NLL Insider

The faces in Rochester may not be new, but they’re certainly familiar (20 Toe Photo)

The Rochester Knighthawks are on the tail-end of an off-season that made even Amy Winehouse look semi-sane.

First former head coach Ed Comeau leaves the Hawks for a new gig in New York, which was followed by an array of rumours for most of the summer of who his replacement would be. Long time GM, Jody Gage, was pushed out of his role with the team to concentrate solely on the AHL’s Rochester Americans, who are currently second to last in the 29-team league. Vet defender Regy Thorpe was given the new GM role, but instead of an expected retirement announcement, Thorpe remained as an active player with the team and is expected to play in 2009 as a player-GM. Canadian Hall of Famer Paul Suggate was finally announced as the team’s new head coach in September, only to resign from the role just days before the start of the 2009 regular season to be replaced by Paul Gait. Rochester’s two top goal scorers from last year, John Grant and Scott Evans, are out for the year with blown knees, Grant’s potentially career ending.

Oh yeah, a retired Gary Gait was traded for and brother Paul Gait was just announced as the K’Hawks’ new coach, his first ever pro coaching gig.

The Inside Lacrosse Magazine Breakdown

This story appears in the January issue of Inside Lacrosse magazine. Click Here to see what's inside/order your copy.

Depth

*******
Struggled to find much past their top four scorers last year, but Aaron Wilson and an more-mature Matt MacLeod will definitely help.

Balance

********
Not only will Gary Gait help replace Grant, but the legend should also help develop Rochester’s decent crop of kids.

Chemistry

*******
Rumor was that Grant and Scott Evans butted heads last year, disrupting chemistry up front. How will Gait jell with Rochester’s every changing offense?

Transition

******
Lost one of their best two-way forces, Stephen Hoar, in the Wilson trade. Will need some of their young legs and eventually Bobby McBride to fill in for Hoar’s lost wheels.

SHANNY’S TAKE

What a difference a year makes. Heading into last season they were the prohibitive favorite to repeat but never found their chemistry. This year they are without John Grant and now we find that Scott Evans is out as well. The Knighthawks will challenge for a playoff spot but they don’t expect another championship season.

SCOUTING REPORT

“It’s sad to see what happened with Junior [Grant]. That leaves a big hole, obviously. You can’t replace him, but they have a great scorer in Shawn Williams. He’ll have to take more of a role and accept it…They’re a solid club, but they’re getting old fast. Willy’s no spring chicken and Millin’s not young either. Their athleticism might be hurting a bit, so they’ve got to make sure their young guys are going to be ready… I was surprised they traded Hoar, that’s a big loss for them… They’ve got new owners, a new coach and a little bit of a chip on their shoulders.”

Rate This Story:

(+45 rating, 16 votes)

 Loading ...