Photo Credit: Dan Brodie
The Vancouver Stealth announced today that defenseman and Captain Kyle Sorensen will undergo arthroscopic surgery later this week, after re-injuring himself in Colorado last week. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks and has been placed on the 21 day injured reserve list.
In addition, defender Chris O’Dougherty, who was placed on the 21 day injured reserve list prior to the team’s doubleheader a week ago, will also undergo arthroscopic surgery later this week and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The team did not release the nature of the injuries as per team policy.
“Obviously losing veteran players like Kyle and Chris for an extended period of time is not the news we wanted heading into the second half of the season,” said Stealth President and General Manager, Doug Locker.
“These guys are virtually impossible to replace, but we have immense confidence in our defensive corps and will ask them to step up in a big way during the time that Kyle and Chris are out of our lineup.”
In other moves the team has announced the signing of left handed forward Jamie Lincoln, defenseman Brad Richardson and have signed Bradley Kri to the practice roster. To make room on the roster the Stealth also released forward Sean Lundstrom.
The newly added Jamie Lincoln will bring more scoring depth and experience to the Stealth lineup. Lincoln started his NLL career back in 2012 with the Colorado Mammoth, tallying 27 goals and 19 assists in his rookie season. His 27 goals was good enough for third on the team.
In 2013 Lincoln was near the top again for the Mammoth, finishing fourth in goals on the year with 15.
Before his NLL career got started Lincoln helped lead the Burnaby Jr. A Lakers to a Minto Cup title in 2005. In 2007 he won the Bill Dickinson Trophy as Top Scorer in the BCLA Junior A Series scoring 63 goals and 24 assists in 20 games. In 114 career junior games in both the regular season and playoffs, Lincoln tallied 190 goals and 112 assists.
Lincoln’s ability to win carried into the next level as well winning two Mann Cups with the Peterborough Lakers in 2010 and 2012. Joining the Stealth allows Lincoln the opportunity to strive for a Champions Cup title and add another victory to his resume.
With Lincoln providing some scoring upfront the Stealth are hoping Brad Richardson can help bring some stability in the defensive end.
Since 2008 Richardson has been a major part of the Coquitlam Adanacs defense. He’s spent his entire WLA career with the Adanacs, after playing three years of Junior A lacrosse with the Burnaby Lakers. In Richardson’s first year of Junior in 2005, he too won a Minto Cup Title with the Lakers, playing alongside new Stealth teammates, Jamie Lincoln and Ilija Gajic.
Richardson also brings two years of NLL experience, having played for the Colorado Mammoth in 2010 and 2011.
The Stealth also signed Bradley Kri to the practice roster and like Lincoln and Richardson, he too is no stranger to winning championships. Kri is a former Minto Cup Champion, winning back in 2012 with the Orangeville Northmen. That same year Kri was drafted into the NLL by the Toronto Rock as a 20 year old.
Kri went 14th overall in the 2012 NLL Entry Draft and spent the 2013 season on the practice roster for the Rock.
All three signees have proven they can win and the Stealth are hoping they can bring that experience to their new team,
“We are happy to have added the players we did and feel that all of them will add to our team moving forward,” said Locker.
“All three have won at the highest levels of our sport and all are hungry to get back on the floor. We have some additional roster moves to make in the coming week or so, and I feel these signings are a step in the right direction.”
