The Calgary Roughnecks released faceoff man Geoff Snider last week, to the surprise of lacrosse followers everywhere. While the move was rather quiet, it created a stir in the lacrosse world.
After a story from the Calgary Sun this weekend, it seems we finally have an explanation.
“I was going into the third year of my contract and they didn’t want to pay what I was making and had offered me a different deal and we couldn’t come to terms,” Snider said to the Sun. “That’s about it. I’m really disappointed. I’m so proud to be able to play the sport I love in front of Calgary and the fans here and my family and friends, and I’m disappointed.
“The last thing I wanted to do was leave Calgary. I wanted to be here and retire here and I’m so proud of being a small part of the growth of lacrosse here in Alberta and in Calgary. It’s a hard thing to wrap your head around, but I wish the organization all the best.”
Snider is now an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team. The Roughnecks, meanwhile, need a faceoff man, but they won’t have to dish out the kind of dough they would have on Snider.
“It’s purely a business decision,” Board said Thursday to the Sun. “We’re in a cap system and we were just not able to pay him that much money. We spoke with Geoff and he was, as usual, a professional about it. We discussed it and this gives him some options to catch on with other teams and to see what’s going on. We’ve left the door open for him to continue to be a Roughnecks and we’ll let it play out.”
Snider is still planning to be a part of an NLL team this season, and he will surely be in demand if a team can afford him.
“I’m preparing to play in the NLL this season and I’m going to see where that goes over the next couple of months and make some decisions from there,” Snider said. “Do I want to win a championship in this league? You bet.
“I’m in great shape and my numbers, in terms of points, were down last year, but in terms of what I do best — faceoffs, ground balls, competing — I’m at the best I’ve been in my career. Hopefully, something pops up and we’ll go from there.”
