Below are some of the smaller items which made news in the National Lacrosse League between May 2002 and August 2002, including trades, rumors, odd facts and injury updates.

30 August 2002:
      With the Montreal Express' dispersal draft scheduled for Saturday, 21 September, the race for Tracey Kelusky is on, and Calgary Roughnecks owner Brad Banister, whose team owns the number-one pick, has received trade offers from at least eight other teams. Banister, though, isn't sure he wants to make a deal. "At one time, I thought deal [Kelusky] for a bunch of guys, defenders and a goalie, to improve the team that way," Banister said. "Now, I'm thinking about keeping him and building a team around him. He's a franchise player. It's a tough call. I'm really torn right now." Kelusky is almost certain to be chosen with the first pick in the dispersal draft, regardless of what team owns the pick.

 

26 August 2002:
      The inaugural Fann Cup game, contested Saturday at the Mississauga Valley Arena, was won by the host Toronto Rock Roadies, 9-3, over the USA KrewHawks, a squad made up of Rochester Knighthawks and Buffalo Bandits fans. In a flip of roles, the fans in attendance included many NLL players and coaches -- among the attendees were the Rochester Knighthawks' Corey Quinn, Pat O'Toole, and Casey Zaph; the Montreal Express' Steve Penny, Bruce Codd, and Terry Sanderson; and the Albany Attack's Josh Sanderson and Bob McMahon. Toronto Rock goaltender Anthony Cosmo served as referee for the match, which raised about $400 each for the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation and the Todd Bernhardt Scholarship Fund. The success of this year's event has organizers talking about expanding the field for next year's Fann Cup.

 

24 August 2002:
      Just days after joining forces, Erie Otters (OHL) owner Sherry Bassin and Providence Bruins (AHL) owner Frank DuRoss are close to making a formal bid for the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and associated properties, including the Buffalo Bandits. The Bassin/DuRoss bid, expected to be submitted by Tuesday, features the financial backing of Quentin Bourjeaurd, former chief executive of TriStar Aerospace Co, and Montreal trucking tycoon Alan Maislin. The only other serious bidder expected to emerge is Buffalo Destroyers (Arena Football League) owner Mark Hamister, whose entry apparently is imminent, as well. As for DuRoss, if his name sounds familiar, it should -- he owned the Boston Blazers franchise at the beginning of the NLL era (1997), suspending the team's operations and eventually losing the franchise before the Blazers played a single game for him.

 

23 August 2002:

Fann Cup.

      Two teams of NLL fans will take to the floor tomorrow afternoon in Mississauga, Ontario, in a non-contact box lacrosse game for charity. The Rochester Knighthawks' famed Krew fan club will be taking on the Toronto Rock Roadies for the "Fann Cup" (at right), 1:00 PM at the Mississauga Valley Arena. Regardless of who takes home the cup, the big winners will be the Sick Childrens' Hospital Fund (Roadies' charity) and the Todd Bernhardt Family Assistance Fund (Krew's charity). Admission is free, but a donation is requested.
      The Albany Attack has a special offer for fans who purchase season tickets for the upcoming season -- a night with "The Boss." Anyone who buys an eight-game package by 31 October will be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to the sold out Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert at Pepsi Arena on Friday, 13 December. For more information, call the Attack at 518.427.8145.

 

22 August 2002:
      Team Canada recently added two players to its roster for October's Heritage Cup and May's World Box Games, naming Gary Gait and Pat Coyle assistant captains this week. Gait, who plays for the unnamed franchise in Colorado, was second in the NLL last season in points (111) and assists (61) as a member of the Washington Power. Coyle, meanwhile, is a defensive standout for the Toronto Rock, tied for third on the Rock in loose balls recovered (109, behind Jim Veltman and Steve Toll) and led the club in penalty minutes (60). "Both Pat and Gary are veteran leaders with plenty of experience in playoff and championship games," Team Canada GM John Mouradian said. "We are lucky to have them representing Team Canada." Veltman was named the Canadian captain last month.

 

19 August 2002:
      In an interview posted today on the team's web site, New Jersey Storm head coach Jim Brady said, "If we continue to play the same strong defense that we saw last year, plus add three more goals a game it should add up to more wins." Disregarding just how obvious this is, given the premise, the Outsider's Guide studied how NLL teams would have fared with an extra three goals per game this past season, assuming the goals allowed stayed the same. To Brady's credit, the Storm would have improved from 5-11 to a solid 8-8 in its debut season, with two of the extra victories coming in March (i.e., New Jersey would've finished on a six-game winning streak). Most teams picked up about three wins with the extra goals, but two teams stood out in particular for their improvements -- Buffalo (8-8 to 13-2-1) would have been in contention for the number-one playoff seed, while Columbus (5-11 to 11-5) would have been a top wild card team. As for the league's two finalists, Albany inched up from 14-2 to 14-1-1, while Toronto cozied up next to perfection, advancing from 11-5 to 15-1.

 

15 August 2002:
      The Rochester Knighthawks today named forward Duane Jacobs as a franchise player, preventing him from entering unrestricted free agency. The team's all-time leader in goals (169), assists (185), and points (354), Jacobs has been with the Knighthawks since the franchise began play in 1995. The designation guarantees Jacobs a salary ten percent higher than he otherwise could have received. He is the third player to be named a franchise player, joining Buffalo's John Tavares and Colorado's Paul Cantabene. The free agency signing period begins tomorrow.

 

14 August 2002:
      Word on the street is that the Montreal Express' suspension of operations will finally be announced on Friday. Afterwards, the Board of Governors is expected to decide if there will be a dispersal draft. That's right -- if. The Professional Lacrosse Players Association reportedly is pushing for the Express' players to be declared free agents, opening bidding wars for top players, such as Tracey Kelusky. Who needs free agency for a bidding war, though? A trade for the top dispersal pick (undoubtedly to be spent on Kelusky) would be the biggest in league history.

 

9 August 2002:
      The Philadelphia Wings announced today that several players will be signing autographs at X Games VIII, held this month in Philadelphia. Between 15-19 August, the following players will appear at the Interactive Village at the First Union Complex, where ESPN is staging the X Games (all time PM): Jake Bergey (Friday, 1-3), Kevin Finneran (Monday, 12-3), Kevin Galbraith (Saturday, 12-2), Randy Kleinmann (Sunday, 3-5), Tom Ryan (Monday, 1-3), Tom Slate (Thursday, 3-7), Jeff Spano (Friday, 12-3, and Monday, 12-3), and Ryan Traynor (Sunday, 4-5). In addition, Finneran and Spano will present the skateboarding award on Monday, 19 August (3:00 PM).
      Things aren't all rosy in the Vancouver Ravens' front office, where co-owners Tom Mayenknecht and Paul Reinhart are battling for control of the team. As Mayenknecht, who also serves as team governor, seeks to raise capital to finance the Ravens, Reinhart reportedly is refusing to put more money into the team. The Ravens lost about $500,000 (Canadian) last year and project another $200,000 loss this year before making money in 2004, the team's third season. Reinhart wouldn't return the Vancouver Province's calls about the matter, while Mayenknecht declined comment, calling it "a personal matter amongst partners."

 

31 July 2002:
      Six countries will participate in the first World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, to be held next May in Ontario. Canada, the United States, the Czech Republic and the Iroquois Nationals had earlier confirmed their involvement, and today, it was announced that Australia and Scotland would send teams, as well. "Our Committee expected four countries to participate in the inaugural event," WILC 2003 Organizing Committee member Stan Cockerton said. "We are thrilled with the positive response of the six teams. It bodes well for future growth of the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. Lacrosse fans are going to be treated to a terrific tournament!"
      The Buffalo Bandits have signed defenseman Andy Ogilvie to a one-year deal. Terms were not disclosed. A team captain this past campaign, Ogilvie posted scoring totals of three goals and twelve assists. A torn MCL in his right knee ended Ogilvie's 2001-2002 season after just seven games, and forced a third surgery on the knee.

 

30 July 2002:
      The Rochester Knighthawks have made qualifying offers to five players, the team announced today. Forwards John Grant, Derek Malawsky and D'Arcy Sweet; defenseman Casey Zaph; and goaltender Pat Campbell were all tendered offers. The contract offers ensure that these players' NLL rights will remain the property of the Rochester Knighthawks through the end of the 2003 season.

 

29 July 2002:
      The franchise's status for the 2003 season now settled (the NHL will run the team until a buyer is found), the Buffalo Bandits have gotten busy with the business of resigning their players. Goaltender Steve Dietrich has inked a one-year deal and forward John Tavares has been named a franchise player, the team announced today. In fifteen games for the Bandits last season, his first in Buffalo after seven with the Rochester Knighthawks, "Chugger" posted a 7-7 record, a goals against average of 12.35 (fourth-best in the league) and a save percentage of 77.11 (second-best). Tavares scored 42 goals and dished out 46 assists in sixteen games this season, marking the fourth straight season he has led the team in goals, assists and points; his "franchise player" designation terminates his right to unrestricted free agency this summer, but assures he will be paid ten percent more than the maximum salary he otherwise would be entitled to receive. Dietrich had also been eligible for unrestricted free agency. The Bandits also announced that qualifying offers have been made to forwards Pat Maddalena and Jonas Derks.

 

24 July 2002:
      Just how many free tickets did the Montreal Express distribute this past season? A report on expressdemontreal.ca suggests that some 4500 seats per game were handed away, gratis. Montreal averaged 8000 per game; you do the math. If it's true, it makes Brad Watters and the rest of the Express ownership look even more like Santa Claus than former Baltimore Thunder owner Dennis Townsend did when he papered his team's crowds in 1999, and makes absolutely clear why the Express is expected to leave Montreal within the next 48 hours.
      The latest buzz around the league is that Colorado (formerly the Washington Power) is in the market for a new head coach. Rumor has it that Darris Kilgour, who skippered the Power for its two seasons in Washington, has joined the Buffalo Bandits in an identical role. The chance to return to his old stomping grounds surely would've played a hand in Kilgour's jump to Buffalo, if it proves true, although the buzz is amplified by earlier reports that he didn't want to move his family to Denver. Kilgour played eight seasons in Buffalo, all of them alongside older brother Rich (still a Bandit) and many alongside younger brother Travis; he also had a brief stint in Rochester and played one season with Albany. Kilgour remains in the top five in Bandits history in goals, assists, points, shots on goals, loose balls recovered, and penalty minutes, and is the only Bandit whose number (43) has been retired.

 

18 July 2002:
      The Philadelphia Wings are wasting no time getting fans ready for the 2003 season, already selling season tickets. In opening sales for the eight-game home schedule, the Wings announced that season ticket rates will not increase over last year. Individual-game tickets, to go on sale in September, will be $29, $25, and $20 (American), with two dollars off for ducats bought in advance. Call 215.389.WINGS for more information.
      The Rochester Knighthawks are also peddling season tickets, with plans ranging from $170 for "100-level Premium" seats to $54 for balcony seating. The team is also offering four-game Lax Packs, in which fans can pick and choose the games they wish to attend; prices run from $92 down to $44. Tickets can be purchased at the Knighthawks' web site, knighthawks.net, or by calling 716.454.5335.

 

10 July 2002:
      The first day of ticket sales for the unnamed Colorado team turned out well, team president Steve Govett reports. The club formerly known as the Washington Power sold 360 season tickets today, Govett said this evening, and is expecting to top one thousand by the end of the week. The franchise just announced its move to the Pepsi Center yesterday, and opened ticket sales this morning. For a franchise which has struggled mightily to sell tickets going all the way back to its days in Baltimore, the news is a welcome sight to everyone in the NLL, suggesting that the league's most transient team may finally be able to settle down for good after three moves in three years.

 

8 July 2002:
      Toronto Rock forward Jim Veltman was today named captain of Team Canada for October's Heritage Cup match against the United States and for the first-ever World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, to be held in May 2003. "Not only is Jim Veltman an exceptional lacrosse player, but he is the classic team leader," Team Canada GM John Mouradian said. "He has the respect of both his coaches and teammates, leading the Toronto Rock to three National Lacrosse League championships in four years." The king of the loose balls (MILL/NLL league leader every season he has played, 1992-1996 and 1998-2002), Veltman will be joined on the team by two assistant captains, who will be selected soon. Team Canada has already selected forty candidates for the boxla competitions, and will whittle the squad down to seventeen runners and three goaltenders by 15 August.
      While Team USA has been preparing quietly, Team Canada has spent the past two months publicly assembling an all-star staff for the Heritage Cup and World Box Games. Head coach Les Bartley (Toronto Rock) will be assisted by fellow NLL skippers Paul Dal Monte (Vancouver Ravens) and Bob McMahon (Albany Attack), and Rock assistant Ed Comeau. General manager John Mouradian will be aided by Dr. David Lough, Vancouver Ravens assistant GM and director of scouting, and Bob Clevely, an Ontario Lacrosse Association veteran (as player, coach, and team executive) for thirty-eight years.

 

3 July 2002:
      The NLL will hold a media conference call on Tuesday afternoon (9 July), to announce the new location of the Washington Power and introduce the team's new ownership. Although the league has stayed quiet on both, just about everyone else has been saying it for months -- Denver is the destination, and Denver sports mogul Sam Kroenke (NHL's Avalanche, NBA's Nuggets, and Pepsi Center) is expected to be the buyer. The call begins at 3:30 PM Eastern, and can be heard online at lacrosse-network.com.

 

21 June 2002:
      Apparently, some Edmonton lacrosse boosters can't take no for an answer. Rejected for the second straight year in its search for an NLL expansion franchise, the City of Champions apparently lost this round because interested owner R. Bruce Stewart didn't apply in time (a year ago, the cause was fears of further diluting the talent pool after already adding four new teams). That puzzles one official at Northlands Park, which manages the arena where an Edmonton NLL team would play. "Our application was preapproved before," sales manager Duane Vienneau said. "It's not 100% no go yet. The last conversation [NLL commissioner] Jim Jennings and I had was that he was going to extend us the time we needed to go after a new ownership group. We're still going to work on lacrosse until [1 September]." A full ninety days after the original expansion deadline? Either Vienneau's about to get a bit of a surprise from Jennings, or the fans will.
      The Vancouver Ravens recently announced the winners of their inaugural team awards at the Shark Club in downtown Vancouver. Leading the way were forward Chris Gill and goaltender Dwight Maetche, sharing Most Valuable Player honors. For his 53-goal, 37-assist season, Gill also took home an award as the team's leading scorer, and for leading the team in public appearances and for helping run the Chris Gill Ravens SuperCamp this past spring, he snagged the Community Leadership Award, as well. Forward Peter Morgan was named the Ravens' Rookie of the Year, Darren Reisig and Rich Catton split Defender of the Year honors, and forward Chris Prat was chosen as the team's Unsung Hero.

 

20 June 2002:
      The New Jersey Storm is wasting no time in peddling season tickets for its second season, announcing, just hours after the season length (sixteen games) was confirmed by the league, that it will open sales for the eight-game home slate tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. Tickets are priced at $23.00, $16.00 and $8.00, and a limited number of VIP packages are available by visiting the Continental Airlines Arena box office or by calling 1.866.NJ.STORM. Fans who purchase lower-level season tickets before 1 August will receive their choice of a Storm replica jersey or a sports bag/cooler.

 

14 June 2002:
      Several NLL coaches will gather in St. Catharines, Ontario, next Saturday (22 June) for a scouting combine of Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior A players eligible to be selected in September's entry draft. Head coaches Les Bartley (Toronto Rock), Bob McMahon (Albany Attack), and Paul Day (Rochester Knighthawks) will attend the all-day combine, to be held at the Bill Burgoyne Arena. Many of the players at the combine will be representing clubs coached by active NLL players, including the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves (Colin Doyle, Toronto), Six Nations Arrows (Duane Jacobs, Rochester), and St. Catharines Athletics (Steve Fannell, Albany). Festivities are open to the public, beginning at noon. All-day passes are available. Call 905.684.9777 for more information.

 

12 June 2002:
      If the NLL does indeed expand to Portland next season, as reported a day ago, it apparently will do so without the man deemed most likely to finance an NLL team at the Rose Garden. The Portland Tribune reported recently that Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft in the late 1970s and owner of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, has elected to take a pass on indoor lacrosse. In the end, NLL was compared to other indoor sports which have failed to skyrocket as hoped. "I can understand why people like it," Blazers vice president J. Isaac said. "It’s an action-packed game -- but so was indoor soccer and arena football. We took a look at it, and we decided not to pursue it."

 

2 June 2002:
      Jeremy Hollenbeck, a quiet contributor on the star-packed Rochester Knighthawks, will be inducted on Tuesday, 11 June into the Jordan-Elbridge High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Hollenbeck starred in two sports at Jordan-Elbridge before attending Nazareth College in Rochester. After graduating from Nazareth, he became one of the original members of the Knighthawks, winning the league championship in 1997 and reaching the title round three times, including the franchise's debut campaign (1995). He stands ninth in team history in points (130), eighth in assists (89), and fourth in games played (85) and loose balls (383). Hollenbeck joins current teammate Regy Thorpe and former K'Hawk Mark Fietta in the school's hall of fame.

 

24 May 2002:
      Anyone who was still wondering if the New Jersey Storm intends to return to East Rutherford for the 2002-2003 season, your question has been answered. The Storm has launched a barnstorming tour, sending players, staff and even the team's dance squad to events around the greater New York metropolitan area, aiming to raise interest in the fledgling indoor lacrosse team. Fans can watch a Storm highlight video, purchase season tickets, and get free autographs at stops on the barnstorming tour. Upcoming stops include Semifinal Day at the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament, tomorrow at Rutgers University; the Meadowlands Fair from 20 June to 7 July; and the "War at the Shore" tournament, 3-4 August at Sea Girt, NJ.

 

13 May 2002:
      Toronto Rock head coach Les Bartley was today named Team Canada's head coach for the inaugural Heritage Cup, to be held in October, and the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, slated for next May. "It’s always an [honor] to be chosen to represent your country," the coach of the defending NLL champion Rock said. "I’m really looking forward to working with the best players and coaches in Canada and sharing our indoor game with the world." Bartley and Team Canada GM Johnny Mouradian will select a staff of assistant coaches in the next few days, then the top forty players in the country will be identified as the National Team roster is whittled down to seventeen runners and three goaltenders, in advance of the 5 October Heritage Cup match against the United States at Mississauga, Ontario.
      After recently losing their domain name to a cyberpirate, the Rochester Knighthawks have rebounded by launching a new version of their web site at knighthawks.net. The site is updated with current team information, player bios, and features, and a "What I did this summer" will soon debut.

 

8 May 2002:
      The NLL today announced the hiring of former Deloitte & Touche accountant Joe Cussick as its chief financial officer, effective immediately. "Our League has grown rapidly in the past two years, and we are busier than ever," NLL commissioner Jim Jennings said. "It’s the right time in our growth period to hire a full-time financial manager. Joe Cussick brings a wealth of experience and know-how to the position." Cussick, who holds an accounting degree from Seton Hall University, is no stranger to advising sports leagues, having served as CFO for the United States Football League from 1982 to 1987.

 

3 May 2002:
      Hey, it's not too early to start talking about next season, right? That's the message coming from the Vancouver Ravens, who have already announced ticket prices for next season (prices listed are in Canadian dollars). Single-game tickets in the Bionda Gold sections (behind the penalty boxes) will be $35 each, Spirit Red (behind the benches) $30, Raven Black (most of the rest of the lower bowl) $25, gray end zone seats $18, and white seats (second tier) $9. Season tickets, based on an eight-game schedule, will be $220 for Gold, $180 for Red, $150 for Black and $108 for Gray. The bulk package is approximately a 22 percent markdown for Gold seats and 25 percent elsewhere. If you just can't wait to book your seats at GM Place for the 2002-2003 season, call the Ravens at 604.899.5300 (season tickets only; single game ducats to follow later).