Philadelphia Wings sign NLL MVP finalist Joe Resetarits
Joe Resetarits, Albany FireWolves (Photo: Kathleen Helman)
The Philadelphia Wings have announced that the team has signed unrestricted free agent Joe Resetarits to a three-year deal.
Playing for the Albany FireWolves last season, Resetarits had arguably his most impressive season to date, co-leading the league in goals (47) and voted an MVP finalists alongside Buffalo’s Dhane Smith & Matt Vinc.
Prior to the NLL & NLLPA agreeing to a new collective bargaining agreement, Resetarits had been given the franchise tag by the FireWolves on August 1, keeping him with the team for an additional season at a higher salary. Soon after the CBA was signed, teams were notified that Resetarits (and others) now met the criteria to reject the tag under the new agreement. Albany re-offered the franchise tag to Resetarits on August 14.
Update (August 16, 2022, 3:30pm ET): The Lax Mag has confirmed that UFAs who reach the age of 33 by the end of the calendar year have the ability to reject the franchise tag. Players who meet that new CBA criteria (previously 34) that were franchised prior to the new agreement being signed, can have the designation offered to them again, but now possessing the power to reject or accept. This applied to both Joe Resetarits & Kiel Matisz.
Resetarits is currently playing in the Major Series Lacrosse Finals with the Peterborough Lakers. Philadelphia Wings General Manager & Head Coach Paul Day is also the GM of the Lakers.
This is the second straight season that Albany has lost their previous season’s leading scorer, former franchise forward Callum Crawford signing with the New York Riptide as a free agent in August of 2020.
The Wings, who finished with one of 2022’s lowest goal totals, also recently added Jeff McComb to their bench in an attempt to help bolster their underperforming offense.
Kevin Crowley & Kiel Matisz, Philadelphia UFAs with the ability to reject a franchise-tag offer, have yet to re-sign with the club.