The National Lacrosse League today revealed the order of selection for the 2002 Entry Draft, tentatively scheduled for Septemeber.

The exact date of the entry draft has not been announced, nor has the location. Last year, it was held in Buffalo, and in recent years, it has also been held in Rochester and Toronto.

The first overall pick belongs to the defending champion Toronto Rock, an unusual case which results from the league not expanding for next season and from a trade last fall between Toronto and the Calgary Roughnecks. In the deal, Kaleb Toth went to the expansion franchise for Blaine Manning and this pick.

In a repeat from a season ago, the Columbus Landsharks dominate the first round, with four selections among the first thirteen and three straight picks very early (second, third, fourth, and eighth). This time, however, the 'Sharks will not dominate the second (four picks in 2001) and third rounds (three picks), drafting only once between the eighth and fourth-second picks.

As in past seasons, the draft will span nine rounds, comprising a total of 117 selections.

The league did not address today what would happen to the Montreal Express' selections if the team suspends operations for a season, an option the club is currently considering. Two of Montreal's picks are currently owned by other teams (seventh, to Ottawa; twentieth, to Buffalo). In some leagues, those picks would be lost if the original team folds or suspends operations; in others, they remain valid.

Additionally, the Express owns a pick which originated with another team (21st, from Philadelphia).

The complete draft order, with trade notes as appropriate:

FIRST ROUND
  1 Toronto (from Calgary) [Manning/Toth]
  2 Columbus (from Ottawa) [KBryde/RGraham]
  3 Columbus
  4 Columbus (from NJ via NY) [May '01 Picks, Bryde/Lunnie]
  5 New Jersey (from New York) [May '01 Picks]
  6 Philadelphia (from Buffalo) [J Clark]
  7 Ottawa (from Montreal via Buffalo) [Dowling, Gelsvik/Self]
  8 Columbus (from Philadelphia via Buffalo)
       [Cromwell, Tayler/Wetherup/etc]
  9 Ottawa (from Washington) [Halladay]
 10 Toronto (from Vancouver) [Gill/Rubel]
 11 Rochester
 12 Albany
 13 Toronto


SECOND ROUND
 14 Calgary (own pick, via Montreal) [B Alexander (2x)]
 15 Ottawa
 16 Buffalo (from Columbus) [Tayler/Wetherup/etc]
 17 Columbus (from New Jersey) [Reed]
 18 Rochester (from New York) [Steinwald]
 19 Rochester (from Buffalo) [Whipple]
 20 Buffalo (from Montreal) [Dowling]
 21 Montreal (from Philadelphia) [Schroeder]
 22 Washington
 23 Vancouver (own pick, via Toronto) [Dwane, Gill/Rubel]
 24 Rochester
 25 Albany
 26 Toronto


THIRD ROUND
 27 Calgary
 28 Washington (from Ottawa) [3-way w/ Calg]
 29 Buffalo (from Columbus via Ottawa) 
       [Bryde/RGraham, Gelsvik/Self]
 30 Vancouver (from New Jersey) [Exp Draft '01]
 31 New York
 32 Buffalo
 33 Montreal
 34 Philadelphia
 35 Washington
 36 Vancouver
 37 Rochester
 38 Albany
 39 Toronto


FOURTH ROUND
 40 Calgary
 41 New Jersey (from Ottawa) [Barnes]
 42 Columbus
 43 New Jersey
 44 New York
 45 Buffalo
 46 Montreal
 47 Philadelphia
 48 New York (from Washington) [Shirk/Rosa]
 49 Vancouver
 50 Rochester
 51 Albany
 52 Toronto


FIFTH ROUND
 53 Calgary
 54 Ottawa 
 55 Columbus
 56 New Jersey
 57 New York
 58 Buffalo
 59 Montreal
 60 Philadelphia
 61 Washington
 62 Vancouver
 63 Rochester
 64 Albany
 65 Toronto


SIXTH ROUND
 66 Calgary
 67 Ottawa
 68 Columbus
 69 New Jersey
 70 New York
 71 Buffalo
 72 Montreal
 73 Philadelphia
 74 Washington
 75 Vancouver
 76 Rochester
 77 Albany
 78 Toronto


SEVENTH ROUND
 79 Calgary
 80 Ottawa
 81 Columbus
 82 New Jersey
 83 New York
 84 Buffalo
 85 Montreal
 86 Philadelphia
 87 Washington
 88 Vancouver
 89 Rochester
 90 Albany
 91 Toronto


EIGHTH ROUND
 92 Calgary
 93 Ottawa
 94 Columbus
 95 New Jersey
 96 New York
 97 Buffalo
 98 Montreal
 99 Philadelphia
100 Washington
101 Vancouver
102 Rochester
103 Albany
104 Toronto


NINTH ROUND
105 Calgary
106 Ottawa
107 Columbus
108 New Jersey
109 New York
110 Buffalo
111 Montreal
112 Philadelphia
113 Washington
114 Vancouver
115 Rochester
116 Albany
117 Toronto