Doug Luey steps down as MSL leader, league hopes to play four-team season
Several hours before the start of the National Lacrosse League’s Cup-deciding Game 3 of their Finals, Major Series Lacrosse surprisingly announced that Doug Luey had stepped down from his role as the league’s commissioner.
Part two of their statement also confirmed that MSL hopes to forge ahead with a four-team league this summer, which would include the Peterborough Lakers, Six Nations Chiefs, Brooklin Lacrosse Club and Cobourg Kodiaks.
The league statement was issued a day and a half after the Oakville Rock pulled out of the 2022 MSL season due to owner Jamie Dawick’s displeasure of the Ontario Lacrosse Association’s requirements regarding the disputed status of the Brampton and Owen Sound clubs.
Also confirmed in today’s statement, the MSL Board of Governors unanimously elected Lynn Withers as Interim Commissioner and Tina Manning as Chair of the Board. As reported by The Peterborough Examiner earlier today, “Withers is a former president of the Peterborough Minor Lacrosse Association and has been a volunteer with the Lakers and treasurer with the league for more than eight years.”
Regarding Luey’s departure, the MSL release states, “Doug is stepping away for the betterment of the league and we stand behind him. We wish him all of the best.”
Earlier this week, the OLA Board of Directors had approved a five-team league for 2022. An updated agreement was sent to MSL, Brampton and Owen Sound representatives this past Thursday. While Brampton have signed, neither Luey or Owen Sound owner Joe Norton had put pen to paper.
Although MSL games (so far just two, three if you count last month’s unsanctioned exhibition match) continue to be played in good faith during this painful process, there were two items on that agreement that prevented the league from signing and securing the long-term status of this summer’s Senior A season.
As reported by The Owen Sound Sun Times yesterday:
While neither of the three parties wanted to wade into specifics, all of them confirmed a few of the sticking points. They have to do with the potential of an arbitrator ultimately deciding who is the rightful owner of the Excelsiors franchise, and with fees being paid to Owen Sound and Brampton to sign the franchise’s players for the 2022 season.
Luey said the MSL’s board of governors were uncomfortable with the potential of an arbitrator making a binding ruling that could grant ownership of the franchise “for free” and potentially leave Norton to start an expansion franchise from scratch without any financial compensation for the team or its operation since 2018.
While the league doesn’t feel any need to pay for essentially a one-season rental of an Excelsiors player, BELC President Glenn McClelland thinks otherwise. The Sun Times further reports:
McClelland said they were seeking payment in the neighbourhood of $500 per player – “we’re talking peanuts here in terms of dollars and cents” – to recoup some cost-benefit if a player is then flipped to another team, likely returning an even higher fee.
And the status of the Oakville Rock players? Add that to the next agenda.
The MSL’s board, “…have also unanimously voted to have positive dialogue with the Ontario Lacrosse Association to move forward and request to play as a four-team league for the 2022 season. MSL is willing to sign an agreement with the OLA, pending approval of a four-team 2022 season.”