Toronto Rock Owner, President & GM Jamie Dawick announced today the signing of Brett Hickey to a 3-year contract, keeping him in Toronto through the 2018 NLL season. The contract is pending league approval.
Hickey began his NLL career in 2012 with the Stealth franchise but made the move to the Rock in the off-season following the 2014 season. In 9 career games prior to pulling on a Rock jersey, Hickey had scored 5 goals in his NLL career. All the Windsor, Ontario native did in his first season in Toronto, was make franchise history by becoming the first player in team history to score 50 goals in a season.
The offensive dynamo was coming off a one-year contract that really just began as an opportunity to prove himself and earn a roster spot coming out of training camp. With 50 goals, 31 assists and 81 points, the 25-year old certainly exceeded everyone’s expectations.
“He had an unbelievable year,” explained Dawick who noted that former GM Terry Sanderson wanted Hickey in a Rock uniform for a couple of years before he was able to land him in Toronto. “T believed in Brett and Brett answered the bell. By signing him to a 3-year deal we believe he’s going to be a big part of the future of this team. Brett won’t become complacent with what he achieved and will continue to put in the work to be successful. He fits in on the floor and in the room and also fits in with our philosophy of the Rock franchise.”
The powerful offensive righty had his season come to an unexpected and downright quirky end due to an injury on the morning of Game 2 of the NLL Champion’s Cup series in Edmonton. Hickey rolled his ankle at morning shoot around after landing on a bump in the turf at Rexall Place. He sustained a high ankle sprain and was unable to suit up for the Rock.
Since sustaining the injury, Hickey’s rehab progressed faster than expected and returned to playing a couple of weeks ago with the Oakville Rock of Ontario’s Major Series Lacrosse.
NLL teams will be re-signing many of their own free agents prior to the free agency period getting underway, which begins on August 1st.
