NLL Insider

The Hammer strikes again and this time, he’s got himself a goalie.

Bob Hamley and the Edmonton Rush swung a National Lacrosse League deal late Monday night to obtain goalkeeper Steve “Chugger” Dietrich from the Calgary Roughnecks for their goalie, Matt King. Defender Kris Hartzell also will head to Calgary as part of the deal. Dietrich’s rep as a solid stopper is well-known but he’s coming off a season in which he missed 9 games due to a severe concussion. Still, he’s excited about the shift because he knows what he’s getting into. “I know it’s a team that’s on the rise,” he told the Calgary Herald. “I know the organization has done some good things.”

As for Calgary, the deal was about money and logistics.

“Really, the goalie swap had a lot to do with expenses, age and injuries,” Roughnecks owner Brad Banister told the newspaper. “With Steve Dietrich flying back and forth (from Kitchener), we need someone that’s a little more accessible to media and the fans. Matt King is just a little closer, a little younger and a little cheaper.”

Both reside out West as opposed to Chugger, who lives with his family in Kitchener, Ontario. So it’s a return of sorts for King, who broke into the NLL with the Riggers when they were an expansion team in 2002. He’s seen parts of seasons with the Portland LumberJax and the Edmonton Rush before finally landing back with his original club.

It sets up an interesting training camp for the Roughnecks, who have two other goalies on their current roster, but both are Ontario guys. Ryan Avery was left unprotected for the Expansion Draft, so he very well could be a Boston Blazer by the end of July. The other goalie, Pat Campell, had a solid 2008 campaign and was rumored to be relocating to Calgary during the season. King and Hartzell were left unprotected as well, but the bet there is that since both are on the West coast, that’s where they’re gonna stay. Campbell got news of the trade, along with the fact that he’s the only goalie the Riggers protected, and says it’s easier to sleep at night with that knowledge.

As for the Rush, Chugger is the 18th new player added to the Rush roster since Hamley took over early in the 2008 season. Will it be the last? Can’t say for sure, but the gut feeling here is we haven’t heard the last of The Hammer and his deals. Stay tuned.

Rate This Story:

(5 votes, average: 3.4 out of 5)

 Loading ...