Below are some of the smaller items which made news in the National Lacrosse League between November 2003 and January 2004, including trades, rumors, odd facts and injury updates.

29 January 2004:
      The Buffalo Bandits have signed free agent Jamie Hackel to a one-year contract and have promoted goaltender Corey Quinn from the practice squad, the team recently announced. "Signing Jamie brings a lot of toughness and grit to this team," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. “We’ll bring him east from time to time for certain games. We plan on him relocating to the area later in the season to help us down the stretch run." In 21 career games for the Bandits, Hackel has recorded two goals, two assists, and 62 penalty minutes. Quinn, squeezed out of the backup role with the offseason acquisition of Derek General, recorded a 12.36 goals-against average with the Bandits last season.
      Tyson Leies, who recently told the Calgary Sun that his absence from the Calgary Roughnecks' lineup was money-related and not due to his aching knee, could be in uniform as soon as Saturday night, the Sun reported today. The Roughnecks received medical clearance from Leies' doctor two days ago, according to the report; the only obstacles remaining are clearance from team doctors and a signed contract.

 

26 January 2004:
      CNBC morning show Squawk Box will air a report on the National Lacrosse League tomorrow morning, with sports business reporter Scott Wapner giving an overview of the league. Interviews with commissioner Jim Jennings and Philadelphia Wings owner Russ Cline are expected, as well as game footage. The story is scheduled to air at 7:45 AM Eastern; alas, no repeat viewing for late risers and West Coast fans.

 

24 January 2004:
      Toronto Rock forward Kim Squire's holdout has now reached three games, with no end in sight. When acting head coach Ed Comeau told Squire that he would be a healthy scratch for the Rock's season opener on 10 January (a 13-8 loss at Rochester), Squire walked out and hasn't been back. "We haven't ruled anything out, but we feel the onus is on Kim to come to us now," Comeau said. "We know Kim is an emotional guy who really wants to participate and play, so we said we'll let him cool off, thinking we would hear from him once he had a change of heart, but we haven't heard from him." Squire lost much of last season to flesh-eating disease on his right hand, scoring just two goals in three games in 2003.

 

23 January 2004:
      The Calgary Roughnecks and local Co-op stores have joined forces to offer discount Roughneck tickets. Seats in the "Breakaway Zone" -- 900 seats in sections 204, 205 and 206 -- cost only $10 (Canadian) each, and can be purchased exclusively at the customer service department at any Co-op. "Interest in the 'Breakaway Zone' is high," Roughnecks vice president Bill Cragg said, "and we expect those seats to go very quickly. In fact, I understand they are already going fast."
      For their 31 January home game against Toronto, the Rochester Knighthawks are offering the Crazy Eights special: four tickets, four regular hot dogs, and four 12-ounce sodas for $88 (American). Also, the Knighthawks will accept Canadian money at par for that game, for all tickets from $13.25 to $25.25. Tickets are available at the Blue Cross Arena box office or by calling the Knighthawks office at 585.454.5335.

 

18 January 2004:
      Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Don McKee, one of the few media members in town who gives indoor lacrosse a fair shake, reminded readers today that even though the city hasn't won a major sports championship in two decades, there is a frequent champion in town -- the six-titles-in-fifteen-years Philadelphia Wings. "While you're bellowing 'Fly Eagles Fly' tonight," McKee writes, "consider adding a verse that starts 'Flap Wings Flap.'" With the Eagles' football season having come to an end tonight in the NFC Championship Game, there'll be plenty of time now for Philadelphians to jump on the Flap Wings Flap bandwagon.

 

15 January 2004:
      Fan balloting for the 2004 All Star Game, to be held on 22 February in Denver, began today on the NLL's official web site, and will remain open until noon Eastern on Monday, 9 February. Fans can pick a starting lineup (three forwards, two defensemen, and a goaltender) for each division, with every player currently on a 23-man roster included on the ballot, and there is no limit on the number of ballots a person may submit. Fan balloting will count one-third towards the selection of the starting lineups; league media and the team GMs/coaches will also account for one-third apiece. Click here to vote.
      In other All Star Game news, the NLL announced today that the coaches for each team will be determined by the standings on Monday, 9 February (following the games of Week Seven). The head coach of the first-place team in each division will be the head coach for his division in the All Star Game, with the second-place coach serving as the assistant coach. The ASG coaches will choose the reserve players for their teams; each side will have fifteen runners and two goaltenders.
      In a repeat of big brother Casey's departure a few years back, Buffalo Bandits forward Ryan Powell has decided to put his NLL career on hold in order to pursue field lacrosse opportunities. Powell is an assistant coach on Syracuse University's mens lacrosse staff, and is looking to hook on with a Major League Lacrosse team. "Obviously we are not happy with decision that Ryan has made. He chose to pack it in rather than work and continue to progress as a player in this league," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. "I think Ryan has made a poor decision for his lacrosse career and for his future but ultimately his heart was not in it and this was a decision that only he could make." Powell missed the entire 2003 season with a knee injury; this year, he recorded no goals and one assist in one game.

 

14 January 2004:
      "Wednesday Night Lacrosse Hour," the weekly call-in show promised as part of the Buffalo Bandits' new radio deal, debuted this evening from the Pearl Street Grill and Brewery in Buffalo. The first 45 minutes of the program, airing each Wednesday at 7:00 PM on WJJL 1440 AM, will focus on the Bandits and the NLL in general, with the final fifteen dedicated to the local lacrosse scene. Color analyst Randy Mearns hosts the show.
      Colorado Mammoth forward Curtis Smith is out for a month after breaking his left hand in Saturday's 13-12 loss at San Jose. Smith, a third-round pick out of Ohio State in October's entry draft, will be placed on injured reserve and the Mammoth plans to sign a left-handed transition player to replace him. "The goods news with Curtis is that it's not a displaced break; it's a clean break of the metacarpal," Mammoth GM Steve Govett told the Denver Post. "They think he can have a stick in his hand in two weeks, but we want to be careful."
      Eagles Fever hits the Wachovia Center on Saturday, when the Philadelphia Wings host a pep rally for the football team prior to the 7:30 PM lacrosse game against Rochester. Former Eagles linebacker Bill Bergey (father of Wings forward Jake Bergey) will lead the crowd in the signing of "Fly Eagles Fly," and the Wings will wear green practice jerseys during warmups. Also, fans who wear their Eagles gear to the Wings game will be able to purchase tickets for just $10.00 (US).

 

12 January 2004:
      The Buffalo Bandits and McDonald's have teamed up to offer the "Buffalo Bandits Family Pack," bundling game tickets and Golden Arches food for a discount price. The package include four 100-level Bandits tickets, two 20-piece boxes of Chicken McNuggets, two large french fries, four medium sodas, and two Brine lacrosse balls for $49.95. "It's great that McDonald's has chosen to partner with us this season. It's really a win-win scenario," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. "McDonald's is able to drive more traffic to their stores, and we're able to offer a great family value to our fans." Packages are available via the Bandits ticket office (888.467.2273) or at the HSBC Arena box office.

 

10 January 2004:
      After two months in the hospital, Toronto Rock head coach and general manager Les Bartley went home to St. Catharines, Ontario, the other day and is studying film on behalf of protogé and interim head coach Ed Comeau. "I was just laying in my Lazy Boy watching Rochester and Buffalo [play lacrosse]," Bartley explained when Toronto Sun lacrosse writer Mike Koreen called him the other day. "I'm here any time they need me... I'm going to be watching Toronto Rock lacrosse." Bartley, 49, had a malignant tumor removed from his colon in November, and is waiting to begin chemotherapy (perhaps as soon as this month). He is expected to miss the entire season.
      After suffering through early-season struggles the past two seasons (1-3 to start 2002, and 2-5 in 2003), Philadelphia Wings head coach Adam Mueller tells the Philadelphia Inquirer that he's hoping for a change. "We'll never push the panic button early in the season," Mueller said, "but it would be nice to have a couple of wins." The Inquirer headline makes it even clearer and more than a bit prescient -- "Team would prefer a fast start this time." After defeating Buffalo earlier this evening, the Wings are 2-0, and in each game, they got that fast start. Two weeks ago in Rochester, it was 5-0 in the first quarter; tonight, 10-2 in the second.

 

9 January 2004:
      The Colorado Mammoth will host Women's Lax 101 on Sunday, 25 January at Pepsi Center's Blue Sky Grill. The program (which costs $50.00 per person) begins with a clinic, with a Mammoth player and coach, and is followed by a luncheon. Each participant receives tickets to that night's game against Arizona, a t-shirt, a lacrosse 101 handbook, and a coupon for services at Meineke. Call 303.575.1917 to register or for more information.
      The San Jose Stealth has formally unveiled their jerseys for the 2004 season. The home jersey has the Stealth logo on a Precision Black base, with Rapid Red and Secret Silver trim (hey, we don't make up the names). The colors rotate for the road (white base, other three colors as trim) and alternate (red base, silver and black trim) jerseys. Replica jerseys can be preordered via sjstealth.com or the HP Pavilion Sharks Store, but will not be available until next month.

 

6 January 2004:
      The Rochester Knighthawks have designated Saturday's game against Toronto as "Make a Sign Night." Fans who bring a sign to the arena can purchase $10.00 tickets for the 100-end seating area (limit two tickets per sign). Also, Saturday is the last chance for Knighthawks fans to redeem their preseason tickets for the buy-one-get-one-free ticket offer (see News and Notes, 20 December 2003). The Knighthawks' annual free exhibition game, slated for Saturday, 6 December, was wiped out by last month's strike.

 

3 January 2004:
      John Gurtler and Randy Mearns will call the action on WJJL 1440 AM's coverage of the Buffalo Bandits this season, the team announced yesterday. Gurtler is the public address announcer for Buffalo Bills (NFL) games at Ralph Wilson Stadium; Mearns played ten years in MILL and NLL, for the Bandits and Rochester Knighthawks, and is currently the men's lacrosse coach at Canisius College.

 

2 January 2004:
      The Great Alberta Trading Frenzy continued today, as the Calgary Roughnecks acquired holdout forward Kevin Howard from the Philadelphia Wings for a 2006 second-round draft choice. The trade, Calgary's fourth in the last two weeks, is a homecoming of sorts for Howard, an Edmonton native who scored 30 goals last season for Ottawa. "He was here with us in Calgary when we started out," Roughnecks owner and general manager Brad Banister said. "But at that time we had an opportunity to acquire some proven, rather than promising, talent and I reluctantly let him go... There’s no way I could miss out on the opportunity to acquire Kevin’s rights."

 

1 January 2004:
      Eight Calgary Roughnecks will be on hand at the Pengrowth Saddledome Saturday night for the Calgary Flames' hockey game against Vancouver, signing autographs and helping to promote the Roughnecks' upcoming season. Among those in attendance will be forwards Tracey Kelusky, Ted Dowling, and Jason Wulder, and goaltender Curtis Palidwor. Some of them will set up shop at the arena's Whisky Lounge for a pregame meet-and-greet, while others will be at tables throughout the concourse before the game and during the two intermissions. The Roughnecks' season opener is 9 January at Vancouver, with the first home game on 25 January (also against Vancouver).

 

31 December 2003:
      The Buffalo Bandits have signed forward John Tavares to a one-year contract, bringing the alltime assists king back into the fold for his thirteenth season. "I view [Tavares] as the best player in the game and his numbers certainly back that up. He is a tireless worker and I expect him to dominate again this year," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said today. Tavares, who led the league in assists (58) and points (107) last season, and was second only to Colorado's Gary Gait with 49 goals, has 431 assists for his career and stands just 144 points shy of 1000 for his career.

 

30 December 2003:
      The Buffalo Bandits have reached a deal with WJJL 1440 AM to air all of the team's games this season, home and road. "Our loyal fans have wanted to follow the team both at home and on the road and this radio agreement will enable this to happen," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. Fourteen regular-season games will air live, with a pair tape-delayed until 10:00 PM the same evening (one of those, alas, is Saturday's season opener against Rochester). WJJL will also have a one-hour show devoted to the Bandits, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM.

 

29 December 2003:
      The Calgary Roughnecks made another defense-building trade today, acquiring Grant Hamilton from the Anaheim Storm for a 2004 third-round draft pick. Ten days ago, Hamilton was traded from Vancouver to Anaheim, after being made expendable by the Ravens' trade for Andy Ogilvie. "When the going gets tough, you can expect to find Grant somewhere in the middle of it," Roughnecks owner Brad Banister said. "From Day One, we knew we had to upgrade our defense if we were to be a serious contender."
      Philadelphia Wings forward Tom Ryan will miss the entire season due to the affects of a concussion suffered last season. The dreadlocked Ryan, known affectionately around the league as "Dude," had scored seven goals and dished out seven assists when his 2003 season ended after just eight games. "In losing Tom Ryan for part of last season and all of this year, we not only lost a solid offensive and defensive player but our assistant captain and a player who has been a veteran leader on the field and in the locker room," Wings Head Coach Adam Mueller said. "Tom leaves everything on the floor in each game he plays and that has been a great example for all the young talent we have been bringing along in Philadelphia." In his nine-year career, Ryan has recorded 82 goals and 120 assists.
      In other Philadelphia Wings news, forward Jake Bergey has been named the team's captain for the 2004 season. This is the first captaincy for Bergey, who was an alternate captain in 2002 (he missed the entire 2003 season with a knee injury). He replaces forward Tom Marechek, who joins defenseman Rich Brzeski as this year's alternate captains.

 

23 December 2003:
      The Buffalo Bandits yesterday traded Craig Gelsvik to the Calgary Roughnecks for Kyle Laverty, in an exchange of defensemen. Laverty tallied a goal, three assists, and 75 loose balls last season for Ottawa; Gelsvik, meanwhile, recorded no goals, six assists and 64 loosies for the Bandits. As part of the trade, Calgary gets a 2005 second-round entry draft pick, while Buffalo receives a 2006 fourth-round selection.
      The Calgary Roughnecks continued their wheeling and dealing today, sending young forward Shawn Cable to the Colorado Mammoth for veteran forward Ted Dowling. The well-travelled Dowling joins his eighth NLL franchise, following stops (take a deep breath) in Detroit, Boston, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Buffalo again, Montreal, and Colorado. Along the way, he has struck for 290 goals and 225 assists in 130 regular-season and playoff games. Cable, entering his third professional season, has 16 goals and 10 assists in 14 career games.
      The Buffalo Bandits also kept busy today, hooking up with the Anaheim Storm and Philadelphia Wings on a three-way trade. Buffalo dealt Chris Seller (two goals, six assists, and 90 loose ball recoveries in 2003) to Anaheim, the Storm sent defenseman Shawn Nadelen (2003: two goals, seven assists, 67 loose balls) to Philadelphia, and the Wings flipped defenseman Drew Candy (2003: one goal, three assists, 40 loose balls) to the Bandits.
      Rochester Knighthawks superstar forward John Grant is questionable for Saturday night's season opener against the Philadelphia Wings, Bob Matthews reported in today's Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Grant is recovering from a broken leg suffered while playing this summer in the Canadian box leagues.
      Goaltender Bob Watson signed a one-year contract Monday to remain with the Toronto Rock. Watson became an unrestricted free agent after the Rock chose not to name him as a franchise player (forward Jim Veltman and defenseman Pat Coyle had that honor), but neither side wanted to end the six-year relationship. "They were eager to have me back and I was eager to be back, so it was a good fit," Watson said. With Anthony Cosmo being groomed as Watson's successor, it's unclear just how much "Whipper" will play in 2004. Watson's minutes have steadily declined the past few years, down to just 602 last season -- but he still managed to post a league-leading 10.06 goals-against average and second-best 77.65 save percentage in 2003.

 

20 December 2003:
      The Anaheim Storm dropped to 0-2 in the preseason last night, losing an exhibition game to the Colorado Mammoth, 14-11, at Arrowhead Pond. The Storm had previously lost to the San Jose Stealth, 16-9, in November. Scott Hochstedt led the Storm with three goals, while Chris Panos and Michael Law scored two each (Mammoth scorers were unavailable). The announced crowd was a relatively small 6,000 for the free exhibition, held immediately after a Mighty Ducks of Anaheim hockey game. Past NHL-NLL doubleheaders have drawn well over 10,000 fans in Denver and San Jose.
      In a gesture of goodwill after their annual free exhibition game was lost to the players' strike earlier this month, the Rochester Knighthawks are offering a ticket trade. Fans can swap their tickets to the 6 December exhibition for a free $13.25 ticket with the purchase of an additional $13.25 ticket. The offer applies only to the Knighthawks' first two home games, this Saturday night (against Philadelphia) and 10 January (Toronto).
      In this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, humor columnist Bill Scheft (who moonlights as David Letterman's jokewriter) pokes fun at the recently-ended players strike. "Professional Lacrosse Players Association strike now in Week Two," Scheft wrote. "Unfortunately you can't read the picket signs because they keep cradling them." Because of SI's publishing schedule, the column was written before the strike ended but the magazine didn't hit newstands until afterwards.

 

19 December 2003:
      The final team to announce its Franchise Player designations, the Calgary Roughnecks today declined to tag any of its three potential unrestricted free agents. The Roughnecks could have selected two players from among forward Jason Wulder (20 goals, 33 assists in 2003) and defensemen Neil Doddridge (13 goals, 9 assists) and Tyson Leies (21 goals, 16 assists), but would've needed to pay the franchise player(s) the league-maximum $20,625 (American) this season. The three may now sign with any NLL team.
      The Vancouver Ravens today traded forwards Mike Law, Chad Wittman and Richard Morgan and defenseman Grant Hamilton to the Anaheim Storm for a second-round draft pick in 2004 and a first-rounder in 2006. With tight competition for roster spots in Vancouver and the three forwards' reported desire to play in the United States, the trade was a snap for the Ravens. Law (17 goals, 30 assists last season) and Hamilton (7 goals, 9 assists) had been with the Ravens since the team's inception two years ago, while Wittman (6 goals, 3 assists in five games) joined the club a year ago and Morgan was limited to the practice squad.

 

18 December 2003:
      How telegenic are the Colorado Mammoth players? We might find out next season. Stan Kroenke, who seemingly owns the entire Denver sports scene, is considering the launch of his own regional sports network, the Denver Post reported today. Kroenke has a window of opportunity this summer, when Fox Sports Rocky Mountain's seven-year, $100 million contract to air Colorado Avalanche (NHL) and Denver Nuggets (NBA) games expires. The Mammoth, Avs, Nuggets, and Colorado Rapids (MLS) -- all owned by Kroenke -- would migrate to the new channel.
      As part of their tenth anniversary celebrations, the Rochester Knighthawks will name an alltime team. The lineup will feature two goaltenders, five forwards and three defensemen. Fans can vote via knighthawks.net or at the Blue Cross Arena ticket office during Knighthawk home games. The tenth anniversary team will be announced at the Knighthawks' game against Buffalo on Saturday, 20 March. In related news, the Knighthawks released a special logo to commemorate their ten years of indoor lacrosse; it features the usual Hawk logo superimposed over a large black 'X' (get it?... ten, in Roman numerals) and the years 1995 and 2004.

 

13 December 2003:
      Glendale Arena, which officially opens on 26 December with the Arizona Sting's season opener, will be open to the public tomorrow in an event hosted by the Sting's co-tenant and corporate partner, the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes. The main concourse, lower seating bowl, concession stands, and merchandise stands will all be open, and there will be children's activities such as face-painting. Doors open at 10:00 AM (Mountain) for Coyotes season ticket holders and 11:30 AM for the general public. The Coyotes will conduct an hour-long open practice at noon, and the arena will stay open until 4:00 PM. Admission is free, but fans are asked to bring a canned food item for donation.

 

12 December 2003:
      Rochester Knighthawks action is returning to WROC 950 AM, the team announced today. WROC will air every game live, with Knighthawks public relations guru Craig Rybczynski back for his third season on play-by-play and former K'Hawk Billy Meagher providing analysis during home broadcasts. Don't live in Rochester? Don't fret -- every broadcast will be available in streaming audio via knighthawks.net and nll.com.

 

11 December 2003:
      The Anaheim Storm yesterday released forwards Mike Benedict and Hanley Holcomb, dropping a pair of players who had limited action with the team last season, when it was based in New Jersey. Benedict, whose nine-year career has included stints with six franchises, played in just six games for the Storm in 2003, scoring five goals and assisting on thirteen more. Holcomb played in only three games, recording a goal and an assist.

 

10 December 2003:
      The Toronto Rock and Ticketmaster have teamed up to present "The Season Could be On Us," in which lucky Rock fans could win season tickets. Fans who purchase tickets to either the 16 January (Calgary) or 23 January (Vancouver) games via ticketmaster.ca will be entered in a random drawing to win a pair of lower-bowl ducats for all remaining regular-season home games (you're on your own for the playoffs). See torontorock.com for complete contest rules.

 

9 December 2003:
      The Professional Lacrosse Players Association today announced the addition of Tom Mullen to its strike committee. Mullen, a long-time union organizer, helped organize the Major Indoor Lacrosse League Players Association, the forerunner to the present-day PLPA, in 1993. In making the announcement today, PLPA vice president Dave Succamore praised Mullen's aggressiveness and determination.
      The San Jose Stealth recently traded forward Mark Cochrane to the Arizona Sting for a conditional draft pick. Cochrane played in thirty games for the Albany Attack (now the Stealth) over the past two seasons, scoring three goals and tacking on 21 assists. He also played three seasons for Buffalo in the mid-90s, recording four goals and ten assists. If Cochrane dresses for every Sting game this season, the Stealth receives Arizona's third-round pick in the 2004 NLL entry draft; otherwise, the pick is a fourth-rounder.

 

6 December 2003:
      The Vancouver Ravens scored four fourth-quarter goals last night, snapping a 9-9 tie to defeat the Calgary Roughnecks in the second-annual Northern Cup. Cam Sedgwick and Chris Prat scored two goals each for the Ravens, while Jason Wulder and Kevin Dostie had a pair apiece for the Riggers. "You could tell it was pre-season," Roughnecks assistant coach Earl Caron said. "There were lots of little errors, technical stuff, but it was still a good game, an exciting game." The game, held at the Prince George Multiplex in Prince George, B.C., was the final league event before the players' strike began just past midnight.

 

5 December 2003:
      A-list free agent Gavin Prout is still considering contract offers from five teams, Mike Koreen reports in the Toronto Sun. The Toronto Rock, Buffalo Bandits and Anaheim Storm the favorites to sign the former New York Saints first-overall draft pick, although the Colorado Mammoth and Arizona Sting are also in the running. "It will come down to who puts the best deal on the table," Prout's agent, Rich Furlong, said. (memo to agent: it usually does) In two professional seasons, both in New York, Prout scored 58 goals and tacked on 96 assists.
      Even with the Rochester Knighthawks' annual free preseason game (tomorrow vs. Anaheim) postponed due to the player strike, K'Hawks fans can still get together for a night of indoor lacrosse fun. The team's official fan club, the Knighthawks Krew, will host "A Night of Knighthawks History" tomorrow evening at Bennigan's Pub at the Clarion Riverside Hotel in downtown Rochester. The highlight event: the 1997 Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship game will be shown on one of the restaurant's twelve-foot-high televisions. That game represents the only championship in Knighthawks history, a 15-12 victory over the hated Buffalo Bandits.

 

2 December 2003:
      Score another victory for lacrosse historians. After bouncing around the idea for a while, the league has finally unveiled an alltime player stats page on nll.com. Right now, only offensive stats are included, and only going as far back as 1992 (except for active players whose careers began before that, such as Colorado's Gary Gait). The statistics include games played, goals, assists, points, loose balls, penalty minutes and faceoff wins, and are broken down into regular season and postseason totals. Goaltending stats from 1992 to the present should be available by the start of the upcoming season, with older material slated for a summer 2004 rollout.
      The Anaheim Storm is launching a junior team, for youth ages 10-13, to promote the team and the sport throughout southern California. The team will play at halftime of selected Storm home games, and will travel at least once this season (to Vancouver, on 13 March; a visit to Colorado is also possible). Although there will be tryouts, the team is not for competition. For more information or to apply, contact Janice Jimenez at 714.704.2451.
      The Calgary Roughnecks released eight players yesterday, including four who suited up for the Riggers over the past two seasons. The most-tenured of the four is defenseman Terry Dennett, who played in five games last season and recorded three assists; the other experienced cuts were forward Jayme Bryde (one goal in 2002) and defensemen David Marshall (four games, no points in 2003) and Scott Frizzell, who tore up his knee in the Riggers' first-ever game and has not played since. Forwards Dan Denihan and Rob McGorean and defensemen Jon Tarbell and Chris Melhus also were let go. Denihan was selected in the 2001 expansion draft, Tarbell arrived via this year's Ottawa dispersal draft, and McGorean and Milhus were late-round picks in this year's entry draft.

 

28 November 2003:
      The Buffalo Bandits have traded Mike Hamilton to the Anaheim Storm for a conditional draft pick. If Hamilton, who has never played in an NLL game, appears in ten or more games for the Storm this season, Buffalo receives a fourth-round pick in the 2004 NLL Entry Draft; four to nine games, a fifth-round pick; three or less, no compensation. The Bandits acquired Hamilton in July, as the 31st pick in the Ottawa dispersal draft.
      John Kilbride, who scored the first goal in Calgary Roughnecks history, is retiring after two years with the team. Kilbride scored eighteen goals for Calgary in 2002, but as the Riggers bulked up their offense last season, Kilbride's playing time diminished to a scant three games. "I thought about [retirement] all summer long, really leaving it to the last week prior to training camp so that when I did finally inform the club my spot at camp could still be filled," Kilbride said. "It takes a lot of commitment to play at this level - a commitment that extends into many areas of one’s life, and it basically came down to the fact that I could no longer justify the sacrifices when faced with dwindling rewards." Kilbride reportedly turned down offers from Arizona and Anaheim in order to remain close to home; he is a native Calgarian who owns a local Internet business.
      Rochester Knighthawks forward Curt Malawsky is the latest veteran to end up in a holding pattern, awaiting a trade to a team closer to home. Malawsky lives in Maple Ridge, BC; works in Vancouver; and wants to be a member of the Vancouver Ravens. However, Malawsky could be a free agent prior to the start of the season, and the Knighthawks want to know their options before dealing the righthanded sharpshooter. "It's a little frustrating, I'd love to be out there with my stick, with the guys, but I'm just going to have to wait it out," Malawsky told the Vancouver Sun. Several other players have had to endure prolonged trade talks before joining the Ravens, including former Toronto teammates Chris Gill and Dan Stroup.

 

25 November 2003:
      The Calgary Roughnecks have raised their Wray Quotient, trading a 2005 first round draft pick to the Vancouver Ravens for defenseman Devan Wray. Calgary drafted younger brother Taylor Wray with the second-overall pick in last month's entry draft, but the Ravens grabbed Devan Wray, who was also draft-eligible, before the Roughnecks selected again. "I can’t begin to tell you how excited we are to get both Wray boys on our squad," Roughnecks owner and general manager Brad Banister said. "They are both impact players and an added bonus is that they are from Alberta... It’s important that minor lacrosse players in Alberta have something to aspire to, a club to support and heroes to cheer for." Taylor will play defense for the Roughnecks, while Devan is penciled in as a transition player.
      The Philadelphia Wings will host a preseason scrimmage against the Anaheim Storm on Saturday, 6 December at United Sports Training Center in Downingtown, PA. Admission is free and open to the public for the teams' first meeting since the Storm relocated from north Jersey to southern California this summer. Game time is 5:30 PM.
      The New York Department of Motor Vehicles has released custom vanity plates featuring the Rochester Knighthawks logo, continuing a series of license plates based on New York professional sports teams (including the Buffalo Bandits and New York Saints). The standard plate costs $43 (US), with a $25 annual registration surcharge, and consists of three digits followed by the letters "HWK." Personalized plates, with up to six characters of the buyer's choice, cost $68 with a $50 annual registration surcharge. Production of the plates begins when 200 orders are confirmed.
      In other Rochester Knighthawks news, the team will host a clinic for children 8-15 at Blue Cross Arena on Saturday, 27 December (8:30 to 11:00 AM). A pizza party and autograph session follows the clinic, with the Knighthawks' season opener (against Philadelphia) that evening. For $45 (US), participants also receive two tickets, a Knighthawks t-shirt, and a lacrosse ball; family members can purchase additional tickets for $10 each. Call the Knighthawks group sales office (585.454.5335) to register.

 

21 November 2003:
      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 LaxNet, please notify the webmaster at webmaster@lacrosse-network.com.
      The Buffalo Bandits are teaming with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres (both are owned by Rochester businessman Tom Golisano) to offer a "Border War" ticket package for games against Toronto clubs. The four-game deal includes tickets to the Bandits' home contests against the Rock (Friday, 5 March, and Saturday, 27 March) and the Sabres' remaining tilts with the Maple Leafs (Monday, 15 March and Friday, 2 April). The package costs $200 (American) for 200 Level Club seats and $150 for 100 Level II seats. Call 888.GO.SABRES to order.

 

20 November 2003:
      The National Lacrosse League has unveiled the logo for the 2004 NLL All Star Game, to be held on 22 February at Pepsi Arena in Denver. The logo, shown at right, features a lacrosse stick with the Rocky Mountains inside. The Colorado Mammoth hosts the midseason classic and all of its pregame festivities, including the first-ever collegiate indoor lacrosse game (Colorado Buffaloes vs. Colorado State Rams) and a skills competition.
      In yet more All Star Game news, tickets will go on sale next Saturday (29 November) at 10:00 AM Mountain (noon Eastern) at the Pepsi Center box office, Foley's, Angelo's CDs & More, select Rite Aid locations, Tower Records and Wherehouse Music, as well as online at ticketmaster.com and via phone at 303.830.TIXS. Prices start at $7.00 (American).
      The Anaheim Storm has released cousins Tim and Cam Bomberry; the reasons are unclear. Tim, a defenseman, played six games for the Storm last season (after not playing in NLL since 1999), scoring no goals and scooping up just five loose balls. Cam, on the other hand, was among the team's top scorers each of the past two seasons, tallying 31 goals and 44 assists in 28 games.
      The Calgary Roughnecks have redesigned their web site, calgaryroughnecks.com. The new-look site is much brighter, with yellow sidebars replacing the black ones of old, although there's a bit more clutter, especially towards the bottom of the page. Improved content (including an all-time roster and team records) is on the way, too.

 

16 November 2003:
      The San Jose Stealth introduced itself to northern California last night in style, with an estimated 11,000 fans on hand for a free exhibition held after a San Jose Sharks game. The crowd witnessed an offensive outburst to open the late-night festivities (the contest began around 11:00 PM local time). Jim Moss scored just seven seconds into the game, Dan Teat tacked on a goal before the one-minute mark, and the Stealth built a 9-0 lead on the way to a 16-9 victory over the Anaheim Storm. First-round draft pick Scott Ranger led the Stealth with three goals, while Casey Powell (two goals) paced Anaheim. The Storm will host its own NHL-NLL doubleheader next month, hosting the Colorado Mammoth (pioneers of the twinbill exhibition) on 19 December at Arrowhead Pond.

 

13 November 2003:
      Just as they've done in preseasons past, the Rochester Knighthawks will host a free exhibition game next month. The Knighthawks will face off against the Arizona No-Names at the Blue Cross Arena, on Saturday, 6 December at 7:35 PM. Beginning Monday, tickets will be available at the arena, as well as at Locker Room Sports and at all Chase-Pitkin locations.
      Colorado Mammoth forward Gary Gait and general manager Steve Govett will soon take to the airwaves in Denver, to host Lacrosse Weekly on ESPN 560 AM. The program, airing Saturdays at 11:00 AM Mountain (1:00 PM Eastern), will feature discussions with local and national guests, as well as call-in segments. The show debuts on 13 December. Unfortunately, it appears that ESPN 560 is not available in streaming audio.

 

11 November 2003:
      Happy news from the collective bargaining agreement negotiations -- it appears the two sides finally are negotiating. The Professional Lacrosse Players Association reports on its web site that it has "[released a] CBA proposal to the NLL." This comes not long after union executives publicly trashed the league's opening offer and refused to discuss a new deal until all the outstanding debts from the previous CBA were paid off.
      NLL commissioner Jim Jennings and Philadelphia Wings forward Jake Bergey appeared this morning on Cold Pizza, ESPN2's morning show, as part of the show's week-long "It's Better Indoors" series on professional indoor sports. The fifteen-minute segment highlighted the league's fast-paced, high-scoring roughness with video clips of goals and fights. During the clips, host Jay Crawford gave a brief description of the league and mentioned that the NLL was hoping to increase its exposure with a televised game of the week. When asked why the league would succeed in its three new markets on the west coast, Jennings said, "This league appeals more to the casual fan, not necessarily the lacrosse fan. We've taken surveys and determined that eighty percent of the fans' first exposure to lacrosse was when they came to one of these games. We've already proven that we can't make it in the lacrosse areas such as Baltimore and Washington, DC." Watch for the league to be doing more of these television appearances as the season draws closer. (Deb McAllister)
      Unable to fit Lindsay Plunkett into their plans for 2004, the Buffalo Bandits today traded the part-time hockey player to the Arizona No-Names for a future first-round entry draft pick. "We recently acquired some left-handers that will be here for a while. We wanted to put Lindsay in a position that will work for him and I believe we’ve accomplished that," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. "He will be able to play part time for Arizona until he finishes school and then become a full-time player. We just didn’t see that working for us here in Buffalo." Plunkett played in six games for the Bandits last season, tallying six goals and nine assists. After each of the next two seasons, Arizona will have the option to convey to Buffalo its first-rounder in that year's entry draft; the transfer would become automatic in 2006 if not previously exercised.
      Jeff Spano has been named the Philadelphia Wings Player of the Year by the March of Dimes Sports Award Committee, for his volunteerism and support of local charities. Spano has held fundraisers to support cancer research in honor of his late mother, Mona Marie Spano, who passed away two years, and has volunteered his time to give motivational speeches to youth lacrosse players. The March of Dimes also honored a member of every other professional sports team in Philadelphia: Tony Amonte (Flyers), Todd MacCulloch (76ers), Bobby Taylor (Eagles), Larry Bowa (Phillies), Ben Stafford (Phantoms), and Adam Bruckner (Kixx).
 

10 November 2003:
      Henry Hunt, the one-armed forward from Virginia who drew strong attention around the league two years ago, is back in camp, making a longshot bid to join the Calgary Roughnecks. Hunt, who lost part of his left arm in a childhood auto accident, impressed many observers at the league's 2001 pre-draft scouting combine and earning an invite to the Roughnecks' inaugural tryout camp. This time around, Hunt flew to Calgary (he drove cross-continent in 2001, adding to the cult legend), but he arrives with virtually no shot at making the stacked-and-packed Roughneck roster. "I said, 'I won't treat you any different than anybody else coming in,'" Roughnecks owner Brad Banister said. "I was as honest as I could be, saying you have a slim, slim, slim to none chance of making this team." Hunt, who paid his own way out to Alberta for this tryout, is happy simply for the chance. "I have box experience now after playing in the OLA," he said. "I have speed, I can take the ball away from just about anyone. If I can demonstrate that in this camp, I think I'll have a legitimate shot."
      Speaking of the Calgary Roughnecks, things are not well between owner Brad Banister and former assistant coach Walt Christianson, who resigned last month to pursue a head coaching position and ended up joining the Colorado Mammoth as an assistant coach. "He basically took the same job and he told me he wouldn't do that," an angry Banister told the Calgary Sun. Christianson insists that he wasn't just ditching the Roughnecks. "The decision to go to Colorado had nothing to do with Calgary," Christianson told Rockslax.com. "I had decided to leave Calgary before I heard from Colorado. I was surprised when [the Mammoth] called because I didn't think any jobs were available... I would like to be a head coach in the NLL, that's true [but] the reality is, there are no head coaching jobs available right now."

 

7 November 2003:
      NLL commissioner Jim Jennings and Philadelphia Wings forward Jake Bergey will appear Tuesday on ESPN2's Cold Pizza. The month-old program is a twist on the traditional morning program, combining the usual Today / Good Morning America / Fox and Friends fare with ESPN's typical sports coverage. The show airs live every weekday from 7:00 to 9:00 AM Eastern, with a repeat airing from 9:00 to 11:00 AM.
      The Colorado Mammoth has hired Walt Christianson to coach its defense, the team announced yesterday. Christianson, who was an assistant coach in Calgary the past two seasons, takes over for Tony Resch, who left Colorado to rejoin the Philadelphia Wings. "We decided that [Christianson's] defensive schemes helped Victoria win a [Mann Cup] championship and [head coach] Jamie Batley said he felt most comfortable with Walt," general manager Steve Govett said. In a slew of other personnel moves: Ward Sanderson has been named the Mammoth's director of scouting, George McGeeney replaces Sanderson as an assistant coach, Bill Hall joins the club as director of player personnel (taking McGeeney's old job), and veteran forwards Al Truant and Fred Jenner have retired.
      Interim Toronto Rock general manager Derek Keenan isn't convinced he'll keep the job for the entire 2004 season. Keenan, who is keeping the chair warm while Les Bartley recovers from cancer surgery (Ed Comeau is the acting head coach), suspects that the seven-time MILL/NLL champion coach could be back sooner than expected. "Things look pretty good for him regarding the future. To say he won't be back at all in 2004 is just wrong at this point," Keenan told the Buffalo News. "After he's recovered, he and his family will meet with the doctors to decide on a course of action, perhaps chemotherapy. But Les takes good care of himself. He's fit, so obviously that's a big advantage for his recovery process." On Wednesday, the Rock announced that Bartley would miss the entire season after a malignant tumor was removed from his colon.
      The Vancouver Ravens have added one national telecast to their schedule, bringing to six the number of times the Black Birds will appear on The Score this season. The Ravens' trip to Denver, to meet the Colorado Mammoth, will be shown live on Saturday, 7 February at 6:30 PM Pacific (9:30 PM Eastern). "We're certainly pleased to have this game -- given its importance to what should be an interesting playoff race in the Western Division -- added to the national television package," Ravens governor Tom Mayenknecht said.