After making him the first overall selection in the Major League Lacrosse supplemental draft yesterday, the Atlanta Blaze have traded former MLL rookie of the year Jeremy Boltus to the Rochester Rattlers. The Blaze also send defenseman John Ranagan back to the Rattlers, his former team, along with an eighth round pick in the 2016 collegiate draft.
In return, the Blaze will get former Syracuse standout Kevin Rice along with two of yesterday’s draft picks, Graeme Hossack and Conor Doyle.
Boltus, a graduate of Army, has bounced around in his MLL career. He began with the Hamilton Nationals where he won the league’s rookie of the year in 2011. In 2012, he played with the Charlotte Hounds before tearing his ACL and taking a major step back in his career.
Boltus returned in 2013 with the Denver Outlaws, where he had 16 points in 10 games played. Boltus played for the Rattlers last season where he had 21 points, 18 of them goals, in 11 games played. He was left unprotected and selected by the Blaze, but was returned to the team in today’s trade.
Rice, a member of the Rattlers last season, had his rookie year in 2015 where he scored 21 points. Eleven of the points for the attackman came via goal in his eight games played.
Hossack and Doyle do not have any MLL experience. Hossack played his college ball at Lindenwood University in Division II, while Doyle was a member of Notre Dame.
Doyle was selected 43rd overall in the 2015 MLL draft by the Chesapeake Bayhawks. He had 64 points in his career with the Fighting Irish but did not play a game with the Bayhawks in 2015.
