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

28 November 2004:
      The Toronto Rock won the third annual Northern Cup game last night, defeating the Vancouver Ravens, 15-10, in front of about 4,000 fans in Prince George, B.C. It's the first time the Ravens have lost a Northern Cup game. Vancouver led 7-6 at halftime, but the Rock stormed back in the third quarter courtesy of a preseason experiment -- a 25-second (rather than 30) shot clock, taking a 13-8 lead into the final quarter. Josh Sanderson topped the stat sheet with four goals and three assists, while Rock teammates Colin Doyle and Nick Trudeau each had hat tricks. Craig Conn led the Ravens with three goals.

 

27 November 2004:
      As the clock continues to mercilessly tick down to opening night, Vancouver Ravens founder and governor Tom Mayenknecht continues to seek out local investors to keep his team afloat. Yesterday, Mayenknecht updated his fellow governors on the search via conference call, and apparently, he pushed the right buttons. The governors were expected to decide on that conference call whether to euthanize the Ravens, but they put it off for a few days in order to study Mayenknecht's plan. The governors will meet again via telephone on Tuesday.
      In preseason action last night in Moline, Illinois, the Rochester Knighthawks defeated the San Jose Stealth, 15-14, in overtime. Ryan O'Connor scored the game's two biggest goals, one to tie the game with nine seconds left in regulation and another to win it 1:06 into sudden death. Shawn Williams scored four goals for the Knighthawks, while Scott Ranger tallied three for the Stealth. An estimated crowd of 1400 came out to the MARK of the Quad Cities for the exhibition.
      The Toronto Rock yesterday traded defenseman Ryan McNish to the Calgary Roughnecks for a sixth-round selection in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft. McNish, a ninth-round pick by Ottawa in the 2001 entry draft, has never played in the NLL. Toronto acquired McNish a year ago in the Rebel's dispersal draft, making him the last player taken in that draft.

 

23 November 2004:
      The Anaheim Storm has relegated its old logo to secondary status, retiring the block-letter word "Storm" and emphasizing the lacrosse player who emerged from the 'O' in that older logo. The new icon of Storm Lacrosse, as shown at right, also has the word "Anaheim" in plain, light-blue lettering arching across the top and "Storm" (in indentically plain letters) along the bottom. By itself, the storming lacrosse player would make an excellent logo; the added lettering is a serious letdown.
      The Arizona Sting's recent open tryout netted one candidate worthy of advancement to the team's main camp, forward Josh White of Scottsdale, Arizona. White played collegiately at Princeton University (Class of 2003), where he was a member of the 2001 NCAA champion Tigers and was twice named to the All-Ivy League team. "We look forward to seeing Josh in an exhibition preseason game and we like what we’ve seen already," Sting GM/coach Bob Hamley said. "He’s a really good athlete with good stick skills. He’s going to have every opportunity to make our active or practice roster."
      The Vancouver Ravens, with financial problems still unsettled, will visit Prince George, B.C., this Saturday for the annual Northern Cup game. Calgary provided the opposition in the previous two exhibition trophy games, but this year, it's the four-time NLL champion Toronto Rock. "Our two strongest rivalries, quite naturally, are with Calgary and Toronto," Ravens GM Dave Evans said. "We like to think those rivalries enhance the Northern Cup and make it something special for the great lacrosse fans of Prince George and Northern British Columbia." Game time is 7:30 PM Pacific (10:30 PM Eastern), and tickets are available at the Prince George Multiplex or by calling TicketMaster at 250.614.9100.

 

20 November 2004:
      Preseason action began this afternoon in Downingtown, PA, where the Philadelphia Wings nipped the Anaheim Storm, 18-17, on four Jeff Ratcliffe goals. "Ratcliffe looked great offensively," Wings assistant coach Chris Sanderson said. "I was also impressed by the transition game play of both Jeff Spano and [second-round draft pick] Dan Finck." Chad Wittman scored four goals for the Storm, while BJ Potter added three in his Storm debut. A crowd of about 200 fans showed up at United Sports Training Center for today's game; the Wings and Storm will meet again at USTC, on Saturday, 4 December, at 4:00 PM.

 

18 November 2004:
      The Vancouver Ravens, long known for their financial difficulties, have fallen into dire straits -- so much so that the NLL Board of Governors had to convene a meeting yesterday to deal with the threat of losing the Black Birds before the season begins. Partners Group 1, the investment group led by Raj Kalra, has apparently decided to stop sinking money into the team, and Ravens governor Tom Mayenknecht has been left to pick up the pieces for a second time (anyone remember Paul Reinhart?). With the season just a month and a half away, Mayenknecht likely has just a week or two to secure a million dollars in financing (if not considerably more). He and the Ravens' top two lacrosse men (GM Dave Evans and head coach Walt Christianson) have already vowed to quit rather than face another season on the brink of bankrupcy, according to an article in today's (Vancouver) Province. Stay tuned.
      The Arizona Sting will host two preseason games at the Glendale Arena next month, welcoming the San Jose Stealth on Friday, 3 December and the Minnesota Swarm two weeks later, on the 17th. Both games begin at 7:30 PM Mountain (9:30 PM Eastern) and admission is free. Fans can pick up complimentary vouchers at Glendale Arena, Desert Schools Coyotes Centers (Chandler and Peoria), Polar Ice (Tucson), McDuffy's Sports Bar (Tempe and Peoria) and Wells Fargo branches throughout the Phoenix area.

 

13 November 2004:
      The Rochester Knighthawks traded Jamie Taylor to the Minnesota Swarm yesterday, ending (or so we hope) the young righthander's strange journey on the fringes of the transaction page. Taylor was reportedly bound for St. Paul in the two teams' draft-night blockbuster, but the trade was completed without him. When Taylor, a restricted free agent, then signed an offer sheet with Minnesota, Rochester quickly matched it. And now, this trade, in which Minnesota swaps its third-round pick in the 2005 NLL Entry Draft for Rochester's selection in the same round of the very same draft (won't this be a fine scene, if Minnesota finishes ahead of Rochester in 2005?). Taylor, entering his fifth season in NLL, has 26 goals, 22 assists, and 81 loose balls for his career.
      The Philadelphia Wings have moved the remaining of their traning camp sessions from the Sovereign Bank Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ, to the United Sports Training Center of Downingtown, PA. This includes the two scrimmages scheduled against Anaheim (News and Notes, 11 November). No reason was given for the change of venue.

 

11 November 2004:
      Tickets to the Minnesota Swarm's exhibition game on Friday, 10 December against the Colorado Mammoth -- the first pro lacrosse game ever played in Minnesota -- will be available, free of charge, via the Swarm's web site, mnswarm.com; at the Xcel Energy Center box office; and by phone at 651.222.9453. No seat locations will be assigned and there is a limit of four tickets per person.
      In other preseason action, the Philadelphia Wings will host the Anaheim Storm for a pair of scrimmages at the Sovereign Bank Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ, on Saturday, 20 November and Saturday, 4 December. Both games begin at 4:00 PM and are open to the public.
      All eight Colorado Mammoth home games will air on the new Altitude Sports & Entertainment channel, the team announced yesterday. Six of the games will be shown live on Altitude, and a seventh (24 February, vs. San Jose) will move from tape delay to live if there is no Colorado Avalanche hockey game that night. Only the 22 January game against Buffalo will definitely not air live, instead being shown two hours later. And yes, Altitude will be there for the recently-rescheduled 10:00 AM game on Sunday, 13 March vs. Calgary (originally slated for 1:00 PM, the game was moved forward three hours to accomodate an arena football game later that day). Altitude will air air a weekly 30-minute highlights program, and may add some road games to the brodcast lineup.

 

9 November 2004:
      The Arizona Sting has traded Chad Culp and Ryan Cousins to the Minnesota Swarm for Brock Robertson and the Swarm's first-round pick in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft. Culp (three goals, three assists) saw limited action for Arizona in 2004, appearing just seven times, while Cousins (two goals, three assists) dressed for thirteen Sting games. Robertson, who came to Minnesota in a Draft Day trade, had no points in five games for Rochester last season. In a separate deal, the Sting traded defenseman Wes Suddons (no goals, two assists in eleven games) to the Toronto Rock for a conditional pick in the 2005 NLL Entry Draft.
      The Toronto Rock will have a new radio home and a new voice in 2005, announcing that this season's action will air on 640 AM, "The New Mojo Radio" and that Joe Bowen, the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will provide play-by-play (no word on a color analyst, if any). The Rock had previously been on Fan 590 in Toronto, with Dan Donleavy and Blair Campbell calling the action. As part of the broadcast deal, 640 Toronto will air a weekly "Rock Report" during every Friday edition of The Leafs Lunch, which airs from noon to 2:00 PM weekdays. Curiously enough, one of the cohosts of the program is former Toronto Maple Leafs executive Bill Watters, who led the group which bought and moved the Rock to Toronto six years ago.

 

4 November 2004:
      One week after being granted his free agency in a contract dispute, Mark Miyashita has signed with the Colorado Mammoth. Miyashita, drafted first-overall in last year's draft, was set free after the Vancouver Ravens failed to pay him some outstanding wages in a timely manner. "Mark is a tenacious defender and great competitor," Mammoth GM Steve Govett said. "He is a complete player and his energy and intensity will serve our team well." Miyashita scored seven goals and dished out sixteen assists in twelve games last season, and was the Ravens' primary faceoff man (168-171, 49.6 percent).
      The National Lacrosse League will get some face time next week on the Worldwide Leader in Sports, when ESPN's reality program I'd Do Anything drops in on the Anaheim Storm. On the show, contestants compete in challenges in order to win a sports fantasy for a friend or family member. No word on what the Storm's challenge will be; tune in Tuesday, 9 November (10:00 PM Eastern) to find out.
      The Buffalo Bandits will have to do without the services of Roy Colsey this season, although cynical fans would suggest that's not much of a burden on the defending NLL finalists. Colsey, acquired in a trade from Anaheim late last season, appeared in two games for the Bandits (one goal, one assist) but did not play at all in the postseason. "He has a new baby boy at home and that is where his priorities should be and are," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. "He’s a great player and we’ll look forward to his return for the 2006 season. Ultimately, the travel to and from Buffalo for the 2005 season would simply be too much to ask of him at this time."
      Speaking of the Buffalo Bandits, they've hired Duane Jacobs as an assistant coach. Jacobs, who played for the Bandits in 2003 after many years in Rochester, will be in charge of the Bandits' defense under head coach Darris Kilgour. In nine seasons as a player, Jacobs scored 161 goals and assisted on 164 others, scooped up 345 loose balls and totalled 107 penalty minutes.
      The Minnesota Swarm also did some hiring today, naming Adam Mueller and Derek Moffat as assistant coaches and Paul St. John as director of scouting. Mueller is the only NLL veteran of the three, entering his sixteenth season in the league. After a long playing career and one year as an assistant coach, Mueller was Philadelphia's head coach from 2002 to 2004, serving under Wings GM (and current Swarm GM) Marty O'Neill. Moffat has coached throughout the Burnaby Lakers (BCLA) system, most recently assisting Paul Dal Monte at the Junior A level. Moffat had a cup of coffee with the 1993 Pittsburgh Bulls of the MILL, recording a goal and two assists in one game. St. John, a 30-year member of the lacrosse community, also serves as the co-owner, general manager and head coach of the Ajax-Pickering Rock of the OLA Senior B circuit. His resume includes four Mann Cups, two Minto Cups, a Founder's Cup, and the championship of a previous National Lacrosse League (1991).
      Elsewhere in the world of assistant coaching, the Rochester Knighthawks have hired Sean Ferris, formerly the head scout of the Toronto Rock. Ferris served as an assistant coach with the Burlington Chiefs (OLA Junior A) this past summer, after two years in the same position with the Brampton Excelsiors (OLA Junior A). He's also the head scout for Team Canada, meaning that he has six top-level championship rings -- 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003 with the Rock, as well as the 2003 World Indoor lacrosse Championship and last month's Heritage Cup).

 

1 November 2004:
      The San Jose Stealth finally got their man today, trading a conditional draft pick to the Calgary Roughnecks for Ted Dowling. A twelve-year veteran, Dowling announced his retirement after Calgary won the Champion's Cup in May. However, Calgary retained his rights and even tagged him as a franchise player, guaranteeing Dowling the highest possible salary for the 2005 season. San Jose had traded for Dowling last week, but for unknown reasons, he was ultimately removed from the deal (see News and Notes, 28 October). Calgary will receive a 2006 first-round pick if Dowling plays at least five games in 2005 or 2006, a second-rounder if Dowling plays in less than five games, and a third-rounder if Dowling does not play at all. Word is, Dowling is far more likely to come out retirement for the Stealth than for the Roughnecks.

 

29 October 2004:
      The Anaheim Storm today traded Chris Panos, its third-leading scorer last season (24 goals, 27 assists), to the Colorado Mammoth for defenseman B.J. Potter and a fourth-round pick in the 2005 NLL Entry Draft. "Chris is a solid player with a strong, left-handed shot," Mammoth GM Steve Govett said. "He has great experience in the league and I look forward to seeing him play alongside Gary Gait again." This is Panos' second stint with the team, following a 21-goal campaign for the 1998 Baltimore Thunder. Then again, Panos has had a stint just about everywhere by now (Boston, Baltimore, Buffalo, New York, Philadelphia, Calgary, New York again, and Anaheim). Potter tallied four goals and three assists in eight games last season.
      Is there a diamond in the rough in the Valley of the Sun? The Arizona Sting hopes so, and will try to find that player by hosting an open tryout on Saturday, 13 November at Glendale Arena (2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Mountain). Participants should be 20 years of age or older and have completed (or renounced) their NCAA eligibility. For more info or to register ($30 for early registration, $40 at the door), call 480.563.7825. Also that day, Sting players Troy Bonterre, Lindsay Plunkett, and Mike Miron will conduct a pair of two-hour lacrosse clinics for kids at Glendale Arena (9:00 AM and 11:30 AM). The $39 registration fee includes a t-shirt and a ticket to an upcoming Sting game.

 

28 October 2004:
      Lost in the Draft Day shuffle on Tuesday were a handful of fairly significant trades, including that one that turned out to be smaller than first intended. Monday evening, the Calgary Roughnecks swung a deal to send Brad Dairon and Ted Dowling to the San Jose Stealth for Andrew Biers and a conditional draft pick. It appears, though, that the NLL balked at the sight of a club trading the rights to a voluntarily-retired player (Dowling), so the teams cut the deal down to Dairon for Biers. Dairon, acquired by Calgary in a trade a year ago, didn't play for the Roughnecks in 2004; Biers, on the other hand, didn't miss a game, scoring five goals as a transition forward.
      In another trade, the Calgary Roughnecks sent Rob Kirkby and a third-round choice in the 2006 Entry Draft to the Arizona Sting for forward Kyle Neufeld, defenseman Travis Gillespie and the 15th-overall pick in this year's draft (Calgary used the pick on Ryan Sharp of the OLA's Whitby Warriors). Many are wondering why Kirkby, a 25-year-old all-star defenseman, was traded in the first place, especially for what appears to be less than market value, but Roughnecks GM Dave Bremner insists he made the right move. "To get value from other teams, you have to give up value and Rob Kirkby is a very desired player to have on any team," Bremner said. "It was a combination of things but it was nothing personal... Was it the right thing to do for the Calgary Roughnecks? We felt it was."
      In yet more wheeling and dealing, the Minnesota Swarm continues to shuffle its roster seemingly on a daily basis. On Tuesday, the expansion team traded forwards Shawn Cable and Rory Graham, defenseman Cam Bergman and goaltender Matt King to the Anaheim Storm for defenseman Ted Jenner and goaltender Matt Disher. The trade was Minnesota's first in which quantity was being surrendered for quality, instead of the other way around. However, it was a necessary move with King uncertain to be available to play in Minnesota this season, for personal reasons. Storm coach/GM Derek Keenan is pleased at his take, too. "We get Bergman back [he had been taken from Anaheim in last week's expansion draft], add depth to the left side of our offence with Cable, put another physical defender on the floor with Graham, plus gain King, a young goalie we can grow."
      The Rochester Knighthawks and San Jose Stealth will meet in an exhibition game on Friday, 26 November, at (of all places) the MARK of the Quad Cities in Moline, Illinois. Don't snicker -- it's one of several unusual locales for preseason lacrosse this fall, and while it's safe to assume that the Quad Cities won't be getting an NLL team any time soon, it never hurts if (as has been rumored about this game and proposed matches in Boise and elsewhere) the arena is handling all the expenses.
      In other preseason action, the Colorado Mammoth and Minnesota Swarm will hook up for a pair of games in early December. They'll play in St. Paul on Friday, 10 December, at the Xcel Energy Center, then meet the following night at the Larimer County Events Center in Loveland, Colorado, about an hour north of Denver.
      It's déjà vu all over again for the league, which, for the second straight year, is facing the embarassment of watching top young players become free agents because they weren't paid on time. Last year, New York's Gord Nash and Gavin Prout (among others) were set free. In 2004, the problem is with the Vancouver Ravens, and the first Black Bird to fly the coop is Mark Miyashita, whose free agency has been confirmed by The Lacrosse Journal. Calgary, Colorado, Buffalo and Rochester are expected to compete for the services of Miyashita, the first-overall pick in last year's entry draft. Chris Prat, reportedly also headed to the open market, could draw interest from several teams, as well.

 

20 October 2004:
      At long last, the Toronto Rock finally sent goaltender Anthony Cosmo to the San Jose Stealth today, completing July's blockbuster trade. Cosmo, widely acknowledged as the player to be named in the trade which brought playmaker extraordinaire Josh Sanderson to the Rock, couldn't be moved until now because the Stealth wanted to protect both of the goaltenders it already had (Rob Blasdell and Brandon Miller) for yesterday's expansion draft.
      Speaking of Cosmo, because the Toronto Rock was still on the hook for him and fellow netminder Bob Watson, forward Rusty Kruger (who, ironically, came over in the aforementioned trade) was left exposed in the expansion draft -- and, naturally, was selected by Minnesota Lacrosse. Today, the Rock reacquired Kruger by sending forward Ken Millin and defenseman Eric Pacey to Minnesota. Millin, one of the last remaining original Rock players, tallied twelve goals and fifteen assists in fourteen games last season, while Pacey had only a cup of coffee with Toronto after previous stints in Montreal and Ottawa.
      Minnesota Lacrosse pulled off another two-for-one trade today, returning expansion draft selection Curtis Smith to the Colorado Mammoth in exchange for transition player Shawn Cable and defenseman Rory Graham. Cable had a goal and five assists in five games for the Mammoth last season; Graham dished out two assists in eight games. Smith, meanwhile, bagged six goals and thirteen assists as a rookie.

 

13 October 2004:
      The Colorado Mammoth has hired Daren Fridge as an assistant coach on Jamie Batley's staff. Fridge, who had been an assistant coach with the Vancouver Ravens the past three seasons, replaces Walt Christianson, who (ironically) was recently hired as Vancouver's head coach. "Daren is quickly becoming known as a great young offensive mind and we look forward to him assisting our offense this season," Mammoth GM Steve Govett said. Fridge had a brief career in MILL, recording 22 goals and 12 assists for the 1996 Boston Blazers; he won the Rookie of the Year Award but never again played in the league.

 

12 October 2004:
      The Buffalo Bandits today resigned veteran goaltender Steve Dietrich to a one-year contract. As usual, terms were not disclosed -- except that Dietrich agreed to drop the franchise player designation which the Bandits had placed on him this summer, preventing the unrestricted free agent-to-be from signing with another team. By waiving his right to a higher salary via the franchise tag, Dietrich (11.29 goals against average, 77.5 save percentage in 2004) has allowed the Bandits, in the words of GM Kurt Silcott, "the opportunity to attract another top notch player to Buffalo." That means Buffalo is looking to make a trade, and it just so happens that there's exactly one player with the franchise player designation who was left unprotected for Minnesota's upcoming expansion draft -- San Jose Stealth forward Dan Teat, who lives and works near Toronto. Stay tuned; the expansion draft is one week from today.
      In other Minnesota news, the still-unnamed club has signed its first player, snatching up journeyman veteran Neil Doddridge. "Neil is a well-round player that has played at a very high skill level in this league for a long time," Minnesota GM Marty O'Neill said. Doddridge played in eight games last season for Calgary, recording four assists, 36 loose balls and 43 penalty minutes (padding his league-record career total in that last category to 352). For his career, now entering its fourteenth season, Doddridge has 94 goals, 101 assists and two championship rings (Detroit 1991, Buffalo 1996). Including stints with Boston, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh/Washington, Minnesota becomes Doddridge's seventh team.

 

11 October 2004:
      For the first time in team history, the Calgary Roughnecks will enter a season with someone other than Brad Banister as general manager. Banister, who also owns the team, is handing over the reins to Dave Bremner, who most recently was the Roughnecks' director of player personnel. "I need to free up more time to spend with my two boys," Banister said in explaining the move. "It's been a long, tough haul running this club and it's about time for me to enjoy the thrills of being an owner." Bremner's done a little of everything for the Riggers over the past three years, beginning the 2002 season as an assistant coach and ending it as a part-time player (no goals and one assist in two games). Banister, meanwhile, had been occupying the GM's chair since October 2001, when he fired coach/GM Kevin Melnyk just weeks before the franchise's debut game.
      The Buffalo Bandits Brigade will host a preseason party on Saturday, 6 November (9:00 PM) at Cobblestone in Buffalo, complete with deejay, drink specials, prizes, raffles and a chance to meet members of the team. Fans can join the Brigade or renew their membership and get a free drink. Any renewing member who gets a friend to sign up will receive a free t-shirt. Admission is $1.00 per person, with groups of five people or more admitted free. Cobblestone, which hosts the Bandits' official postgame parties, is located at the corner of Park Avenue and Mississippi Street, just around the corner from HSBC Arena.

 

7 October 2004:
      Les Bartley, the winningest coach in league history, has been promoted by the Toronto Rock to vice president, from the odd role of coach-in-waiting-to-return. Bartley, who had coached the Rock to four NLL championships between 1999 and 2003, took a medical leave of absence from the bench last season due to colon cancer, then watched his job get filled on a permanent basis by Terry Sanderson. In his new position, Bartley will help with community relations and advise Rock president Brad Watters. "With his knowledge of lacrosse, the NLL and the Rock, [Bartley] will be able to provide a great deal of guidance to the team," Watters said. Bartley will go behind the bench again, however -- he's coaching Team Canada at the Heritage Cup on 16 October.

 

1 September 2004:
      Six weeks after naming fellow Orangeville, Ont., native Gregg MacDonald to his coaching staff, Philadelphia Wings GM and head coach Lindsay Sanderson has turned to family to fill the other available spot -- Chris Sanderson, a former Wing player. The younger Sanderson (Lindsay's nephew) will aid in coaching the offense, an amusing assignment considering that "Toque" was a goaltender in his playing days (Baltimore 1999, Philadelphia 2001-2002, New Jersey 2003). Chris is the fifth member of the Sanderson family to get into coaching, and the fourth to do so in the NLL (following uncles Lindsay, Terry and Shane).

 

29 August 2004:
      The Calgary Roughnecks promoted from within to fill their vacant vice presidency, naming director of media relations Bob Poole to the post earlier this week. "I'm very excited," Poole told the Calgary Sun. "Being the champions, our profile has been raised here in Calgary and this team will be the team to beat again this year." After two years as vice president, Bill Cragg resigned in early July to become vice president and GM of Calgary's Northern League baseball club. Poole, the former editor in chief of the Sun, will continue to handle the Riggers' PR duties.

 

22 August 2004:
      For the first time in history, Major League Lacrosse's championship game featured neither Baltimore nor Long Island, the four-year-old league's flagship franchises. Instead, it was the Boston Cannons hosting the upstart Philadelphia Barrage, one season removed from a 1-11 campaign and little more than a month separated from a 2-5 record. Boston scored first, then had to play catch-up much of the day as the Barrage rolled to a 6-3 lead in the second quarter, a 10-7 advantage in the third, and a 13-11 victory this afternoon. Roy Colsey (Buffalo Bandits) led all scorers with four Philadelphia goals and an assist, while Dave Evans (formerly of the Baltimore Thunder) paced the Cannons with a goal and three assists. Other players with NLL connections included Philadelphia's Keith Cromwell (Wings; one goal, two assists) and Greg Cattrano (former New York Saint; 19 saves, Game MVP), and Boston's Mike Battista (ex-Saint; two-point goal, one assist), and Mike Regan (San Jose Stealth; one goal). In addition, former Saints goaltender and head coach Sal LoCascio skippered the Barrage to the championship, finishing with a seven-game winning streak before retiring to his day job with Warrior Lacrosse.

 

8 August 2004:
      At long last, the NLL's annual midsummer expansion carousel is slowing to a halt. Sources around the league indicate that, barring an eleventh-hour bid, there will be only one expansion franchise in 2005 -- Minnesota, whose entry is slated for an announcement this week (Tuesday, it appears). The Land o' 10,000 Lakes team would be owned by Minnesota Sports and Entertainment (owner of the NHL's Minnesota Wild) and play at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

 

29 July 2004:
      Sometimes, you can go home again -- just ask Andy Ogilvie and Greg Floris. In March, the Vancouver Ravens traded Ogilvie to the Buffalo Bandits (for whom he had previously played) for Floris, in order to give the aging defenseman a chance at a playoff run. Today, the teams reversed the deal, with Ogilvie returning to the Ravens and Floris coming back to Buffalo. The price of the player loan? A conditional first-round pick the Bandits sent to Vancouver in the March trade... a pick which the Ravens sent to Buffalo last fall, to acquire Ogilvie in the first place! If you've followed the story this far, you'll understand this ultimately means that Buffalo's only compensation for trading Ogilvie in the first place was the ability to recall him for the 2004 stretch run.
      Steve Toll, traded Tuesday by the Toronto Rock to the San Jose Stealth, took a verbal shot at Rock coach/GM Terry Sanderson on his way out the door. Referring to his new head coach, former Rock GM Johnny Mouradian, Toll said, "I'm glad I'm going somewhere where they have a coach known for winning." Sanderson, of course, has yet to win much of anything in the NLL, although he coaches a perennial contender each summer in OLA Major, the Brampton Excelsiors.

 

22 July 2004:
      Buffalo Bandits forward Randy Fraser announced his retirement yesterday, ending a twelve-year career that began with the New England Blazers in 1991. When that team folded, Fraser moved on to the New York Saints, dropped out of the league for a while, and then resurfaced in Buffalo two years ago. For his career, Fraser has tallied 88 goals, 106 assists, and a 46.6 faceoff percentage. "[Randy's] leadership and his drive set great examples for many of our younger players," Bandits GM Kurt Silcott said. "He has played in this league for a number of years in a variety of roles, first as a scorer, then as a defender and then as a face-off specialist with us. His versatility will be missed on the floor but it ultimately will be his chemistry and his team-first attitude that we will never be able to replace."
      While Walt Christianson took the major prize yesterday in being named head coach of the Vancouver Ravens, Dave Evans snared the other job title Paul Dal Monte left behind -- director of lacrosse operations. The promotion puts Evans in charge of the entire on-turf show, from transactions to staffing. He will retain his original title of general manager.

 

19 July 2004:
      Philadelphia Wings GM/coach Lindsay Sanderson turned (where else?) to his native Orangeville to fill the first spot on his coaching staff, today naming Gregg MacDonald as an assistant coach. MacDonald, who previously coached under Sanderson with the Ottawa Rebel and has been Sanderson's longtime assistant with the Orangeville Northmen (OLA Jr. A), will be in charge of defense and loose balls. "I'm very excited to have Gregg join me behind the bench this season," Sanderson said. "He has coached with me at the Jr. A level in Ontario for the last eight years and I know that his coaching style will complement this Wings team."
      It appears that Walt Christianson, a candidate for several NLL head coaching jobs over the last year, has finally broken through. Sources close to the scene report that Christianson has signed on to coach the Vancouver Ravens in 2005. He would replace Paul Dal Monte, whose future with the team supposedly has not been determined. In his first two seasons, Dal Monte twice rallied the Ravens from midseason holes into playoff berths, but could only coax a 5-11 finish out of his 2004 squad.

 

8 July 2004:
      Bob Hamley has signed a multiyear contract extension to continue coaching the Arizona Sting, the team announced today. Hamley, also the club's general manager and alternate governor, will relocate to Arizona in order to manage the Sting's lacrosse operations. "I'm happy with the strides we made last season," Hamley said of the Sting's 7-9 2004 season. "We were a new team in a new arena in a new market and we went 6-2 at home. We are fortunate to have great owners, a beautiful arena to play in and some of the league's most passionate lacrosse fans in Arizona. We can't wait for next season to begin." Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.
      Calgary Roughnecks vice president Bill Cragg has resigned in order to become the vice president and general manager of Calgary's baseball team in the Northern League. Cragg, who joined the Riggers just a little over two years ago, handled day-to-day operations and played a major role in assembling the championship team. "There's no doubt he contributed greatly to our success," Roughnecks owner Brad Banister said. "We do wish him all the best with this great opportunity he has been given. Baseball's gain is definitely our loss."