The Toronto Rock announced two signings on Monday that may be a surprise to NLL followers. The Rock signed Major League Lacrosse stars Kieran McArdle and Tom Schreiber to NLL deals, their first with the league.
Schreiber is coming off of an MVP season with the Ohio Machine where he led Ohio to a playoff berth. He is a former first overall pick out of Princeton to the Machine.
“I am excited for the opportunity to compete in the NLL and to join a phenomenal organization in the Toronto Rock,” said Schreiber in a press release. “I’ve always been drawn to the physicality and competitiveness of the league and I’m thankful for the opportunity. Like most American lacrosse players, I have very little indoor experience, but I plan on putting in as much time as I can to adjust to the game. I acknowledge the difficulty of the transition and I plan on doing everything I can to prepare. I think the biggest adjustment will be shooting. Clearly, the differences in the size of the nets and goaltenders will be a major adjustment. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
McArdle was the third overall selection to the Florida Launch in 2014 out of St. John’s and he won the league’s rookie of the year award. He has gone on to become one of the most dynamic players in the league for an up and coming Florida team.
“I feel the NLL is a good fit for me as I am a young player and have the time to learn the indoor game at this point in my career,” said McArdle. “I’m looking forward to the challenges of playing on a smaller field and definitely the size of the nets.”
Toronto is coming off of a season where they missed the playoffs and are facing a potential rebuild with the retirement and injuries of several key players, which GM Jamie Dawick expressed as reason for signing the two field lacrosse stars.
“We were a five-win team last year, we have some guys moving on and some injuries to deal with,” said Dawick in the press release. “Tom and Kieran are world class players with an interest in playing the indoor game. They are both highly skilled offensive players with as much talent as anyone. They have made a commitment to investing the time to get ready for our training camp and have an opportunity to make our club.”
Where there is more overlap between the NLL and MLL than ever, it remains to be seen what could arise if both players make the Rock roster. Toronto is in a rebuilding scenario, but if they were to make the postseason, Schreiber and McArdle would face missing upwards of five MLL contests.
Toronto opens its season on December 29 against the Rochester Knighthawks, the league’s season opener.
