The top 30 stories of 2022

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Written By Paul Tutka

Had we published The Lax Mag Top 30 Stories of 2021, it would have been a relatively short list due to so much lacrosse cancelled courtesy of COVID.

A year later, and box lacrosse was back in a big way, feeling more fired & F’ed up than ever before. The pandemic still played a starring role too.

From multiple classic Cup conclusions, to an iconic brand being battled for, and many player performances worth recalling, here is The Lax Mag’s Top 30 stories of 2022.

Peterborough Memorial Arena (Photo: Ontario Lacrosse Association)

30. Coquitlam Adanacs qualify for WLA playoffs for the first time since 2013

John Hofseth was just 16 years old the last time the Coquitlam Adanacs made the Western Lacrosse Association playoffs. Almost a decade later, Hofseth would go on to lead his hometown team in points (48) during a second-place regular season finish, a seeding that would send the A’s to the postseason for the first time since 2013. Coquitlam keeper Christian Del Bianco, another local lacrosse product (the team has a number of notable names from nearby), was named the league’s MVP & GOTY, while Dylan Watson, whose father Bob played against the Adanacs in the club’s only Mann Cup victory (2001), was voted a First Team All-Star.

29. Neil Steven RIP

On April 1, we lost one of lacrosse’s most passionate, professional, and perfect people. At the age of 74, Neil Stevens left us after a two-and-a-half year fight with colon cancer. No one loved the sport of lacrosse more than Neil did.

Read: Lacrosse’s selfless storyteller

Marquez White, Royals, CCBLL (Photo: San Diego Seals)

28. Royals win second straight NCBS National Championship

The California Collegiate Box Lacrosse League’s Royals are once again National Collegiate Box Series National Champions after defeating the Connecticut-based Revolution 9-3 in the tournament finals taking place at the USBOXLA Nationals in San Jose.

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Thomas McConvey, Rochester Knighthawks

27. Thomas McConvey goes #1 in first in-person NLL Entry Draft since the start of the pandemic

Thomas McConvey was selected first overall in the 2022 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft by the Rochester Knighthawks at The Carlu in downtown Toronto.

For the first time in league history, the first round of the draft was streamed live on ESPN+ in the United States and TSN.ca in Canada.

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2022 NLL Entry Draft, first round selections

26. Troy Cordingley goes west after being named Warriors bench boss

The Vancouver Warriors announced that two-time National Lacrosse League Coach of the Year Troy Cordingley had been hired as the team’s new head coach.

Phil Sanderson was also confirmed as a new assistant coach, the Warriors retaining Curtis Hodgson, Dan Perreault and Dwight Maetche in other coaching-related roles with the club.

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25. Several NLL greats retire

Stephan Leblanc joined a lengthy list of standout vets that hung up their gloves this past offseason. Also retiring from professional lacrosse this year were Scott Campbell, Scott Carnegie, and Leblanc’s short-lived Georgia Swarm teammates Mike Poulin, Jordan Hall and Joel White. Saskatchewan Rush forward Jeff Shattler is also expected to retire.

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Andrew Vradenburg, Burlington Chiefs (Photo: Gillian Zwolak)

24. An upset for the ages to open the OJLL playoffs

The Burlington Chiefs swept aside the #1 ranked Mimico Mountaineers in the very first round of this year’s Ontario Junior Lacrosse League playoffs.

As we pointed out on social shortly after that opening-round upset, it’s the first time since 2018 that a #1 fell to a #8 in the OJLL - the Toronto Beaches bouncing the Chiefs 3-2 that year. Although it happened really recently, don’t be fooled, because results like that are ridiculously rare in Junior A lacrosse. In fact, since the Ontario league was incorporated in 1933, it’s only happened those two times.

Read: Minto Cup: Why finishing first during the regular season matters, a lot

23. Randy Staats traded to Halifax, plus other significant NLL deals

Panther City forward Randy Staats was sent to the east coast for Jackson Reid, Halifax’s ninth overall pick in the NLL Entry Draft, plus the Thunderbirds’ second-round selection in the 2025 draft.

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Randy Staats, Halifax Thunderbirds (Photo: Trevor MacMillan)

22. Lacrosse Twitter heats up after Chase Scanlan inks an NLL deal

Top 5 most-read topics on The Lax Mag in 2022

The Vancouver Warriors signed Chase Scanlan to a one-year contract.

The NLL transaction sparked significant outcry on social media due to Scanlan’s controversial past. A similar social skewering occurred earlier this summer when Scanlan signed with the Western Lacrosse Association’s Langley Thunder.

The Lax Mag learned that both the Warriors and the NLL have performed in-depth investigations into Scanlan’s legal past and current personal situation prior to a contract being offered to the player.

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21. GOAT goalie Matt Vinc not slowing down

Buffalo backstop Matt Vinc won his eighth Goalie of the Year award after leading the Buffalo Bandits to the regular season’s best record.

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Matt Vinc, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Michael Hetzel)

20. Paul Gait seriously injured

Details were minimal when Paul Gait’s injury was first made public, but Syracuse.com would later report, “Gait fell from a platform about 20 feet off the ground while installing insulation during a winterizing process in a warehouse just outside Albany on Thursday…Gait suffered a head laceration, broken ribs and required surgery to stabilize a back injury. He is currently recovering at Albany Medical Center…”

Read: Lacrosse legend Paul Gait involved in accident, currently recovering

19. Shawn Evans makes history at a very memorable Mann Cup

Peterborough Lakers forward Shawn Evans has rewritten Canadian lacrosse record books, his first point in a series-swaying Game 5 of the Mann Cup placing him #1 in career Cup points.

Read: Shawn Evans sets new Mann Cup career points record during Game 5

Shawn Evans, Peterborough Lakers (Photo: David Pickering)

18. It took a bit longer than expected, but NLL & NLLPA deliver a new CBA

In our NLL Player Poll, we asked the guys if they were happy with the direction the league was headed. An overwhelming 95% responded that they were. The collective bargain agreement the league & players’ association struck in early August likely plays a part in that extremely positive response. In recent years, the NLLPA (previously known as the PLPA) saw significant change in leadership when current NLLers Zach Currier (President) & Reid Reinholdt (Vice President & Executive Director) took over.

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17. Nepean Knight’s near perfect season

Between the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League regular season, provincial playoffs and finally then Founders Cup, the Nepean Knights went on a remarkable 36-2 run in 2022. Greatest Junior B season ever? Maybe. The Ottawa talent pool has been surging so hard in recent seasons, and is showing no signs of stagnating any time soon.

Nepean Knights, Founders Cup (Photo: Ontario Lacrosse Association)

16. Dan Dawson passes a pair of John Tavares records

“It’s a testament to the amazing players I’ve played with over my career. I’m just lucky to have played an amazing game for so long with so many great people.” - Dan Dawson, Toronto Rock

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Wayne Gretzky, Las Vegas Desert Dogs (Photo: Candice Ward)

15. Las Vegas Desert Dogs play historic first home game in front of packed arena

Outside of the final score (9-3L vs. Panther City), everything else about the Desert Dogs’ first-ever regular season game in Vegas played our pretty perfectly.

14. Toronto Beaches alignment with still-yet-to-play TLL ignites war between team & league

Top 5 most-read topics on The Lax Mag in 2022

On December 6, 2021, OJLL Commissioner Mark Grimes indefinitely suspended the Toronto Beaches Jr. A Lacrosse Club from the league for their intention to defect to a competitor of the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Then A LOT of other stuff happened…

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David Anderson, Toronto Beaches (Photo: Dave Fryer)

13. NLL free agency gets really wild

It certainly seemed like the excitement surrounding this past summer’s free agency reached record-high heights, with some of the league’s best players testing the market after becoming UFAs. Here were some of the most noteworthy names that signed new deals after August 6…

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12. Jeff Teat debuts in the NLL and proceeds to have record-breaking run

The term “generational talent” gets thrown around a lot, especially in the NLL, which seems to have one, two or more every draft year. Jeff Teat is one of the few mentioned over the past decade that checks off all the boxes to garner such a title.

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11. San Diego Seals stock up in search of Cup-clinching success

Mentioned earlier when NLL free agency ranked #13 on this list, the Seals dip into the UFA pool put the rest of the league on notice that they were all in when it came to claiming this year’s Cup. Not only did they sign Curtis Dickson & Kevin Crowley, but they also convinced Jesse Gamble to come back, plus inked American face-off freak Connor Farrell, who could come in handy as the season moves on. San Diego sat #1 in TLM’s preseason rankings, and haven’t given up the top spot in our Power Rankings three weeks in. This is a story that has yet to have its final chapter written, with the biggest closing question being: Will 41-year-old Brodie Merrill finally win his first NLL Cup? It has all the makings of being next year’s #1.

10. Dhane Smith wins second MVP award while rewriting regular season record books

Just before the end of last year’s regular season, we examined how previous season’s voters had picked their NLL MVP, and Buffalo’s Dhane Smith overwhelmingly matched what past most valuables achieved. It wasn’t even close to be honest.

Smith set a new single-season record for most assists in a season (94) and was just two points shy (135) of matching a record he already owned for most points in a single season too (137 in 2016).

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Dillon Ward, Colorado Mammoth (Photo: Jack Dempsey)

9. Dillon Ward delivers playoff perfection

Spoiler alert, the Colorado Mammoth winning the Cup is on this list (keep scrolling), but the playoff performance Dillon Ward had with last year’s champions is very much its own headline-hogging story. Ward gave a post-season performance for the ages, taking a Mammoth team few gave a chance and silencing every stacked side put in front of him (Calgary, San Diego and of course Buffalo). Ward was named the NLL Cup MVP (the first goalie since Aaron Bold in 2016), and a handful of months later, gave a repeat performance in the PLL.

Read: Ward, Williams and Woolies too much for Bandits in NLL Cup Finals

8. NLL Commissioner ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

First Nick left early. Jessica saw her role increased, but then she bolted too. Brett is in charge now. The players seem cool with him.

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Jamie Dawick, Brett Frood and Brian Lemon (Photo: Ryan McCullough)

7. COVID-related restrictions create chaos, force 114 players into protocol

On December 10, 2021, Jeff Teat was place in COVID protocol, the league’s first player to be put there. It wasn’t until May 7, 2022 that the last player was released from that roster-robbing list (Doug Buchan). A total of 114 players were placed in protocol, a couple spending two stretches there (Ian Llord & Tanner Buck). Players being plucked out of lineups, sometimes on the same day as their game, left GMs & coaches stressing to find substitutes at times. The league was also forced to delay their return from its Christmas break, and a number of Canadian teams had games moved and/or played in empty arenas due to strict provincial restrictions.

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6. PLL makes fulfilling Mann Cup dreams difficult for Canadians

Top 5 most-read topics on The Lax Mag in 2022

Still considered by many to be Canada’s most cherished, prestigious and iconic lacrosse trophy, the Mann Cup will have far fewer of the sport’s top players competing for it.

The Lax Mag confirmed with multiple sources that the most recent round of Premier Lacrosse League contracts includes a clause that prohibits players from taking part in any non-PLL competition during the pro-field league’s season of play. Those banned leagues would include Canada’s Senior A level of lacrosse, specifically the Ontario-based Major Series Lacrosse and the British Columbia-based Western Lacrosse Association.

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5. Whitby Warriors win the Minto Cup in an all-time classic

Top 5 most-read topics on The Lax Mag in 2022*

This past summer’s Minto Cup had plenty of storylines & spectacular games between a fantastic foursome that wowed fans from Brampton’s CAA Centre: the Whitby Warriors, Edmonton Miners, Toronto Beaches and Victoria Shamrocks. The Warriors won, but the Miners made history (more on that in a bit).

Read: Whitby Warriors win Minto Cup in Game 3 thriller

*includes all Minto Cup related coverage

Whitby Warriors, Minto Cup Champions (Photo: Dave Fryer)

4. Brampton, Bug Juice and an iconic box lacrosse brand

Top 5 most-read topics on The Lax Mag in 2022

A torturous tale that had more twists, turns and trouble than any story this year, the status of the Excelsiors almost led to no Senior A season in Ontario for more than just Oakville, Owen Sound and Brampton. Although there has been no official word from the league, association or teams, The Peterborough Examiner recently reported a resolution is in place that would see both Brampton & Owen Sound in MSL in 2023. We’ll see. Enjoy…

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Chad Tutton, Peterborough Lakers (Photo: David Pickering)

3. Peterborough Lakers win fourth straight Mann Cup in stunning seven-game series

The Lakers became the first team since the 1951-54 Peterborough Timbermen/Trailerman to win four consecutive Cups, plus passed the New Westminster Salmonbellies for most Manns (since the box era began in 1932) with 18. Down 2-0 to start the series, Peterborough would mount an incredible comeback that would need a full seven to be settled. Between the PLL’s problematic contracts, the Excelsiors debacle, and then this year’s historically significant Mann Cup, the interest level in Senior A lacrosse seems to be higher than is has in several seasons, maybe longer.

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Miners Lacrosse Club (Photo: Dave Fryer)

2. Miners put Alberta on the Minto Cup map after record-smashing success

Top 5 most-read topics on The Lax Mag in 2022*

Whether you refer to them as the Edmonton Miners, St. Albert Miners or simply Miners Lacrosse Club (we’re still not 100% which is right), the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League rep had a massively meaningful Minto Cup run that demanded the attention of every lacrosse fan across the country. The John Lintz-led Miners came into the Cup as heavy underdogs (the same as every other RMLL entry prior to this year), but left two goals shy of securing Junior A’s greatest glory.

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*includes all Minto Cup related coverage

Colorado Mammoth, NLL Cup Champions (Photo: Jack Dempsey)

1. Counted-out Colorado Mammoth claim NLL Cup in drama-filled final

Sure, it would be easy to rank this story #1. The NLL is the highest level of lacrosse (sorry, PLL), and winning the league’s title is obviously lofty-level stuff. That’s not why the Mammoth made their way to the top of our year-end list though. Doubted in every series they started (they were underdogs against Calgary, San Diego and most definitely Buffalo), Colorado would also lose arguably their top two point-producing weapons when first Ryan Lee and then Eli McLaughlin went down with injuries during the playoffs. Name another champion in any other pro sport that had their top offensive talents stripped in the middle of their hunt and still won? Well, it’s just never happened. The Mammoth received inspired & elevated performances from Dillon Ward (see #9 above), Zed Williams, Robert Hope, Connor Robinson, Joey Cupido, Warren Jeffrey and the rest of their resilient roster from top to bottom in order to clinch last year’s Cup, but also The Lax Mag’s top story of 2022.

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Paul Tutka
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