he Washington Stealth announced today the signings of defenseman Chris McElroy and forward Cliff Smith for the 2013 season. Both McElroy and Smith will be entering their third seasons with the Stealth.
McElroy, 30, will be entering his ninth season in the National Lacrosse League. He joined the Stealth prior to the 2011 season after spending five seasons with the Edmonton Rush, a team he captained for two seasons. In 97 career regular season games, the left-handed defenseman has tallied 42 points (18g, 24a) and collected 337 loose balls. He appeared in 13 games for the Stealth in 2012, recording an assist and 21 loose balls.
McElroy has become a major part of the Stealth’s efforts in the community, serving as the program instructor for Sticks-2-Schools, the non-profit partner of the Stealth. He’s also done work with Northwest Harvest, the Stealth Lacrosse Academy and is one of the NLL’s representatives for Right to Play.
“Chris is entering the season as healthy as he has been in three years and we look forward to him being back with our organization,†said Stealth General Manager Doug Locker. “On the floor he is the consummate warrior and team player and off the floor he has done an amazing job representing the Washington Stealth whether it be with Sticks 2 Schools, the Stealth Lacrosse Academy or community outreach. Chris represents all that is good about the NLL and the Stealth and we feel he will be a very important piece of our team heading into 2013.â€
Smith, 27, was acquired by the Stealth in a trade with the Colorado Mammoth during the 2011 season. Entering his fourth year in the NLL, the left-handed forward has played in 33 career games and notched 44 points on 23 goals and 21 assists. Injuries sidelined Smith for the majority of the 2012 season, limiting him to just seven games in which he tallied seven points (3g, 4a) and grabbed 16 loose balls. The Stealth is looking forward to having the Surrey, British Columbia native healthy going into 2013.
“Cliff is a tremendously versatile player who is willing to do whatever it takes for the team to be successful and having him back healthy and rested is a big boost for us,†said Locker. “He is still a very young player who’s best lacrosse is still ahead of him and having Cliff back gives us a lot of stability on the left side, whether that be on offense or in transition.â€
McElroy and Smith will be two of 40 players to join the Stealth in training camp this December. The 2013 regular season schedule begins on January 5, when the Stealth plays host to the defending NLL Champion Rochester Knighthawks at the Comcast Arena at Everett.
