NLL Insider

The National Lacrosse League is reporting that the Chicago Shamrox have not folded but have simply suspended operations for the 2009 season due to a deteriorating economy and depressed market conditions.

In a press release issued by the Shamrox organization, Chicago Team President Phil Ryan said, “Like many of our loyal fans, I am disappointed with the decision to suspend operations for the 2009 season.”

“I would like to thank all those that supported the Shamrox these past two years.  Professional indoor lacrosse is a great sport and Chicago deserves to have a team.  I hope we get a chance to do it again.”

The reasoning of a hurting economy and depressed market contradicts what the franchise had mentioned in April of this year when it was first made public the team was for sale. Previously, co-owner Kevin Loughery Jr., had stated that he and his ownership group, based in Los Angeles and Atlanta, found it too difficult to manage the franchise from outside of Chicago. NLL Insider also learned this week that the franchise had also experienced investor related issues throughout their two-year span, along with heavy spending during the team’s first year of existence under former President, Connie Kowal, who left the franchise at the conclusion of the 2008 season when his contract expired.

With the team only suspending operations and apparently not folding fully, the fact that existing Shamrox players were not drafted as ‘rental players’ like we saw last year when the Arizona Sting suspend operations, is fairly interesting to note.

The suspending operations label and Ryan’s comment of “hoping we get to a chance to do it again” definitely gives the impression that a return to Chicago could occur in the not so distant future.

Anthony Cosmo selected first in Dispersal Draft

As first reported by NLL Insider earlier this afternoon, the Boston Blazers selected keeper Anthony Cosmo with the draft’s first pick. Cosmo, who was of course traded for by Chicago earlier this off-season, is expected to be Boston’s starter in front of Expansion Draft selection, Mike Poulin.

“Anthony Cosmo is one of the NLL’s best goalies and a proven difference maker in this league,” Blazers Head Coach and General Manager Tom Ryan said in a release issued by the team shortly after today’s draft. “The combination of Cosmo with Mike Poulin gives us one of the strongest goalie tandems in the NLL.”

The full results of today’s shot-gun draft can be found below, with teams passing on picks in the second round and beyond…

First Round
(1) Boston Blazers  -  Anthony Cosmo
(2) Edmonton Rush  -  Scott Self
(3) Toronto Rock  -  Bill McGlone
(4) Rochester Knighthawks (San Jose Stealth)  -  Mike Kirk*
(5) Calgary Roughnecks (Buffalo Bandits)  -  Tom Montour**
(6) Colorado Mammoth  -  Brad Self   
(7) San Jose Stealth  -  Steve McKinlay   
(8) Philadelphia Wings  -  Mat Giles
(9) New York Titans  -  Josh Funk 
(10) Minnesota Swarm  -  Kevin Fines   
(11) Portland Lumberjax  -  Kevin Leveille   
(12) Buffalo Bandits  -  Cody Jacobs

Second Round
(13) Boston Blazers  -  Geoff Griffiths   
(14) Edmonton Rush  –  Callum Crawford
(15) Toronto Rock  -  Josh Wasson
(16) Rochester Knighthawks  -  Bobby McBride   
(17) Colorado Mammoth  -  Steven Brooks   
(18) San Jose Stealth  –  Jake Byrne   
(19) New York Titans  –  Peter Striebel
(20) Minnesota Swarm  –  Drew Candy
(21) Buffalo Bandits  –  Cory Stringer

Third Round
(22) Boston Blazers  -  Carter Livingstone   
(23) Edmonton Rush  –  Darryl Gibson
(24) Rochester Knighthawks  –  Craig Robertson

Fourth Round
(25) Rochester Knighthawks  –  Pat Saunders

Fifth Round
(26) Rochester Knighthawks  -   Brock Boyle

*Rochester traded Mike Kirk to San Jose in exchange for their first round selection in the 2010 Entry Draft.
**Calgary Traded Tom Montour to Buffalo in exchange for their first round selection in the 2010 Entry Draft.

Revised NLL Schedule

Obviously, with Chicago suspending operations this winter, the schedule ended up needing a bit of rework. Copied below is the revised 2009 NLL schedule (all times Eastern).

WEEK 1

Saturday, January 3
Philadelphia at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
Toronto at New York – 7:30 PM (@ Sunrise, FL)
Minnesota at Portland – 10:30 PM

WEEK 2

Friday, January 9
Colorado at Portland – 10:30 PM
Calgary at San Jose – 10:30 PM

Saturday, January 10
Buffalo at Toronto – 7:00 PM
Boston at New York – 7:30 PM (@ Prudential Center)
San Jose at Minnesota – 8:00 PM
Philadelphia at Rochester – 8:05 PM
Portland at Colorado – 9:00 PM
Edmonton at Calgary – 9:00 PM

WEEK 3

Friday, January 16
Rochester at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
Portland at Edmonton – 9:30 PM

Saturday, January 17
Calgary at Toronto – 7:00 PM
New York at Boston – 7:30 PM

Sunday, January 18
Rochester at San Jose – 8:30 PM

WEEK 4

Friday, January 23
Boston at Philadelphia – 8:00 PM
Edmonton at Portland – 10:30 PM

Saturday, January 24
Philadelphia at Boston – 7:30 PM
New York at Rochester – 7:35 PM
Edmonton at Colorado – 8:00 PM
Buffalo at Minnesota – 8:00 PM
San Jose at Calgary – 9:30 PM

WEEK 5

Thursday, January 29
Buffalo at Edmonton – 9:00PM

Saturday, January 31
Edmonton at San Jose – 3:30 PM
Portland at Boston – 7:30 PM
Toronto at Rochester – 7:35 PM
New York at Colorado – 9:00 PM

WEEK 6

Friday, February 6
Buffalo at Philadelphia – 8:00 PM
Minnesota at Calgary – 9:30 PM

Saturday, February 7
Edmonton at Toronto – 3:30 PM
New York at Boston – 7:30 PM
Colorado at Minnesota – 8:00 PM
San Jose at Portland – 10:30 PM

Sunday, February 8
Philadelphia at New York – 7:00 PM (@ Prudential Center)

WEEK 7

Friday, February 13
Boston at Philadelphia – 8:00 PM

Saturday, February 14
Toronto at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
Calgary at Colorado – 9:00 PM

Sunday, February 15
Rochester at New York – 8:00 PM

WEEK 8

Friday, February 20
Buffalo at Toronto – 7:00 PM
Boston at Minnesota – 8:00 PM

Saturday, February 21
Minnesota at Philadelphia – 7:30 PM
New York at Rochester – 7:35 PM
Colorado at San Jose – 10:30 PM

Sunday, February 22
Boston at Calgary – 5:00 PM
Colorado at Edmonton – 8:00 PM

WEEK 9

Friday, February 27
Minnesota at Toronto – 7:30 PM
Philadelphia at Edmonton – 9:30 PM

Saturday, February 28
Calgary at New York – 12:30 PM
Minnesota at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
San Jose at Boston – 7:30 PM
Toronto at Rochester – 7:35 PM
Philadelphia at Portland – 10:30 PM

Sunday, March 1
San Jose at New York – 7:30 PM (@ Prudential Center)

WEEK 10

Saturday, March 7
All-Star Game at Colorado – 9:00PM

WEEK 11

Friday, March 13
Calgary at Edmonton – 9:30 PM

Saturday, March 14
Colorado at San Jose – 3:30 PM
Toronto at Boston – 7:30 PM
Minnesota at Philadelphia – 7:30 PM
Buffalo at Rochester – 7:35 PM

WEEK 12

Saturday, March 21
Rochester at Toronto – 7:00 PM
Portland at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
Colorado at Calgary – 9:30 PM
Minnesota at San Jose – 10:30 PM

Sunday, March 22
Minnesota at Colorado – 8:00 PM

WEEK 13

Friday, March 27
Toronto at Calgary – 9:00 PM

Saturday, March 28
Portland at San Jose – 3:30 PM
New York at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
Colorado at Philadelphia – 7:30 PM
Boston at Rochester – 7:35 PM
Calgary at Minnesota – 8:00 PM
Toronto at Edmonton – 9:00 PM

Sunday, March 29
San Jose at Portland – 6:00 PM

WEEK 14

Friday, April 3
Boston at Toronto – 7:30 PM
Rochester at Colorado – 9:00 PM
Calgary at Edmonton – 9:00 PM

Saturday, April 4
Philadelphia at New York – 7:30 PM (@ Prudential Center)
Buffalo at Boston – 7:30 PM
Edmonton at Minnesota – 8:00 PM
Rochester at Calgary – 9:00 PM
Colorado at Portland – 10:30 PM

Sunday, April 5
New York at Philadelphia – 2:30 PM

WEEK 15

Friday, April 10
Rochester at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
Portland at Calgary – 9:30 PM
Edmonton at San Jose – 10:30 PM

Saturday, April 11
Toronto at Philadelphia – 7:30 PM
Buffalo at New York – 7:30 PM (@ Prudential Center)
Rochester at Boston – 7:30 PM
Portland at Minnesota – 8:00 PM
San Jose at Colorado – 9:00 PM

WEEK 16

Friday, April 17
Edmonton at Colorado – 9:00 PM
Calgary at Portland – 10:30 PM

Saturday, April 18
San Jose at Toronto – 7:00 PM
Boston at Buffalo – 7:30 PM
Philadelphia at Rochester – 7:35 PM
New York at Minnesota – 8:00 PM
Portland at Edmonton – 9:30 PM

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