With the Edmonton Rush claiming their first National Lacrosse League title last weekend, with a 11-10 win over the Toronto Rock, it put a stamp on the 2015 season. With that being said, it’s time to revisit 2014 NLL draft, and see just what impact the 2014 draft class had on the NLL this season.
With so few active roster spots in the NLL these days, finding yourself in the lineup as a rookie on a consistent basis is fairly rare, however there are exceptions to the case, as there were three offensive rookies this season that stepped onto the turf and looked like season veterans. The three players I’m talking about are Ben McIntosh (Edmonton Rush), Miles Thompson (Minnesota Swarm) and Jeremy Noble (Colorado Mammoth). Of course the three aforementioned players were also the top three picks in the 2014 draft. Still, where you’re drafted means little if you don’t produce, and that is something the likes of McIntosh, Thompson and Noble had little problem doing throughout the season.
McIntosh, who was the first overall pick in the 2014 draft this past September burst onto the scene with a hat trick in his first NLL game. His contributions to the Rush lineup never dwindled throughout the season, as he played all 18 games. McIntosh recorded at least three points in all but one game, finishing the season with 37 goals and 49 assists for 86 points, placing him third in Rush team scoring and 14th overall in league scoring. McIntosh continually got better on a night by night basis, showing more and more confidence every time he touched the ball. McIntosh’s biggest contributions came on the biggest stage in 2014, as he picked up 11 of his 13 playoff points in the two game NLL final that saw his Rush capture their first title. McIntosh should win the NLL rookie of the year this season, as he was the most impactful rookie.
We move on to Miles Thompson, the player with the most hype heading into the 2014 draft. Many assumed the Rochester Knighthawks would select Thompson with the second overall pick, however that never materialized as we know the Knighthawks went with Jeremy Noble with the number two overall pick. Thompson was scooped up with the third overall pick by the Minnesota Swarm, and instantly became arguably their most lethal offensive option next to veterans Callum Crawford and Shayne Jackson. Thompson got off to an impressive start to his NLL career with 16 points in his first three games. While his production at that level wasn’t consistent, he continually found the score sheet, being held pointless just once on the season. Thompson’s undeniable talent will only continue to develop, as he looks to anchor the right side of the Swarm offense for years to come.
Finally Jeremy Noble. Despite being the second overall pick, Noble did not see action in the NLL until March 15, as he would not report to the Knighthawks due to work commitments. The situation was resolved with a trade to the Colorado Mammoth, and it couldn’t have worked out better for Colorado, as Noble’s arrival in Colorado coincided with the team rattling off four straight wins. Noble immediately made an impact with the Mammoth, as he picked up 13 points in his first two games, including the game winning goal in his second NLL game against the Vancouver Stealth. Noble played just nine games this season, yet still recorded 39 points on 13 goals and 26 assists. If we project Noble’s stats over an 18 game season, he would have ended up with 78 points, and finished second in rookie scoring. You can expect Noble’s impact in Colorado to be felt on a Mammoth level next season.
Following the top three selections in the 2014 draft, we saw Colorado snag Eli McLaughlin at four, Minnesota take Shane MacDonald five, the Black Wolves snag Mark Cockerton at six, Colorado pick up defenseman Robert Hope at seven, Quinn Powless to New England at eight and Brandon Goodwin head to the Bandits at nine. While all six players contributed throughout the season, none of the aforementioned players would play in all 18 of their team’s regular season games.
With that being said, two Mammoth players really stand out in this grouping of freshmen. McLaughlin who was selected fourth was able to put up 38 points in 17 games with the Mammoth, in a depth role, playing behind John Grant Jr. and Adam Jones on the left side of the Colorado offense. Some may say McLaughlin had consistency issues in year one, however I see it a different way, McLaughlin didn’t see the ball much, and when he did, he produced. To label him inconsistent wouldn’t be fair as there’s only one ball to go around and with names like Grant, Jones, Westervelt and Noble on your offense, you’re not seeing much of it. On to Robert Hope. The 6’2″, 190 pound defender from Peterborough, Ontario wasn’t a flashy name being tossed around in the conversation with the top rookies this season, however if there was a rookie defensive player of the year, Hope would be the run away winner. Hope is a top tier one on one defender, excellent in transition, handles the ball well and can be a vacuum on loose balls. While it’s still much too early to say he’ll develop into a defensive player of the year, his skill set and physical attributes lead you to believe it’s a distinct possibility.
We now move on to a grouping of players who came into the NLL this season as free agent signings, but were in what we consider their rookie year in the league. Jerome Thompson, Mike Burke, Mike Woods, Bill O’Brien, Colin Boucher and Joel Matthews all went into training camps with respective teams looking to crack an active roster spot. While Burke and Boucher were initially cut by the teams in training camp they both found their way back into the NLL after successful appearances in the Canadian Lacrosse League. O’Brien may have been the most polarizing of this grouping as his big hits, fights and physical play were often blasted all over social media. While O’Brien was an intimating physical presence, he’s still raw as far as his complete game goes. Once Mr. O’Brien gets his hands going, and better understands the box game, he should be a force on the back end. Matthews was largely the most impactful of this group, as the former Buffalo Bandits draft pick came into the back to back to back champion Rochester Knighthawks lineup, and began producing right away. With 13 points in six games, seeing very little of the ball, Matthews opened a ton of eyes, and you can expect him to be an NLL regular next season, however with the depth of the Knighthawks, it may be with another NLL club.
This season we also saw two players who were eligible to return to Junior A lacrosse this summer suit up for a couple struggling teams in the East. Both players ply their trade in the Junior A ranks with the Six Nations Arrows, where it’s no surprise, they both dominate. Josh Johnson and Joe Maracle both were able to find offensive success in the few games they got into the lineup. Johnson went on to tally three goals and three assists for six points in six games, good for a point per game rate—not too shabby for an underage rookie. Meanwhile Maracle squeaked into three games for the Swarm, picking up three goals and one assist for four points, also producing slightly over a point per game.
Three goaltenders made their NLL debuts this season, but with such a short regular season, and every game having tremendous importance to it, these rookie goaltenders didn’t see much time in their respective teams’ nets. Alex Buque made the biggest impact of the bunch, as he won his first game in dramatic fashion, and went on to finish the season with a 2-3 record with a 9.36 GAA and a 0.808 save percentage. David DiRuscio got a surprise start for the Bandits when Anthony Cosmo went down midweek with an injury, stepping into the spotlight, and shining as he went on to win his only start of the season. Finally, Eric Penny may end up being the first of these three goaltenders to break out as an NLL starter, as Vancouver’s starter in 2015, since Tyler Richards has announced his retirement from professional lacrosse. Penny put forth some solid efforts in mop-up duty and towards the end of the season when he was called upon to start. He’s carried that success into the summer season with the WLA’s New Westminster Salmonbellies, where he splits the cage with fellow NLL rookie Alex Buque.
While the players mentioned previously in this article were arguably the most impactful of the 2015 rookie class, it’s important that we acknowledge all the rookies to suit up for their first NLL game this season, here’s a list of all the remaining rookies not previously mentioned.
Buffalo: Brandon Goodwin, Matt Bennett.
Colorado: Colton Porter.
Edmonton: Tyler Melnyk, Matt MacGrotty.
Minnesota: Patrick Miles, Sam Bradman.
New England: Mark Cockerton, Sheldon Burns, Matt Crough, Quinn Powless (IR).
Rochester: Zac Reid.
Toronto: Brandon Benn, Mark White.
Vancouver: Conrad Chapman, Brandon Clelland and Cody Hagedorn.
