2023 NLL Entry Draft results: Dyson Williams selected first overall by Albany FireWolves
Dyson Williams, Albany FireWolves (Photo: R. Polansky)
Dyson Williams (Whitby Warriors/Duke University) was selected first overall by the Albany FireWolves at the 2023 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft held at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre on Saturday, September 16.
Going second overall to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs was Williams’ former Warriors teammate Adam Poitras (Whitby Warriors/Loyola University). It’s only the third time in league history that former Junior A teammates were taken with the first two picks during the same draft (2018 Six Nations Arrows Austin Staats & Chris Cloutier + 2003 Burnaby Lakers Mark Miyashita & Taylor Wray).
Out of the 19 first round picks this year, only five were a team’s owned selection based on last year’s regular season standings & playoff finish. All other picks had previously been traded, dealt on the day or were compensatory selections obtained through the loss of an unrestricted free agent.
See the full draft results from Saturday’s draft below.
Payton Cormier & Curt Malawsky, Vancouver Warriors (Photo: David Pickering)
Full draft results
Round Pick. (Overall Pick): Player (Canadian Junior A/National Collegiate Box Series/Collegiate Program)
First Round
1. (1) Albany: Dyson Williams (Whitby Warriors/Duke University)
2. (2) Las Vegas (from Vancouver): Adam Poitras (Whitby Warriors/Loyola University)
3. (3) New York: Callum Jones (Burlington Blaze/Norwich University)
4. (4) Vancouver (from Las Vegas): Payton Cormier (Mimico Mountaineers/University of Virginia)
5. (5) Panther City (from Saskatchewan): Ryan Sheridan (Nanaimo Timerbmen/Hofstra University)
6. (6) Georgia: Toron Eccleston (Burnaby Lakers/Lenoir-Rhyne University)
7. (7) Vancouver (from Philadelphia): Brock Haley (Whitby Warriors/University of Vermont)
8. (8) Georgia (from Panther City): Jacob Hickey (Toronto Beaches/Western University)
9. (9) Vancouver (from Rochester via Las Vegas): Brayden Laity (Port Coquitlam Saints)
10. (10) New York (from Halifax): Jake Stevens (KW Lacrosse Club/Princeton University)*
11. (11) Calgary: Bennett Smith (Edmonton Miners/Queens University of Charlotte)
12. (12) Saskatchewan (from Toronto): Levi Anderson (Okotoks Raiders/Saint Joseph’s University)
13. (13) San Diego: Matthew Wright (Mimico Mountaineers/Okotoks Raiders/University of North Carolina/Syracuse University)
14. (14) Albany (from Colorado): Nicholas Volkov (Burlington Blaze/University of Guelph)
15. (15) Rochester (from Buffalo): Graydon Hogg (Whitby Warriors/University of Albany)**
16. (16) Rochester (from Calgary): Ben MacDonnell (Whitby Warriors/Robert Morris University)***
17. (17) Albany (compensatory selection): Zachary Young (Peterborough Lakers/University of North Carolina)
18. (18) Vancouver (From Philadelphia, compensatory selection): Connor O’Toole (Brampton Excelsiors/Brock University)****
19. (19) Georgia (compensatory selection): Kaleb Benedict (UCBLL Armory/Orangeville Northmen)
Draft Day Trades:
*Halifax trades the 2023 10th overall pick to New York for New York’s 2025 first round pick
**Buffalo trades the 2023 15th overall pick to Rochester in exchange for a 2024 first round pick
***Calgary trades the 2023 16th, 2023 35th overall picks, and Kyle Waters to Rochester for Thomas Hoggarth & Thomas Vela
****Philadelphia trades the 2023 18th overall pick to the Vancouver Warriors for the 2023 22nd overall pick and a 2024 second round pick
Dyson Williams, Albany & Brock Haley, Vancouver (Photo: David Pickering)
Second Round
1. (20) Saskatchewan: Thomas Kiazyk (Burlington Blaze)
2. (21) Panther City (from Albany via Saskatchewan via Philadelphia): Justin Sykes (Mimico Mountaineers/Hofstra University)
3. (22) Philadelphia (from Vancouver): Mitchell Armstrong (St. Catharines Athletics/Brock University)
4. (23) San Diego (from New York): Ben Stewart (Burnaby Lakers/Hofstra University)
5. (24) Las Vegas: Luke Pilcher (Burlington Blaze/Armory/RIT)
6. (25) Saskatchewan: Jake Bowen (Edmonton Miners/Queens University of Charlotte)
7. (26) Georgia: Liam McGrath (Orangeville Northmen/Lenoir-Rhyne University)
8. (27) San Diego (from Philadelphia via New York via Saskatchewan): Noah Armitage (New Westminster
Salmombellies/Stony Brook University
9. (28) Halifax (from Panther City via Georgia): Mike Robinson (Peterborough Lakers/University of Delaware)
10. (29) Saskatchewan (from Rochester via Buffalo): Josh Zawada (Edmonton Blues/Okotoks Raiders/University of Michigan/Duke University)
11. (30) Rochester (from Halifax): Jake Doolittle (Whitby Warriors)
12. (31) Georgia (from Calgary): Jake Taylor (CCBLL Fighting Bison/University of Notre Dame)
13. (32) Albany (from Toronto): Carson Moyer (Barrie Lakeshores/Mimico Mountaineers/University of Utah)
14. (33) New York (from San Diego): Reed Kurtz (KW Lacrosse Club/Mimico Mountaineers/University of Delaware)
15. (34) Colorado: Ben McDonald (Delta Islanders/Okotoks Raiders/University of Calgary)
16 (35) Rochester (from Buffalo): Jacob Piseno (UCBLL Hawkeyes/University of Albany)
17. (36) Halifax (compensatory selection): Caelan Mander (Port Coquitlam Saints/Edmonton Miners)
18. (37) Calgary (compensatory selection): Evan Soucy (Nanaimo Timbermen/University of Indianapolis)
19. (38) Buffalo (compensatory selection): Evan Constantopoulos (Oakville Buzz)
Evan Constantopoulos, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: David Pickering)
Third Round
1. (39) Toronto (from Albany): Zack Kearney (University of Massachusetts/Oakville Buzz)
2. (40) Vancouver: Alec Stathakis (University of Denver)
3. (41) Georgia (from New York): Nicholas Rowlett (University of Michigan)
4. (42) Las Vegas: Mustang Sally (CCBLL Red Hawks/Loyola University/University of Richmond)
5. (43) Colorado (from Saskatchewan): Sean Kriwokon (Okotoks Raiders/Edmonton Miners/Simon Fraser University)
6. (44) San Diego (from Georgia): Matthew Abbott (Langley Thunder/Queens University of Charlotte)
7. (45) Philadelphia: Dalton Young (University of Richmond)
8. (46) Panther City: Elijah Gash (University of Albany)
9. (47) Rochester: Jack Boyden (West Durham Ironheads Junior B/Toronto Beaches/Tufts University/University Virginia)
10. (48) Halifax: Andrew Vradenburg (Burlington Blaze)
11. (49) Calgary: Conner Cook (Calgary Mountaineers)
12. (50) Toronto: Chase Schiavon (Langley Thunder/Orangeville Northmen)
13. (51) Las Vegas (from San Diego): Luke Robinson (Whitby Warriors/Burlington Blaze/Jacksonville University)
14. (52) Panther City (from Rochester): Michael Sisselberger (Lehigh University)*****
15. (53) Buffalo: Jake Rosa (Six Nations Arrows/KW Lacrosse Club/St. Bonaventure University)
Draft Day Trades
*****Rochester trades 2023 52nd overall to Panther City in exchange for Panther City’s 2026 3rd round pick
Zack Kearney, Toronto Rock (Photo: David Pickering)
Fourth Round
1. (54) New York (from Albany via Panther City): Gavin Adler (Cornell University)
2. (55) Vancouver: Sam Handley (University of Pennsylvania)
3. (56) New York (from New York via Philadelphia via Rochester): Mason Woodward (Marquette University)
4. (57) Las Vegas: Joey Szabo (Mimico Mountaineers/Queens University of Charlotte)
5. (58) Saskatchewan: Curtis Bukta (Mimico Mountaineers/Newberry College)
6. (59) Philadelphia (from Georgia): Stone Jacobs (Toronto Beaches/University of Vermont)
7. (60) Philadelphia: Noah Millsap (Orangeville Northmen/ Queens University)
8. (61) Panther City: Colin Sharkey (CTCBLL Revolution/University of Vermont/University of Maryland)
9. (62) San Diego (from Rochester): Xander Dickson (University of Virginia)
10. (63) Halifax: Beau Pederson (Princeton University/University of Michigan)
11. (64) Calgary: Jack Posey (Penn State University)
12. (65) Toronto: John Wheller (Whitby Warriors/University of Guelph)
13. (66) Georgia (from San Diego): Richie Connell (CCBLL Red Hawks/CCBLL Stoneflies/University of Denver/Richmond University)
14. (67) Colorado: Matt Brandau (Yale University)
15. (68) Buffalo: Kellen Pulera (UCBLL Rapids/Marist College)
Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (Photo: David Pickering)
Fifth Round
1. (69) Albany: Andrew Kidd (Toronto Beaches)
2. (70) Las Vegas (from Vancouver): Tyler Carpenter (Duke University)
3. (71) New York: Robert Morgan (KW Lacrosse Club/Oakville Buzz)
4. (72) Saskatchewan: Samuel Marshall (Saskatoon SWAT/Franciscan University of Steubenville)
5. (73) New York (from Georgia): Coby Auslander (Christopher Newport University)******
6. (74) Philadelphia: Brandon Hund (Towson University)
7. (75) Philadelphia (from Panther City): Russell Maher (University of Virginia/John Hopkins University)
8. (76) San Diego (from Rochester): Marcus Hudgins (Army/Ohio State University)
9. (77) Halifax: Briley Maxwell (Edmonton Miners/Newberry College)
10. (78) Calgary: Chris Jordan (Penn State University)
11. (79) Toronto: Brett Handsor (Barrie Lakeshores/Orangeville Northmen/Johns Hopkins University)
12. (80) San Diego: JJ Sillstrop (University of Denver)
13. (81) Colorado: AJ Mercurio (CACNLL Dragons/University of Denver)
14. (82) Buffalo: Duncan Carte (Hamilton Bengals Junior B)
Draft Day Trades
******Georgia trades the 2023 73rd pick to the New York for New York’s 2025 5th round pick
Brett Frood, NLL Comissioner (Photo: David Pickering)
Sixth Round
1. (83) Albany: Grant Ammann (High Point University)
2. (84) Vancouver: Drew Andre (New Westminster/Langley Thunder/Lewis University)
3. (85) Panther City (from Philadelphia): Justin Morgan (Calgary Mountaineers/Maryville University)*******
4. (86) Las Vegas: Kenny Brower (Duke University)
5. (87) Saskatchewan: Scott Reed (Whitby Warriors/Newberry College)
6. (88) Georgia: Piper Bond (University of Pennsylvania)
7. (89) Philadelphia: Jackson Ganton (Edmonton Miners)
8. (90) Panther City: Tim Manning (University of Vermont)
9. (91) Philadelphia (from Rochester): Hayden Fox (Six Nations Arrows/Johns Hopkins University)
10. (92) Halifax: Camden Smith (Mohawk Medicine Men/The College of Saint Rose)
11. (93) Calgary: Riley Isaacs (Calgary Mountaineers)
12. (94) Toronto: Luke Dawick (Oakville Buzz/McGill University)
13. (95) San Diego: Oscar Hertz (CACBLL Royals/Brown University)
14. (96) Colorado: Declan Fitzpatrick (Langley Thunder/Edmonton Miners)
15. (97) Las Vegas (from Buffalo): Nick Murphy (High Point University)********
Draft Day Trades
*******Philadelphia have traded the 85th pick to Panther City in exchange for Panther City’s 6th round pick in 2024
********Buffalo Bandits trade the 97th pick to Las Vegas for Las Vegas’ 2027 6th round pick