour was an unrestricted free agent and could have signed with any team. However, by staying with the Bandits, he will play for his younger brother, new head coach Darris Kilgour.
      The Ottawa Rebel today matched a qualifying offer which goaltender Matt Disher recently signed with the Vancouver Ravens. Disher, a restricted free agent, now remains with Ottawa, for whom he posted a 4-7 record in 2002, with a 73.18 save percentage and a 15.69 goals-against average.

 

1 October 2002:
      A work conflict will keep Mark Millon from playing Saturday in the Heritage Cup, Total Lacrosse reports. Millon joins Casey Powell, Jesse Hubbard, Paul Cantabene and others as American players who are sitting out the exhibition game due to work. However, the four might yet get the call for the big event, next year's World Box Games. "It's tough to get a team together for one game when most guys have different jobs and all sorts of other stuff going on," Team USA general manager Steve Govett said. Keith Cromwell, a fellow member of the Philadelphia Wings, takes Millon's place on the American roster.
      What's one Guindon without the other? The Philadelphia Wings, ten days after trading for defenseman Andrew Guindon, today acquired Jordan Guindon in a trade with the Buffalo Bandits. Guindon, an NLL rookie in 2002, posted two goals and three assists for New Jersey, then came to Buffalo in the Roy Colsey trade in July. The Bandits get forward Mike Hominuck, a lefthander drafted by the Wings a year ago but never used in an NLL game.
      In other Buffalo Bandits news, the team has signed Randy Fraser to a one-year contract. Terms were not disclosed. Fraser joined the Bandits this past season, after not appearing in the league since 1999, with New York. In four games, Fraser scored one goal, dished out one assist, scooped sixteen loose balls, and posted a 21-23 record on faceoffs. Fraser intends to retire after the 2003 season.

 

30 September 2002:
      The "Edge" lacrosse camp tour will make a stop in Provo, Utah, on Tuesday, 17 December (9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Mountain), the NLL recently announced. "Edge" is a one-day lacrosse clinic for children ages 7 through 17, visiting cities that do not have NLL teams. The clinics, conducted by Philadelphia Wings veterans Kevin Finneran and Tom Ryan, kicks off with visits to Minneapolis on Sunday, 13 October, and Portland on Saturday, 19 October. Later stops include St. Louis and either Milwaukee or Madison, WI. To register, contact Joe Pilon at the NLL office (917.510.9200). The clinic costs $75 per child.
      In other league news, it was announced today that the Colorado No-Names' home game against the New York Saints has been rescheduled for Friday, 31 January at 9:00 PM Eastern (7:00 PM Mountain). The meeting of Eastern Division foes was originally slated for Sunday, 2 February, at 3:00 PM Eastern (1:00 Mountain). No reason was given for the change.
      The Rochester Knighthawks have resigned veteran defenseman Pat Cougevan. The Knighthawks' Seventh Man Award winner last season, Cougevan set personal (albeit modest) bests in goals (one), points (two), and penalty minutes (twelve) in 2002.

 

27 September 2002:
      The Colorado No-Names might not be no-names much longer. The latest buzz around the league is that the team formerly known as the Washington Power has either chosen a name or is very close to doing so. The two reported finalists are "Colorado Blizzard" and "Colorado Frontier," with the former apparently the leading choice. Team ownership, last anyone heard, was looking for a name that lends itself to a corporate sponsorship and complements the name of the local hockey team, the Colorado Avalanche (the NLL and NHL teams are both owned by Stan Kroenke). Either of the names above would fit the bill.
      The Columbus Landsharks might yet dodge a bullet with one of their first-round draft picks. Rory Glaves, selected seventh-overall in Saturday's entry draft, tells Total Lacrosse that while he has been offered a lacrosse scholarship to Canisius College in Buffalo, he has not yet decided whether to accept it. Glaves will soon discuss the situation with new 'Sharks head coach Bob Hamley. If he joins the Griffins, Columbus' loss would be Randy Mearns' gain. The veteran Buffalo Bandit, taking a one-year sabatical from the NLL, is the men's lacrosse coach at Canisius.

 

26 September 2002:
      The Colorado team, still without a name and still without announcement of one within sight, has signed three more players -- one following the team from its previous home, one new to the team, and one new to the league. The returning player is Bobby Horsey, a rising star who scored ten goals and dished out eight assists for the Washington Power last season. Coming back to the NLL after a few years out of the box is Bill Edell, previously seen with the Boston Blazers (1994-1997) and the Syracuse Smash (2000). Just breaking into NLL is Bryan Cole, a faceoff specialist who graduated from Mount St. Mary's College in Maryland a year ago; he had been working in England since graduating from college. In a similar move, immediately after trading Paul Cantabene to Philadelphia on Saturday for Rory Graham, Colorado matched a qualifying offer which Graham had signed with Vancouver.

 

25 September 2002:
      Bob Hamley, officially introduced today as the Columbus Landsharks' head coach, already has his first crisis to handle. It appears that the Sharks have just blown a first-round draft pick. The St. Catharines Standard reports today that Rory Glaves, selected seventh-overall in Saturday's entry draft, has decided to attend college on scholarship. Doing so would void Columbus' rights to Glaves, embarrassing those who decided to draft him and leaving the 'Sharks a little bit weaker heading into the new season.
      The Toronto Rock also lost a draft pick today, although it forfeited an eighth-rounder. Matt Marchildon, selected with the 97th-overall pick, has been declared ineligible for this year's draft. Marchildon played two games for the Ohio State University field lacrosse team in 2001, but never formally waived his remaining college eligibility, something he had to do in order to enter this year's draft. Marchildon will be eligible for the 2003 entry draft.
      The NLL announced today that the Columbus Landsharks' home game against the Rochester Knighthawks, originally scheduled for Sunday, 23 March, will now be played one week earlier, on 16 March. No reason for the switch was given. Game time remains 3:00 PM Eastern.

 

24 September 2002:
      After releasing Tyson Leies as part of a dispersal draft pick on Saturday, Vancouver Ravens management expressed confidence that it could resign the veteran player. Think again. As expected, the Calgary Roughnecks made a big push to bring Leies over from the rival Ravens, ultimately succeeding when the Victoria native signed with the team today. Leies scored seven goals and assisted on two others for the Ravens last season.
      The New Jersey Storm today resigned veteran defender Gordon Purdie, extending his lengthy career to a twelfth season. Purdie, after two seasons out of the league, signed with New Jersey midway through the 2002 season, bagging a goal, five assists, and 55 loose balls in seven games. No active player began his career before Purdie's 1990 debut, although Kevin Finneran has played one more season than the Australian native.
      Attention draftees! If you were selected in Saturday's NLL Entry Draft, the Professional Lacrosse Players' Association is looking for you. Send your address and phone number to the PLPA, plpa@plpa.com.

 

20 September 2002:
      The Albany Attack today reversed a trade it made with the New Jersey Storm during the season, sending a fourth-round pick in tomorrow's entry draft (41st overall) back to the Storm for forward Chris Parkin. New Jersey dealt that pick to Albany for Parkin on 4 February. In three games for the Storm after the trade, Parkin scored two goals and three assists; he had not played for Attack after coming to the team from Ottawa last offseason.
      The Ottawa Rebel has ditched its black-and-blue logo, which it had worn since moving to the Canadian capital from Syracuse for the 2001 season. The image, featuring a muscular, stick-wielding lacrosse player, had been derided in some circles for its cartoonishness, but it appears that the crucial reason for the change is a tie-in with the Ottawa Renegades, the CFL team which, like the Rebel, is owned by Brad Watters. The new Rebel logo ditches the stick, makes red a dominant color, and looks strikingly similar to that of the CFL team. The Rebel also has redesigned its web site (again), at ottawarebel.com.

 

19 September 2002:
      The Buffalo Bandits today named Troy Cordingley and Randy Chrysler as assistant coaches and Frank Neilson as associate coach. The three will serve under Darris Kilgour, hired as head coach earlier this summer. Offensive coach Cordingley, who starred with the Bandits during their glory days of the mid-1990s, is third in goals in team history, with 96 (only Kilgour and John Tavares have more), and comes over from a similar position with the league runner-up Albany Attack. Chrysler, who will handle the Bandits' defense, enters the NLL for the first time, but he is no stranger to the team's power brokers, having coached Kilgour at Niagara Wheatfield High School in western New York. Neilson, who served as interim head coach for seven games last season (3-4) after Ted Sawicki resigned, will focus on scouting in his native western Canada. The Bandits also named Chuck Brown, Barry Campbell, and Bob Fisher to their scouting staff.

 

18 September 2002:
      Paul Reinhart has all but completed his buyout of partner Tom Mayenknecht for control of the Vancouver Ravens. The agreement sets the value of the team at $1.4 million (US), a league record price. Mayenknecht, a founding partner of the Ravens, brought Reinhart into the fold when David Stadnyk abruptly pulled out a year ago. The two men differed over the investment structure of the team, leading to the acrimonious split. The sale should be completed in a week or so, at which time it is expected to be approved by the league's Board of Governors.
      Notes from today's NLL media conference call: League officials are shooting to add at least two American cities for the 2004 season. No word on where they would be, or whether any Canadian cities are on the radar ... Talks continue with three American television networks for a Game of the Week package. The league is seeking a minimum of eight games, preferably at the same time each week. Look for an announcement in about two weeks ... The NHL's new rule requiring netting behind each goal will allow the NLL to reinstate a similar rule for its own games ... The still-unnamed Colorado team has sold 1500 season tickets, a respectable count with three months to go before Opening Night ... "Scoop 'n Shoot," the league's skills competition for young fans, will return in 2003. Participants get an official NLL ball, a t-shirt, and a game ticket for $25 (US) ... The league is launching "NLL Edge Clinic," a skills clinic for children ages 7 to 17 which will hit several non-NLL cities, including Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Portland, and St. Louis. Philadelphia Wings forwards Tom Ryan and Kevin Finneran will headline the instructing staff.

 

17 September 2002:
      The NLL has exhausted its supply of public tickets for Saturday's entry draft at the Air Canada Centre's Platinum Club. Seating in the club is limited, and between the space the teams need and accomodations for projected draft picks and their families, there wasn't much room left for fans. If you don't have a ticket, please don't show up at the Platinum Club -- league spokesman Doug Fritts tells the Outsider's Guide that he would hate to turn anyone away at the door. For those not in attendance, there will be both a netcast and live online updates.
      Full Heritage Cup rosters for both Team USA and Team Canada are expected to be announced tomorrow at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, ON, where the first-annual meeting between the neighbors' national indoor lacrosse teams will be held next month. While Canada has named a trio of players -- Jim Veltman, Gary Gait, and Pat Coyle -- the American side has yet to identify a single player among the twenty it will send into battle on Saturday, 5 October.

 

13 September 2002:
      It took three tries, and even then almost blew it, but the Brampton Excelsiors finally disposed of the visiting Victoria Shamrocks in the Mann Cup, Canada's senior lacrosse championship, by a 9-8 score Wednesday night. Brampton had a 3-1 lead after four games, but the Shamrocks fought back with a pair of wins to force a deciding seventh game. In the all-or-nothing game, Victoria grabbed a 6-1 lead early in the second period, but the Excelsiors battled back to tie the game by the end of the frame. Brampton's Josh Sanderson was named the series' most valuable player, an extra-special honor for a player who, despite having a ten-point night, missed out on the NLL's Championship Game MVP award in April because his Albany Attack lost by a goal to the Toronto Rock. Newly-installed Ottawa Rebel head coach Terry Sanderson served the same role for Brampton, while the goaltending chores were handled by Bob Watson (Toronto) and Brandon Miller (Albany).

 

12 September 2002:
      It appears that mid-Ohio has a new sheriff, and his name is Bob Hamley. Rumors identify the Albany Attack assistant coach as the new head man with the Columbus Landsharks, which finished last in the Central Division last season, with a 5-11 record. Hamley, who played four seasons with the Buffalo Bandits in the mid-1990s, joined the Attack staff a year ago, helping Bob McMahon coach the team to a 14-2 record and a championship game appearance. Jeff Dowling and Chris Gallagher (the latter of whom finished last season as the Sharks' interim co-coach) reportedly will be Hamley's assistants.
      The Vancouver Ravens are making a push to sign unrestricted free agent Ted Dowling. "We have made an offer to Dowling and I have spoken on a couple of occasions with his representative," Ravens head coach Paul Dal Monte said. "But there are things we're not willing to budge on." Geographically, Dowling would fit in best in Vancouver -- he lives in nearby Victoria, BC -- but it's the Colorado franchise which seems to be a better choice for lacrosse reasons. The Ravens are stocked with lefthanded firepower (Chris Gill, Peter Morgan, and others), while the former Washington Power could use a good southpaw, now that Paul Gait has retired. If Dowling signs before the 21 September dispersal draft, his new team must forfeit its first selection in the draft.
      In other Vancouver Ravens news, a resolution to the problem of the squabbling owners is imminent. Paul Reinhart is expected to buy out Tom Mayenknecht, one of the founding partners of the team, and bring in some new partners. The two men had been wrestling this summer for control of the team (see News and Notes, 9 August 2002).

 

11 September 2002:
      For the second straight year, Dan Stroup is demanding a trade to a western team, preferably the Vancouver Ravens, to end the need for weekly cross-country commutes from his British Columbia home. (It's not clear, however, whether the Ravens want to add Stroup to their roster) He made the same request of Toronto Rock management a year ago, but was talked out of it after the club had already sent Kaleb Toth and Chris Gill westward. Stroup won his third league championship with Toronto last season, placing second on the Rock in goals (37) and leading the team in power play goals (twelve).
      The Colorado No-Names signed four players today, two of whom played for the team last season, when it was the Washington Power. Retruning to the team are Devin Dalep (9-3, 14.50 goals-against average, 73.74 save percentage last season) and Jon Brothers (one goal, fourteen assists, 51.64 faceoff percentage), while Al Truant (one goal) joins the club after playing for Colorado head coach Rod Jensen last year when Jensen was an assistant coach with the Vancouver Ravens. The most interesting addition is Brian Langtry, a Colorado resident whose only NLL experience was a stint with the New York Saints in 2000.

 

10 September 2002:
      With less than a month to go before the Heritage Cup, general manager Steve Govett named Team USA's coaching staff and assistant GMs today. Two veteran NLL coaches, Darris Kilgour (head coach, Buffalo Bandits) and Tony Resch (former head coach, Philadelphia Wings), will share head coaching duties for the 5 October Heritage Cup and the May 2003 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. Jim Rogers (GM, New Jersey Storm) and Dave Huntley (Eastern scout, Colorado No-Names) will serve as assistant general managers and assistant coaches, while former Philadelphia Wing, current Wings minority owner and television color commentator Scott Gabrielsen will round out the assistant GM staff. Govett, president of the NLL's Colorado franchise, has yet to officially name any players to the team -- look for the squad to take shape within the next two weeks.

 

8 September 2002:
      John Tavares is adding a few more lines to his illustrious lacrosse resume at this year's Mann Cup. Tavares, playing for the Victoria Shamrocks, scored two goals in an 11-8 defeat last night, giving him seventy for his Mann Cup career. Gary Gait previously held the record with sixty-nine. Earlier in the series, Tavares tied another Gait record with his thirteenth Mann Cup hat trick. Victoria trails the Brampton Excelsiors, three games to one, in the best-of-seven Mann Cup, the Canadian senior box lacrosse championship. If Victoria can run off three straight wins, it'll be Tavares' sixth Mann Cup title -- tying him with Neil Doddridge for, you guessed it, the most ever.

 

5 September 2002:
      The NLL announced today that the Montreal Express' dispersal draft will be held at 9:30 AM on Saturday, 21 September, at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto. The special draft is being conducted to distribute players from the suspended franchise among the league's twelve active franchises. Attendance at the dispersal draft is limited to league and team personnel, although the media may listen in via conference call. The league's annual entry draft, which follows at noon that day at the Air Canada Centre, is open to the public.
      The Vancouver Ravens have signed restricted free agent Rory Graham to a qualifying offer. In ten games with the Ottawa Rebel this season, Graham recorded four goals (including a shorthander), four assists, 56 loose balls recovered, and a faceoff percentage of 47.2% (118-132). The Rebel has 72 hours to decide whether to match the offer, keeping Graham in Ottawa, or to allow him to sign with the Ravens.
      In other Ottawa Rebel news, Mike Benedict is apparently now a member of the New Jersey Storm, although it's not totally clear yet how he got there. Some sources suggest that Benedict, a restricted free agent, signed with the Storm straight-up. It's more likely, though, that Ottawa is trading the right to sign Benedict (just like with Graham (see above), Ottawa can match any offer) for New Jersey's top dispersal pick, fifth overall. Benedict led the Rebel in goals (35), assists (47), and points (82) in 2001-2002.

 

3 September 2002:
      Buffalo Bandits forward Randy Mearns will sit out the upcoming 2003 season, so that he can have shoulder surgery. Mearns, who scored fourteen goals and dished out 24 assists this past season for the Bandits, has been plagued by chronic shoulder dislocation since 1993, his rookie season. Mearns will continue as head men's lacrosse coach at Canisius College while on NLL sabbatical.
      The New Jersey Storm is extending the deadline of a season ticket drive it has been operating this summer. Fans who purchase lower-level season tickets by Friday will receive their choice of a replica Storm jersey or a Storm sports bag for each seast purchased. Tickets are $23, $16 and $8 per game. For more information or to order, call 1.866.NJ.STORM.

 

1 September 2002:
      The Baltimore Bayhawks thumped the Long Island Lizards, 21-13, this afternoon in Major League Lacrosse's championship game, held at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Bayhawks, led by seven points (five goals, two assists) from Mark Millon (of the NLL's Philadelphia Wings), jumped to a 12-3 second-quarter lead, then carried a 20-8 advantage into the final period. Other top scorers for Baltimore included Gary Gait (Colorado No-Names), two goals and four assists; John Blatchley (most recently with Baltimore Thunder, 1995), one goal and five assists; Josh Sims (Colorado), four goals; and Tom Marechek (Philadelphia), two goals. Top Lizards scorers included Casey Powell (Buffalo Bandits), one goal and four assists; A.J. Haugen (New York Saints), three goals; and Kevin Finneran (Philadelphia), two goals. MLL is a summer field lacrosse league based in the northeastern United States.