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

30 December 2002:
      Football has led to the rescheduling of two games this weekend, both involving the Columbus Landsharks. With the hometown Ohio State Buckeyes playing for the national championship Friday evening, the Landsharks have moved their home opener, against the Ottawa Rebel, from 7:30 that night to 3:00 PM. The 'Sharks were then slated to visit the New Jersey Storm on Saturday night, but with the New York Jets hosting an NFL playoff game at the same complex earlier that day, the lacrosse game has been shifted to Sunday at 2:00 PM.
      Albany Attack goaltender Rob Blasdell suffered a Grade I concussion when he collided with Toronto defender Glenn Clark late in the first quarter of Friday's game. As he fell backward, Blasdell hit his head on the goalpost. He continues to suffer from headaches, and his status for this weekend's games (Thursday at New York, Saturday at Buffalo) won't be determined at least until tomorrow. Brandon Miller will start in goal for the Attack if Blasdell can't go.
      Gewas Schindler likely will return to play Friday afternoon for the Columbus Landsharks, after being a surprise healthy scratch Saturday night against New York. Schindler was benched due to a violation of team rules.
      In injury news, Ottawa Rebel forward Ryan Painter likely will not play this weekend (Friday at Columbus, Saturday at New York) following a recent auto accident (he sat out Saturday's loss to Calgary, as well), but third-overall draft pick Billy Dee Smith is expected to suit up for the Buffalo Bandits when they host Albany on Saturday. Smith injured his ankle about a month ago, in a preseason game against New Jersey.
      The Philadelphia Wings announced today that forward Tom Marechek will be the team's captain this season, with forward Jeff Ratcliffe and defenseman Tom Ryan serving as alternate captains. Marechek is entering his tenth season with the Wings. Ratcliffe, viewed by many as Marechek's heir apparent, is a third-year Wing, while Ryan begins his fourth season in Philadelphia and ninth overall.

 

23 December 2002:
      The Toronto Rock doubled up the Ottawa Rebel, 20-10, in an exhibition game Sunday afternoon at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Newly-acquired forward Kevin Finneran made a sensational debut for the Rock, scoring four goals despite suffering from a nasty cold. However, as the 37-year-old former Philadelphia Wing is beginning his Rock career, Ken Millin may be nearing the end of his. Millin aggravated an anterior cruciate ligament injury and could miss the entire season. There are already whispers that depending on how serious the injury turns out to be, Millin might have played his last NLL game.
      The New Jersey Storm wrapped up its preseason with a 13-11 comeback victory over the New York Saints Saturday afternoon at Inline 1 Sports Center in Mt. Sinai, NY. New Jersey's Roy Colsey led all scorers with three goals and one assist, while Chris Driscoll, Dean Harrison, and Josh Black each scored two goals in defeat. As for Ginny Capicchioni, the Storm's female goaltender, she made a very brief appearance late in the game, stopping the only shot she faced.
      Two teams announced television deals today. All eight Buffalo Bandits home games will air on Adelphia Channel 13 in Erie and Niagara Counties in western New York. Telecasts are slated for one day and two days after the game. Meanwhile, three New Jersey Storm games will air on Fox Sports New York, the team announced today. Home games against Columbus (4 January, delayed to the following day at 2:00 PM), Philadelphia 6 February, live at 7:30 PM), and Colorado (23 March, delayed until 4:00 PM that day) will be shown.

 

20 December 2002:
      The Calgary Roughnecks finalized its opening-night roster by trading disgruntled forward Ben Prepchuk to the New York Saints today. Prepchuk, who ironically was traded to Calgary from New York in June 2001, heads east with defenseman J.D. Smithson, in exchange for forward Rob Kirkby and the Saints' first-round pick in the 2003 NLL Entry Draft. Prepchuk scored 40 goals and dished out 38 assists with the Roughnecks last season, Smithson was a third-round pick in last September's entry draft, and Kirkby (splitting the 2002 season between Buffalo and New York) tallied four goals, seventeen assists, and a 143-159 faceoff record. Calgary dealt away its own first-round entry draft pick last week when it traded for Columbus goaltender Curtis Palidwor.

 

19 December 2002:
      The Buffalo Bandits yesterday dealt goaltender Ken Montour to the Columbus Landsharks for forward Mark Steenhuis. The trade is a return ticket for Montour, who was sent from Columbus to Buffalo on 12 February in a four-player, two-pick trade. In four games last season, Montour made 96 saves on 127 shots, posting a 14.60 goals-against average. Steenhuis, a rookie last season, scored eleven goals and dished out nineteen assists in twelve games. The Landsharks also receive Buffalo's third-round pick in next year's entry draft.
      Bracing for life after Ben Prepchuk, who has requested a trade, the Calgary Roughnecks has signed forward Craig Stevenson. A five-year NLL veteran, Stevenson played last season with the Vancouver Ravens, where he tallied ten goals and seventeen assists in just nine games. "We had Craig in camp as a fallback in case Prepchuk wouldn't be coming back," Roughnecks president/GM Brad Banister said. "He's a solid player with good skills and should fit in nicely on that side." Stevenson was also the Ravens' leading faceoff man, winning 106 of 210 draws. He broke into the league with Buffalo, and also played in Ottawa.
      The Colorado Mammoth will hold a preseason Meet the Team party at Old Chicago, on Market Street in Denver. Fans can join Mammoth players in a game of pool, in watching the Colorado Avalanche hockey game on television, or simply in enjoying the holidays. The Mammoth dance team, the "Wildbunch," will also be in attendance.

 

17 December 2002:
      Don't look now, but the Ottawa Rebel has quietly doubled its season-ticket base. Yes, doubled. Rebel president Brad Watters tells the Ottawa Sun that over 2000 full-season packages have been sold, an increase of better than one hundred percent from last season. However, only about 500 individual tickets have been sold for the season opener (Saturday, 28 December, vs. the Calgary Roughnecks), which has Watters concerned. "If we only get 2,000 a night, we're not going to be successful," he said. "What we'd like to see is 4,000 for the first game, and we'll build from there. We want to build up to 6,000 or 7,000 a game." The team is pushing a special deal for the opener -- two tickets and a Rebel t-shirt for $45 (Canadian).
      Several members of the Philadelphia Wings, including goaltender Dallas Eliuk and defenseman Tom Slate, will be heading out to a Philadelphia Toys 'R Us store on Wednesday, to buy toys for the popular "Toys for Tots" program. "Toys for Tots" collects new, unwrapped toys and distributes them as Christmas gifts to needy children. The Wings players will spending nearly $1500 (US), raised at a Meet the Team party held earlier this month.

 

16 December 2002:
      Ben Prepchuk's time with the Calgary Roughnecks apparently is over. Embroiled in a contract dispute with team owner Brad Banister and starting to realize that the team is loaded with right-handed talent, Prepchuk has requested a trade. A third-year pro, Prepchuk is seeking the league-maximum $18,000 (US) this season, a figure Banister won't approach. Ownership also wants its young star to move from Edmonton to Calgary, a request which has been met with resistance. Banister tells the Calgary Sun that he's heard from most NLL teams about Prepchuk's availability, including the New York Saints, who traded him to Calgary a year ago.
      Columbus Landsharks fans are looking at a tough decision in a few weeks. On Friday, 3 January, the 'Sharks host the Ottawa Rebel at 7:30 PM. One little problem -- thirty minutes later, the Ohio State Buckeyes kick off at the Fiesta Bowl, where they are looking to win their first national championship since 1968. With both teams slated to play the next day (Columbus at New Jersey, Ottawa at New York), "Midnight Madness" is probably out. Besides, Buckeyes fans have one football-related riot under their belts this season, so there's no telling what Columbus might look like after a big win. There is talk of playing during the afternoon that day or simply moving the game to another day, although nothing has been decided yet.
      In yet another tie-in between the Ottawa Rebel and its CFL sister franchise, the Ottawa Renegades, the football team's mascot will pull double duty as the laxers' mascot, as well. "Ruffy" is slated to appear at all eight Rebel home games, and will be present at community functions in and around Ottawa.
      In other Ottawa Rebel news, admission for the upcoming exhibition game against the Toronto Rock (Sunday, 22 December, at Hamilton) has been waived. Because of that, fans are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to a local food bank. "The Rock and Rebel both feel that this is the right thing to do, the time of year really influenced our decision," Rock vice president Bryan Black said "We wanted to give the local charitable organizations the opportunity to participate and enjoy the lacrosse experience." Tickets had been $20 (Canadian) for adults and $10 for children; those who bought tickets can get a refund at the point of purchase.

 

14 December 2002:
      The Philadelphia Wings scored thirteen first-half goals and cruised to a 16-7 victory over the New Jersey Storm in an exhibition game this afternoon at the Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ. Paul Cantabene scored the game-winner midway into the second quarter, but Matt Striebel stole the show with four goals for the Wings. Mike Benedict led the Storm with two goals. New Jersey goaltender Ginny Cappicchioni, though, took a rather large step towards the door, allowing ten goals on just twenty shots. Those in attendance report that she was slow to react to shots and struggled to handle pressure by the Wings. One wag even noted that "she got lit like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree." Rosters are due Tuesday, and it doesn't look like Capicchioni will make the cut.
      The Rochester Knighthawks and star forward John Grant have agreed in principle on a new contract, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reports today. "Johnny really wanted to be in the lineup," Knighthawks GM Jody Gage said. "He wants to be a Knighthawk and he’s been practicing with us regularly. We just had to get both sides to agree, and we are at terms." Grant is expected to sign the contract by the end of the weekend.
      Speaking of John Grant, he was the top scorer tonight as the Rochester Knighthawks defeated the Buffalo Bandits, 14-10, before an announced crowd of 9,274 at the Blue Cross Arena. Grant led the way with three goals and three assists, while Curt Malawsky, who arrived at the arena just an hour before faceoff, posted three goals and one assist. It wasn't easy for the Knighthawks, though, falling behind, 7-5, at intermission before dominating the second half, 9-3. Buffalo scorers were unavailable.
      At Grimsby, Ontario, the Albany Attack topped the Columbus Landsharks in preseason play, 18-16. The Attack, which led 11-8 at halftime, was paced by Dan Teat's four goals, while Josh Sanderson, Chris Parkin, and Nick Trudeau added three each. Rob Blasdell played the entire game in goal for Albany. Daniel Dawson scored three goals for the Landsharks, who split netminding duties between Andrew Dowdall (first quarter), Ken Barrett (second quarter), and Mike Miron (third and fourth quarters).

 

13 December 2002:
      The Albany Attack is reporting brisk season tickets sales following a 14-2 record, Central Division title and Champion's Cup Final appearance last season. General manager Mike DeRossi tells the Albany Times-Union that 1456 season ticket packages have been sold, a 28 percent increase from last year's total -- and there's still two weeks until the season opener. The opponent for the Attack's lid-lifter (Friday, 27 December) is the Toronto Rock, the team that had a lot to do with the Capital Region's sudden interest in boxla. Last April, you might recall, Rock president Brad Watters publicly lobbied (unsuccessfully) to move the championship game from Albany to Toronto. A crowd of 9200 showed up at Pepsi Arena for that game, and DeRossi is shooting to draw 8000 for the rematch.
      The Columbus Landsharks today traded goaltender Curtis Palidwor to the Calgary Roughnecks for defenseman Jeff Frazer and a first-round pick in the 2003 NLL Entry Draft. Palidwor, selected eleventh-overall in September's dispersal draft, reportedly sought a trade to a western team, if possible, to reduce the length of his weekly commute. He was 8-8 with the Montreal Express last season, posting a 74.22 save percentage and a goals-against average of 14.28. Frazer was a third-round pick (33rd overall) in this year's entry draft.

 

12 December 2002:
      Fresh off last Friday's exhibition win at Buffalo, the New Jersey Storm will be in action against Eastern Division rivals the next two Saturdays. First up: the Philadelphia Wings, who meet the Storm at the Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ (12:30 PM). A week later, it's off to Long Island for a preseason game against the New York Saints. That game, beginning at 7:00 PM, will be held at the Saints' practice facility, Inline 1 Sports Center in Mt. Sinai, NY. The first game is closed to the public; no word, though, on the latter.
      Matt Disher's time with the Ottawa Rebel may be nearing its end. The Ottawa Citizen reported today that Rebel GM Lindsay Sanderson is attempting to trade his starting netminder in order to improve other parts of the team, with the deal going down any day now. With 22-year-old Andrew Leyshon also in the fold, Ottawa can afford to trade Disher for defensive help or offensive firepower. No teams were named as possible trade partners, although with Disher living in British Columbia and that province's team continuing to search for the heir apparent to Dwight Maetche, the Vancouver Ravens likely have been been in touch.
      Ailing Toronto Rock forward Kim Squire is recovering nicely, coach/GM Les Bartley tells the Canadian Press. "He's started riding a [stationary] bike," Bartley said. "Right now, we're looking at a mid-season return, but we need to talk to the doctors about that." Squire contracted flesh-eating disease early last month and could miss the entire season.

 

10 December 2002:
      Philadelphia Wings forward Jake Bergey underwent surgery today to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, officially ending his season before it got started. "We will rely on Jake's leadership on the sidelines and in the locker room," Wings GM Marty O'Neill said. "We expect that our young team will be able to step-up in Jake's absence." Bergey will begin rehabilitation immediately, and will step up his role representing the team at community and media events.
      The Rochester Knighthawks today announced that they have signed on with WROC (950 AM) to air all sixteen games this season. The station switch from WYSL (1040 AM) is highlighted by an "expanded postgame show," although neither the team nor the station has elaborated on what that means. "With our huge lacrosse following in Rochester, partnering with the Entercom Group [owner of WROC] enables the Knighthawks to reach out to even more fans," Knighthawks owner Steve Donner said. "We look forward to the broadcast and marketing opportunities between the two entities." Craig Rybczynski and Bill Meagher will return to the Knighthawks' broadcast booth.
      Rochester Democrat & Chronicle columnist Bob Matthews reported today that the Rochester Knighthawks might soon trade forward Duane Jacobs. "Dewey wasn’t happy with reduced playing time last season and he probably wouldn’t be a starter this season," Knighthawks GM Jody Gage said. "He still can play but he probably wouldn’t play as much here as he could for another team." At least one team has inquired about Jacobs, but is not named in the article. The Knighthawks may also have to trade D'Arcy Sweet, who has relocated from Newmarket, Ontario to Dayton, Ohio and might not be able to commute to Rochester. A trade to the Columbus Landsharks is possible.

 

8 December 2002:
      It looks the Philadelphia Wings' youth movement will be getting another swift kick forward. After dropping Mark Millon, Dave Stilley, and Kevin Finneran from last year's squad, the Wings reportedly will have to deal with a torn ACL suffered by star forward Jake Bergey, which will force him to miss the entire season. Bergey injured the knee early in the third quarter of Friday's exhibition loss at Colorado when he drove to the net along the goal line. Mammoth goaltender Erik Miller reports that his fellow Salisbury State alumnus heard a pop as he went down on the Pepsi Center turf, although he claimed not to be hurting too bad as he went into the locker room for medical attention.
      At Winnipeg, the Toronto Rock defeated the Ottawa Rebel, 11-8, Saturday evening in exhibition play. Colin Doyle scored three goals and Jim Veltman dished out five assists for the defending champion Rock, which grabbed a 2-0 lead after one quarter and a 6-5 advantage at intermission. The Rebel was led in scoring by Steve Evans and Ryan Painter, each bagging two goals. An announced crowd of almost 5400 came out to Winnipeg Arena, where the CFL's Blue Bombers are exploring the possibility of installing an NLL expansion franchise.

 

7 December 2002:
      Quasi-free agent Kevin Finneran has told the Toronto Rock that he is ready to sit down and negotiate a contract with the defending champions, Mike Koreen reports in today's Toronto Sun. Before that can happen, though, Rock GM/coach Les Bartley and Philadelphia Wings GM Marty O'Neill must swing a trade. That doesn't appear to be a major hurdle, with the Wings likely to ask for a draft pick or lower-ranked player in exchange for the 37-year-old Finneran, who would likely become the first American ever to play for the Rock (New York native Rich Dommer was on the team last year, but never dressed for a game).
      The Vancouver Ravens busted open a tight game in the fourth quarter, defeating the Calgary Roughnecks, 13-10, in preseason action Thursday night at GM Place. Mike Law scored three goals for the Ravens, while Matt Green posted a hat trick for the Roughnecks. The scrimmage, free to the public, was held to make up for the cancellation of a series of exhibitions in a dispute with the players union.
      The Colorado Mammoth introduced itself to Denver sports fans Friday night with a free exhibition after a Colorado Avalanche hockey game, and did not disappoint, jumping to a 13-5 halftime lead over the Philadelphia Wings and hanging on to post a 15-14 victory before a crowd estimated at over 12,000 spectators. Gary Gait and Brian Langtry led the Mammoth with four goals apiece, while Jeff Ratcliffe put on a one-man show for the Wings, bagging six goals in defeat. Philadelphia suffered an additional loss -- Jake Bergey went down with a knee injury, feared to be a ligament tear. At tonight's meet-the-team party, Wings coach Adam Mueller announced that there was still swelling in the knee and that results of an MRI are expected tomorrow.
      Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail has named Ottawa Rebel owner Brad Watters to its annual list of leading Canadian sports figures. The paper ranks Watters twelfth in the nation for his direction of the Rebel, two other NLL franchises (the Toronto Rock and Montreal Express), and the Canadian Football League's Ottawa Renegades. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky claimed the top spot, followed by figure skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, Montreal Alouettes president Skip Prince, and NHL executives Andy Van Hellemond and Colin Campbell. Others in the top twenty-five include NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) player/owner Mario Lemieux, boxer Lennox Lewis, and "Hockey Night in Canada" host Ron MacLean.

 

4 December 2002:
      The Albany Attack is launching a four-team indoor lacrosse league for high school players, with games to be played in the afternoon of Attack home dates. Each team will play five games, with the top two advancing to a championship game on 15 March 2003. Players are required to provide their own equipment. Registration is $60, and includes one Attack season ticket and a reversible mesh jersey. To sign up, contact the Attack at 518.427.8145.
      The Colorado Mammoth will unveil their new uniforms Thursday at 11:00 AM Mountain (1:00 PM Eastern) at the Pepsi Center Grand Atrium in Denver. Also on the agenda -- an official announcement of the Mammoth's partnership with Frontier Airlines, which, last we heard, stood to be a very impressive deal.
      Thus far unable to swing a deal with the Vancouver Ravens, the Toronto Rock has conditionally traded forward Dan Stroup to the Colorado Mammoth. Stroup, who has patiently waited for the Rock to trade him to Vancouver, so he can play close to home, refuses to report to Denver. "Nothing against Colorado," Stroup said Monday, "but that's not where I planned on being." Mammoth GM Steve Govett took the opportunity to bash the Ravens for not trying hard enough to get Stroup. "I hesitate to use the word joke, but they have not offered anything of substance," Govett said. "It's a travesty that Danny might have to sit out a year." Funny thing is, Govett's comments are tame compared to what some are saying about this non-trade, so here's to wondering whether the bigger travesty is a team being pressured to trade for a player it doesn't believe it needs...

 

1 December 2002:
      Kevin Finneran may have found himself a team. The buzz out of tonight's four-way scrimmage at Hamilton is that the quasi-free agent has informed the Philadelphia Wings that he is most interested in a trade to the Toronto Rock. If he joins the defending champs, Finneran would fill one of several holes in Toronto's offense, including one created tonight when Ken Millin went down with a knee injury. Finneran would also be the first American ever to appear in a game for the Rock. First, though, the Wings and Rock would have to work out a trade -- not necessarily a simple task.
      The Ottawa Rebel defeated the Buffalo Bandits, 19-18, last night in preseason action at the Ottawa Civic Centre. Jason Clark led the home team with four goals, while Kevin Dostie and Kevin Howard scored three apiece. John and Peter Tavares paced the Bandits, posting a hat trick each. The biggest stat of all -- a crowd of 4,500 came out for the free exhibition, an encouraging show of support for a team that averaged only 6,000 spectators in games that counted last season.

 

30 November 2002:
      Toronto Rock head coach/GM Les Bartley has received permission from the Philadelphia Wings to talk with quasi-free agent Kevin Finneran, the Canadian Press reports today. The 79-point forward (39 goals, 40 assists in 2002), given permission by the Wings earlier this month to peddle himself to other teams, could help plug some gaping holes in the Rock offense. Toronto is set to lose Dan Stroup to a holdout (he wants a trade to Vancouver, so he can play close to home) and will play at least a month -- and possibly the whole season -- without Kim Squire (recovering from flesh-eating disease). Wherever Finneran chooses to go, a trade will have to be worked out, and that could take some time.
      Ginny Capicchionni continues to make progress in New Jersey Storm camp, and will appear in Friday night's exhibition at HSBC Arena against the Buffalo Bandits. "Ginny was quite impressive at camp," Storm coach Jim Brady said. "She was quick, not afraid of the hardest shots, and showed some talent at ball stopping." With starting goaltender Matt Roik out for a month with a knee injury, Capicchioni just might make the 23-man, er, 23-person roster.

 

29 November 2002:
      Lacrosse-Network.com's popular Fantasy Lacrosse is back for its second season, and there's still space for those interested in playing. In Fantasy Lacrosse, you draft a team of ten runners and two team defenses and pit it against another person's team each week in a rotisserie-style scoring format. The stat categories which contribute to your score for the week are goals, assists, penalty minutes (the more, the better), shots on goal, loose balls, goals against average and save percentage. For more information and to sign up, visit the Fantasy Lacrosse site at www.lacrosse-network.com/fantlax. Hurry, though -- space is limited.

 

28 November 2002:
      In a very interesting ruling for management and players of four NLL teams, the New York State Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board has ruled that Rochester Knighthawks defenseman Eric Carlsen is entitled to unemployment insurance benefits, the Professional Lacrosse Players Association reports today on its web site. Carlsen lost his day job at a packaging company just before the end of the 2002 season, and when the Knighthawks' season concluded, he filed for unemployment. After the State Department of Labor and an administrative law judge refused his request, Carlsen turned to the Appeal Board which ruled in his favor. The precedent-setting decision -- believed to be the first time in state history a professional athlete has been awarded unemployment insurance -- also affects players with the Albany Attack, Buffalo Bandits, and New York Saints.
      The Vancouver Sun today reported that the differences between the PLPA and the two teams (Calgary Roughnecks and Vancouver Ravens) which wanted to play a series of exhibition games for charity amounted to just $100 (US) per game. The union wanted players to be paid $350 per preseason game, but reduced the demand to $150 for games in Prince George, BC, and Vernon, BC, as a "goodwill gesture," PLPA executive director Dave Succamore told the paper. However, the marquee game, in Saskatoon, was called off when PLPA refused to go below $250 per player, even though the players had privately agreed to play for $150. Ironically, if the Roughnecks and Ravens were not charging admission to these games, PLPA would have had no objections to the players not being paid...
      ...And so that's exactly what the two teams plan to do. The Vancouver Ravens will host the Calgary Roughnecks in an open scrimmage on Thursday, 5 December, at GM Place, beginning at 5:30 PM Pacific (8:30 PM Eastern). Admission is free, but tickets are required. They can be picked up at the GM Place box office starting Monday. Also, the Ravens invite those who will attend the scrimmage to bring a non-perishable food item for donation.

 

27 November 2002:
      The Calgary Roughnecks, overflowing with lefthanders, traded Chris Panos to the Buffalo Bandits yesterday for Brad Dairon. Panos was third on the Roughnecks in points last season, with 72 (36 goals, 36 assists), while Dairon bagged four goals and eight assists in limited action, split between New York and Buffalo. What makes the trade especially odd is that while it was made in part to open a space on the Roughnecks for rookie Lewis Ratcliffe, Dairon also is a left-handed creaseman. Ah, but there's more -- Roughnecks owner and GM Brad Banister suggests that acquiring Dairon could be part of a larger trade. With what team(s), we don't know, although Dairon reportedly has applied to join the Vancouver Fire Department.
      The Rochester Knighthawks will host an exhibition game against their Thruway rivals, the Buffalo Bandits, on Saturday, 14 December, at Blue Cross Arena. Admission is free, but tickets are required; fans can pick them up at the Knighthawks' offices or at any Rochester-area Chase-Pitkin office, beginning this Friday.
      As other teams build up their exhibition schedules, the Calgary Roughnecks and Vancouver Ravens have finished tearing theirs down. After recently dumping a pair of games in British Columbia (News and Notes, 10 November 2002), the teams have called off their marquee preseason meeting, at Saskatoon on Saturday, 21 December, in a dispute with the Professional Lacrosse Players Association. The union wants players to be paid for exhibition games, while the teams insist that since proceeds were going to charity, paying the players would have left little money to give away.

 

25 November 2002:
      The Kevin Finneran story took a pair of interesting turns today, first when Toronto Sun lacrosse writer Mike Koreen reported that Finneran is seriously considering an offer to join the Toronto Rock. "I've had a chance to play with what I consider the best franchise in the league," the ten-year Philadelphia Wings veteran said. "To have the opportunity to play with the other best franchise in the league [Toronto] would be really exciting." Later in the day, NLL.com ran a report that the Wings haven't actually released Finneran. "We are going to do our best to honor Kevin's request to be traded," Wings GM Marty O'Neill said. "Kevin has given us ten great seasons in Philadelphia, and we thank him for his service. We have given him permission to speak with the teams himself in the hopes of working out an acceptable trade as quickly as possible."
      Four teams will converge on Copps Coliseum in Hamilton this Sunday for a six-minigame scrimmage. The Toronto Rock, which trains at the arena, hosts the Albany Attack, Columbus Landsharks and Rochester Knighthawks in a series of forty-minute games. The first match begins at 5:00 PM. (Amended 27 November to correct start time)

 

24 November 2002:
      Stop us if you've heard this one before -- a limo driver is shot to death, and the star athlete he worked for is accused of the crime. No, we're not talking about about the manslaughter trial of New Jersey Storm owner Jayson Williams, but rather the premise of this week's episode of Law and Order, airing this Wednesday night on NBC (10:00 PM Eastern). The suspected killer this week, though, is not a retired basketball player but an active baseball superstar. However, just like the real-life victim (Costas Christofi), the dead limo driver on the small screen is a recovering drug addict. The award-winning drama often borrows from the headlines for its plots, so it will be interesting to see how much of the episode is based in reality and how much is fictional.
      Courtesy of our "Blast From The Past" Department: Miles General is trying out for the Buffalo Bandits. For those who might not remember General, he won a Major Indoor Lacrosse League title with the 1993 Bandits, the only undefeated team in league history. General, a steelworker by day, scored one goal in six games -- and although he's played for Six Nations (OLA Major) most summers since then, he's never returned to the professional ranks. If General gets into a game with the Bandits, he will break the record for longest stretch between stints in MILL/NLL (nine full seasons), eclipsing the record set in 1997 by the Baltimore Thunder's Glenn Norris (seven).

 

22 November 2002:
      The Buffalo Bandits announced today that they will host the New Jersey Storm in an exhibition game at HSBC Arena on Friday, 6 December, marking the first time ever that these teams will square off. The game also is "Pick-A-Seat Night" at the arena, where Bandits ticket sales representatives will be on hand to assist fans in purchasing season tickets, such as by showing buyers available seats in the arena. The game is free to the public, with faceoff set for 7:00 PM.
      As expected, the Calgary Roughnecks today announced the signings of Kaleb Toth and Tracey Kelusky, locking up the team's top two offensive players. Toth led Calgary in scoring last season, the Roughnecks' first in the NLL, with 38 goals and 41 assists. Kelusky, selected from Montreal in September's dispersal draft, was even better, pacing the Express with 44 goals and 50 assists. "By resigning Kaleb and with the addition of Tracey, the Roughnecks will have one of the most talented front ends in the league," Roughnecks owner/GM Brad Banister said. "Combine that with the upgrading we have done on defense, and Roughnecks fans should have much to cheer about this season."
      Using mostly rookies, the Rochester Knighthawks suffered a 16-7 thumping against the Ottawa Rebel in a scrimmage last night at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Shawn Wilkins, a 2001 draft pick out of RIT, led the Knighthawks in scoring, with a goal and two assists. Cory Bomberry, Pat Campbell, Ted Jenner, Pat O'Toole, Chris Schiller and Andrew Turner were the only Rochester veterans to appear in the game, which was closed to the public. Ottawa's participation and scoring summaries were not available.
      Continuing to make good progress in recovery from an attack of flesh-eating disease, Toronto Rock forward Kim Squire was released from a Hamilton hospital. "I'm feeling a lot better now that I'm home," Squire said. "My hand seems to be healing just fine. It's a bit of a waiting game now though. I know that I won't be able to play with the team starting in December, but I am looking forward to returning to the floor at some point this season."
      With Kim Squire out for an unknown amount of time, Dan Stroup vowing to retire if he's not traded, and the usual hassles of the preseason, the Toronto Rock might soon be looking for a few good men. Meanwhile, Kevin Finneran looks for a new team after parting ways with Philadelphia a week ago. Could Finn actually switch from the Wings to their latest most-hated rival? Well, yes. Finneran tells PLPA.com's David Unkle that of the five teams to contact him, he is most likely to sign on with Toronto or the New York Saints. However, the Outsider's Guide has learned that Finneran is leaning towards New York, because of the proximity to his home and because he would be more likely to play a feature role in the Saints' offense.

 

21 November 2002:
      The Buffalo Bandits today signed Ray Guze to a one-year contract, the team announced today. Guze, a 6'2" defenseman from British Columbia, comes out of the open tryout the Bandits held a few weeks ago. "I think it’s great that Ray has made the team," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. "You always hope that you can find one player at those types of try-outs (open try-outs) and that usually doesn’t happen... He’s a very athletic defenseman with great footwork. We noticed his footwork right away and he continued to impress the coaching staff in training camp last weekend." Guze has played three seasons with the North Shore Thunder and two with the Burnaby Lakers, and also played a year of professional hockey, with the Rockford IceHogs (United Hockey League).
      The Calgary Roughnecks are reporting on their web site that they will announce the signings of two major players, who "will form the cornerstone of the organization for years to come." No direct hints are given as to the players' identities, but it the two signees will almost certainly be Kaleb Toth and Tracey Kelusky. Team vice president Bill Cragg says that "Roughneck fans will be very pleased by this announcement, I promise." Stay tuned.
      Colorado Mammoth general manager Steve Govett wrote in today to point out some incorrect information reported in this column last night. While the Mammoth's top faceoff man, Rory Graham, does indeed have a broken foot, Govett says the injury will only keep Graham out of action for four weeks, not the ten weeks which was reported on the PLPA's web site and picked up by this site. We regret the error.
      The Vancouver Province reports today that Brian Burke might be looking to buy a piece of the Vancouver Ravens. Burke, the Vancouver Canucks' (NHL) general manager, "has expressed an interest" in joining the team's limited partnership, principal owner Paul Reinhart tells the Province. Reinhart will meet with several potential investors in the coming days.

 

20 November 2002:
      The National Hockey League has selected a bid by Mark Hamister to purchase the Buffalo Sabres in a package deal that also will include title to the Buffalo Bandits and HSBC Arena. A news conference to officially announce the selection will be held Thursday afternoon at Hamister's office in downtown Buffalo. Hamister, who owns the Arena Football League's Buffalo Destroyers, beat out Rochester billionaire Thomas Golisano in the race for the Sabres franchise, which was put in the NHL's custody after owner John Rigas was charged with stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the cable company he founded, Adelphia Communications. The sale, which must be approved by the NHL's Board of Governors, is expected to close in early 2003.
      We learned today the identity of the second player headed to East Rutherford in the Colorado Mammoth - New Jersey Storm trade. Chris Standish, a second-year defenseman from London, Ont., is coming east from Denver. In eight games last season with the Washington Power, Standish dished out two assists and scooped up 33 loose balls. A more complete explanation of why Colorado traded for All-Star defenseman and faceoff wizard Jamie Hanford also was revealed today -- the team's top draw man, Rory Graham, acquired this summer from Ottawa via Philadelphia, is out for ten weeks with a broken foot.
      The Ottawa Rebel will host an exhibition game at Civic Centre on Saturday, 30 November (7:30 PM), against the Buffalo Bandits. Admission is free, but tickets are required. Fans can reserve their seats by calling the Rebel office at 613.231.5608 or via email at tickets@ottawarebel.com.

 

19 November 2002:
      In a trade that many Philadelphia fans watched with awe, the Colorado Mammoth today dealt Philly-area native Bobby Horsey and a player to be named to the New Jersey Storm for defenseman Jamie Hanford, a former Wing. "Jamie is one of the best face-off specialists in the NLL," Mammoth GM Steve Govett said. "We lost our starting face off man in the pre-season so we knew we were going to have to make a move. We were really excited at the opportunity to get a great defensive player and an NLL All-Star in Jamie." Statistically speaking, Horsey posted eighteen points (11+7) with the Washington Power last season, while Hanford totalled sixteen points (7+9) and a 233-192 faceoff record for the Storm.
      In other Colorado Mammoth news, the team goes on the road this weekend, practicing on Saturday at OD Sportscrossing in Fort Collins, CO (10:00 to Noon, 4:00 to 6:00 PM Mountain). Friday night, though, the team will work out at its usual training camp venue, Arapahoe Sports Center in Englewood (9:00 to 11:00 PM Mountain). The practice sessions are open to the public. For more information, call the Mammoth at 303.405.1340.

 

18 November 2002:
      Chalk up another PR coup for the Colorado Mammoth, which hosts an exhibition game against the Philadelphia Wings on Friday, 6 December, following a Colorado Avalanche game (approximate lacrosse start time of 11:00 PM Mountain, 1:00 AM Eastern). Those in attendance for the hockey game are invited to stick around through the arena conversion (45 minutes or so), with entertainment and cut-rate concessions planned. Once the Avs skate off, Coors beer prices drop to $2.00 and hot dogs to $1.00, and they'll stay that way through the exhibition.
      Speaking of this exhibition game, might former Philadelphia Wings star Kevin Finneran be decked out in maroon and gray that night? After this weekend's surprise release, Finneran is an unrestricted free agent, and the Colorado Mammoth is one of the perceived favorites to sign the twelve-year veteran. As for Finneran's departure, Inside Lacrosse reports today that he requested free agency when he was told that his role on the team would be reduced this season. The Wings, it seems, want to emphasize their younger players, even though the 36-year-old Finneran bagged 79 points last season. "I feel I still have game," Finneran said. "I didn’t expect to leave Philly, but sometimes change is good."
      The Toronto Rock is having no luck with its Squires. First, Kim Squire contracted flesh-eating disease, which is expected to keep him out of action until February. Now, Total Lacrosse reports that older brother Rodd Squire has retired after six seasons, including five with the Rock. Injuries took their toll on the elder Squire, with a nasty rug burn suffered midway through the 2002 season apparently being the last straw.

 

17 November 2002:
      Even though last year's exhibition game in Halifax brought in a very good crowd, it won't be repeated this preseason. The Toronto Rock, Ottawa Rebel and Metro Centre management couldn't come together on a date for this year's edition. "We’ve been talking to the Rock and we’ve been trying to put a deal together that would include Saint John, St. John’s and Halifax [for] three games," arena general manager Scott Ferguson said. An exhibition held last November at Metro Centre, between the Rock and Montreal Express, drew better than 6,000.

 

16 November 2002:
      Some cold water was splashed on Toronto Rock forward Kim Squire's aggressive comeback bid this weekend when he underwent a third surgery on his bacterially-infected hand yesterday. Although diagnosed with flesh-eating disease recently, Squire is shooting to return to the Rock in time for the season opener at Albany, on 27 December. However, when Rock coach Les Bartley factors in the time needed for the wound to heal and for a rehabilitation period, he's not counting on having Squire available on opening night. "We want him to concentrate on rehabilitating his hand and getting himself back into a healthy mindset," Bartley said. "As for his starting the season with the team, we are doubtful. He's fired up and wants to get going but I don't think he'll get clearance from the doctors so quickly."
      Speaking of the Toronto Rock, the status of Dan Stroup remains a touchy subject for coach/GM Les Bartley. For better than a year now, Stroup has had a standing request to be traded to the Vancouver Ravens, where he lives and works as a firefighter. After five years of flying cross-country each week for games, he would like to end the weekly commute, and is now tired of waiting, vowing to retire if he's not traded. There's just one problem, though -- he's trapped in a trade that wouldn't happen naturally. The Ravens aren't particularly interested in Stroup, but likely would take him if the deal was sweet enough; Bartley, on the other hand, wants fair value for the veteran.
      The Albany Attack today traded Mark Morley to the New Jersey Storm for a third-round selection in the 2003 NLL Entry Draft. It's a fairly even deal -- Albany grabbed Morley in the third round (36th overall) of this year's entry draft. In his senior season at the University of Massachusetts last spring, Morley scored 37 goals and dished out 15 assists, leading the Minutemen in points scored, 52.

 

15 November 2002:
      The Ottawa Rebel has scheduled a pair of preseason games for Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. On Thursday, 21 November, the Rebel hosts the Rochester Knighthawks (8:00 PM). A month later, on Sunday, 22 December, the opponent is the defending league champion Toronto Rock (3:00 PM). Ticket information for the K'Hawks game has not been announced, but admission to the Rock game will be $20 (Canadian) for adults and $10 for children. Tickets will be available at the Copps Coliseum box office and via ticketmaster.ca. The arena will be the practice facility of both the Rebel and Rock this season.
      Several members of the Philadelphia Wings will invade West Chester's Burrito Loco Restaurant (owned by forward Jake Bergey) on Saturday, 23 November, to hand out free tacos, help give away prizes, and mingle with the fans. Joining Bergey at Burrito Loco will be teammates Kevin Finneran, Jeff Ratcliffe, and Tom Slate; father Bill, a former All-Pro linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles; and the Wings Dance Team. Among the goodies to be given away: an autographed Wings jersey and lacrosse stick, tickets to an upcoming Wings home game, and a football autographed by Bill Bergey.

 

13 November 2002:
      The Philadelphia Wings' Jeff Spano will be one of several Philadelphia sports notables attending ALS Day events on Saturday in Wayne, PA, signing autographs at the Wayne Hotel to help raise money for further research on the disease. Phillies manager Larry Bowa and Charge star Tara Koleski will also be on hand signing autographs. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease after its most famous victim, strikes more than 5,000 Americans every year. It has no cure.
      Speaking of the Philadelphia Wings, they'll be holding two upcoming training camp sessions at the First Union Spectrum in Philadelphia, their former home (1987-1996) and just a few hundred feet from their current home, the First Union Center. The Wings will take to the Spectrum floor on Sunday at 5:00 PM and Tuesday at 8:30 PM. These practices are open to the media but closed to the general public. Most Wings practices are held at Tri-State Sports in Aston, PA, and are open to the public.
      The Toronto Rock will begin selling individual game tickets this Friday at 10:00 AM in person at the Air Canada Centre box office, by phone (416.872.5000), and at ticketmaster.ca. Tickets range from $48 (Canadian) for Platinum-level seats down to $19 for Purple seats. Youth tickets are $10 off for all levels except Platinum.

 

11 November 2002:
      The Albany Attack today traded defenseman and faceoff specialist Steve Fannell to the Ottawa Rebel for a second-round pick in the 2003 NLL Entry Draft. "We're very excited about this deal," Rebel coach Terry Sanderson said. "Steve will give us a lot of stability of defense." Fannell posted a 156-181 record on draws in 2002; the year before, however, he led the league in faceoffs won (215) and was third in faceoff percentage (58.27%). Last summer, Fannell was a co-coach for the OLA Junior A champion St. Catharines Athletics, which lost to the Burnaby Lakers in the Minto Cup finals.
      To their dismay, the Calgary Roughnecks have not yet signed forward Tracey Kelusky, selected first-overall in September's dispersal draft. Team owner Brad Banister hoped to have Kelusky under contract by the time training camp started on Saturday, but that hasn't quite happened. However, only final details remain, the Calgary Sun reports today. "He's a smart guy and he's doing his due diligence," Banister said of the 94-point man. "He wanted to make sure everything was right for him here. He seems excited about playing here now and we're very excited about that."
      If you thought that Jen Adams' brief stint in Washington's training camp last year was the last you'd hear for a while of ending gender barriers, meet Ginny Capicchioni. A three-time Northeast Conference Goaltender of the Year at Sacred Heart University, Capicchioni attended the New Jersey Storm's rookie camp last weekend, and impressed the coaching staff so much that she was invited to the team's regular camp, opening this Saturday in Rahway, NJ. "When I'm playing men's lacrosse if I recognize the fact that they are men and are considerable bigger than me, more times than not I do not do as well, Capicchioni said. "To counteract that problem however I just consider everybody a number and I only concentrate on the ball."
      The Rochester Knighthawks have signed an eight-game television deal with WRWB-TV, in the most extensive single-team American TV agreement in league history. The entire home schedule will be televised, with five games, including the season opener on Saturday, 28 December (vs. New Jersey), airing live on "WB 16." Three games will be tape-delayed: Albany (Saturday, 1 February) by two hours, and Ottawa (Friday, 28 February) and Toronto (Friday, 14 March) by one day.

 

10 November 2002:
      The Calgary Roughnecks open training camp today without leading goal-scorer Ben Prepchuk, who is holding out for a pay raise to the league maximum $18,750 (US). Roughnecks owner Brad Banister steadfastly refuses to pay superstar money to the 40-goal, 38-assist rising star, announcing in today's Calgary Sun that he's willing to wait Prepchuk out. "We're not going to set a precedent on this team," Banister said. "We'll not let the players rule here. He'll either play or sit in Edmonton for two years. It's as simple as that." In happier news, the Roughnecks are expected to announce today that they have signed team captain Kaleb Toth and star off-season acquisition Tracey Kelusky.
      Speaking of the Calgary Roughnecks, two of their preseason games have been cancelled and a third may follow. Matches against the Vancouver Ravens in Vernon and Prince George, B.C. (Saturday, 7 December and Saturday, 14 December, respectively) were called off after the Professional Lacrosse Players Association demanded that players be paid for the games. Because the proceeds will go to charity, Roughnecks owner Brad Banister claims that paying the players for those games would make it impossible to raise any money. The teams' meeting in Saskatoon, on Saturday, 21 December, could also be lost to the dispute.

 

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."