NLL Insider

For not having any games going on this week in the National Lacrosse League, it sure was a busy one. Dispersal draft, trades, signings, releases and new coaches. It’s enough to make a head spin, that’s for sure, but the prize for top story of this week has gotta be the return of John Grant Jr. His battle back from a near-fatal medical situation has been well-chronicled, but Junior was back in action Thursday night, and he wasn’t just happy to be there. Dude poured in 3 goals and 2 assists for a 5-point night in Peterborough’s 16-4 thrashing of St. Regis.

Yeah, yeah. This is supposed to be a National Lacrosse League notebook and Grant officially made his return with Peterborough of Major Series Lacrosse, but you know there are plenty of NLL fans keepin’ tabs on the guy. There’s no word yet on how Junior was feeling before, during and after the game, but you gotta think he’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat after a 5-point effort in his first game back. Welcome back, Junior.

OK, so back to the NLL news for the week. Tuesday’s dispersal draft saw a lot of names tossed around, and then they were tossed around again with a myriad of trades. One of the biggest involved Ryan Powell, who was drafted by the Titans and just when ya think he’ll be suiting up with brother Casey, he is traded to Colorado for Matt Danowski.

But just like Snoop, you keep it comin’ and ya don’t stop. To keep it as simple as possible, let’s just go down the list of guys who were moved and where they’re at. If ya wanna read the fine details of the deals, click on the links provided and that’ll get ya in the know.

OK … Ryan Ward and Justin Norbraten are now in Edmonton after trading  Ryan Benesch and Scott Self to Minnesota. Sandy Chapman’s in Toronto, Peter Jacobs is in Rochester, Washington gets local boy Jason Bloom and Luke Wiles, and Boston gets Mike Kirk. And in another curious move, one of last year’s top draft picks, Kevin Huntley is in Philadelphia after not playing a game last season for the team that originally drafted him, the Stealth. Huntley’s pops, of course, is Philly’s coach and GM, Dave Huntley.

Hard to keep straight, for sure. But it doesn’t even end there. As for coaches, the Edmonton Rush landed a new coach in Derek Keenan, who apparently has his staff in order already. And, last but not least, the Calgary Roughnecks promoted Dave Pym to the head coaching role and Curt Malawsky will run the offense after helping the Roughies win last year’s championship.

Catch your breath yet? It’s OK if ya don’t. That was quite a sprint. Take a break now and when ya get back, sort through all the loose balls we’ve yet to get to.

Loose balls: Paul Rabil’s gonna be in town for the new Washington Stealth to help run a clinic on July 13 … Edmonton Rush all-star Callum Crawford helped the Kahnawake Mohawks give the Vermont Voyageurs a lesson in box lacrosse … Hey Mammoth fan, get a behind-the-scenes look at your team with a new DVD that’s just been released … Speaking of the Mammoth, did you see your GM Steve Govett lighting up the cage for four goals in Supermasters Division title game at the recently concluded Vail Lacrosse Shootout? Click on the scorebook link and you’ll see his name on the Elder Statesmen roster … Hey Knighthawks fan, what’s Troy Bonterre up to? … Jason Crosbie’s looking for work after his release by the Toronto Rock.

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