NLL Insider

Mike Carnegie (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

That picture of Mike Carnegie just over to the right there, the one where he’s sportin’ a pretty big grin on his mug, see it? Any guess on why the kid might be so damn happy?

Might have something to do with the fact that he’s picked up the last three major indoor ball titles (’09 Champion’s Cup, ‘08 & ‘09 Mann Cup). Could be due to the two massive playoff goals he scored for both Calgary (game winner in Champ Cup vs. New York) or Brampton (OT forcing goal in Game 7 of the Mann vs. New West). Or it could be that he’s slowly becoming one of the most consistent, steady defenders in the game period.

Actually, technically, in that specific picture, the smiles from the goal he scored in the NLL final against the Titans, but with the last couple years Carnegie has been having, that could be from any number of occasions during either the winter or summer box season. He’s had a lot of reasons to flash those pearly whites.

After a decent junior career playing for the baby Brampton Excels, Carnegie went undrated in the NLL, later spending a bit of time in the background with the Buffalo Bandits on their practice roster, then following coach Troy Cordingley to Calgary, finding a spot in Cordingley’s high pressure defense, and playing his role to perfection on most nights. Ditto for Mike’s performance in Cordingley’s Excels lineup too.

With high profile defenders like Andrew McBride and then this year Jeff Moleski, Carnegie (and even bro Scott) is lower down the Necks’ depth charts versus other pure defenders that find themselves in this year’s Top 50, but the simple fact is, he’s been as steady and consistent as you could ask for from a D guy, and when you factor in his impact in some of the biggest clutch situations over the past 12 months, Mike Carnegie has definitely arrived at the highest level of the sport.

Fact: Over the past two calendar years, which of course would span over two NLL seasons and two Mann Cups, Carnegie’s three rings over that time is matched by only three other players during the last 24 months. The two most obvious, his current Roughnecks and Excels teammates, Josh Sanderson and brother Scott Carnegie. But the third? Anyone? That’d be Phil Sanderson, who won the same two Manns playing alongside Carnegie, and then the Champion’s Cup he landed playing for the Buffalo Bandits in 2008.

# (last year)
42 (NR) Mike Carnegie, Calgary Roughnecks
43 (NR) Scott Stewart, Edmonton Rush
44 (NR) Kaleb Toth, Calgary Roughnecks
45 (NR) Matt Disher, Edmonton Rush
46 (23) Ryan Ward, Edmonton Rush
47 (NR) Kyle Ross, Boston Blazers
48 (NR) Matt King, Calgary Roughnecks
49 (NR) Mac Allen, Rochester Knighthawks
50 (NR) Nick Inch, Minnesota Swarm

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