Motivation and passion are the two words that come to mind when discussing New England Black Wolves goaltender Aaron Bold. With just one scroll through his Instagram account it’s easy to see how the love of lacrosse has directed Bold’s life.
Born in Victoria, BC, Bold now calls Edmonton home, where he runs a personal training company called Bold Athletics. He’s extremely proud of his company, and is in the process of opening his own gym, which will focus not only on personal training and sports specific training, but lacrosse development.
“I have a good following in Edmonton and Calgary already so I want to take it to the next level so people can come to my facility and get the training that, especially in Alberta, is going to increase the parity from BC and Ontario and I want to be part of that,” he expressed.
Bold will offer specific training for goaltenders in the Alberta area to help excel in a niche market where there currently aren’t a lot of development options for young players.
“It’s a great dream that’s coming true,” he said.
Travelling from Edmonton to New England for games means lots of long hours and long flights, but that’s not something that will ever stop Bold from either working or playing.
Bold played junior lacrosse in both Peterborough and his hometown of Victoria, and was selected 25th overall in the 2005 entry draft by the Portland Lumberjacks. Bold spent his rookie season with the Lumberjacks before moving to the San Jose Stealth in 2007.
He spent three years in San Jose before a brief stop in Rochester for two seasons, then found himself with the starting job in Edmonton in 2012 where he would go on to make a name for himself.
Just as leaves change colours, so do players, although being traded is no easy pill for a player to swallow. Especially for Bold, who posted incredible numbers for the Rush as he accumulated 3,268 saves with the organization (both Edmonton and Saskatchewan) along the way to two Champions Cup titles in 2015 and 2016.
The legacy of “Stone Cold Aaron Bold” lives on in Saskatchewan, even though Bold now dawns a different shade of colours. In a deal that shocked the NLL last August, the Rush sent Bold, John Lafontaine, a first round pick in the 2017 draft (which turned into Anthony Joaquim), and a second round pick in the 2018 draft to New England for Evan Kirk.
Bold has his eyes set on another NLL title as the Black Wolves now sit atop the eastern division with a 6-4 record with the Buffalo Bandits close behind at 6-5. With the midway point of the season behind them, the Black Wolves will be banking on Bold’s veteran calming presence between the pipes to lead the franchise to its first title since migrating from Philadelphia.
Bold carries with him an absolutely infectious level of energy and is beloved by his new teammates in New England.
“He’s excellent, a great guy with passion and plays with all his heart,” noted teammate Kyle Buchanan, while calling Bold’s performance against the Toronto Rock last week “epic”. “He’s a great addition for us. He’s rocking the back end there and is just a brick wall for us game in and game out.”
Bold’s stellar performance in that recent overtime game has thrust him into the mainstream conversation for the NLL’s goaltender of the year award, which he was previously nominated for in 2014 and 2015.
When asked about his transition to New England this season, Bold said he looked at it as a new beginning for him to get “back to playing his old style.”
“I did a little bit of soul searching (after the trade),” Bold said. “I love playing this game… When I get here I see the guys and play for them. Any new team there’s different dynamics but I was able to get back to just focusing on myself and playing for the team.”
Although he sits in the middle of the pack stats-wise (sixth in SV% and seventh in GAA), Bold has certainly found his old style of play – just going about his business quietly and professionally and leading his team to first place.
Bold makes an impact wherever he goes – not just in the pros. He is also a member of the senior A Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association and won a Mann Cup national championship with them in 2015. He returned in 2017 and along the way he started in 12 games, mounting a 5-6 record. Victoria fell in the WLA finals to the New Westminster Salmonbellies, but Bold is still loved by his hometown fans.
Whether in the net or not, Aaron Bold has already made a lasting impression in the lacrosse community. His efforts both inside and outside the arena are ones that already define his impressive legacy.
