During the summer of 2006, the original LAXMAG ranked the Top 30 Junior A lacrosse players cross Canada. The issue appeared on newsstands across the country and was shipped to readers worldwide.

While many of the names on that list seem like locks almost two decades later, not all of them were. Some others that were no brainers at the time, have failed to live up to that hype for a variety of reasons.

Here’s who made it in 2006, where they ranked, and their team at the time.

1. Shawn Evans, Peterborough Lakers
2. Daryl Veltman, Orangeville Northmen
3. Garrett Billings, Burnaby Lakers
4. Ilija Gajic, Burnaby Lakers
5. Josh Wasson, Peterborough Lakers
6. Matt Morehouse, Surrey Stickmen
7. Ryan Benesch, Kitchener-Waterloo Braves
8. Cody Jamieson, Six Nations Arrows
9. Zack Greer, Whitby Warriors
10. Rick Passfield, Whitby Warriors
11. Nate Sanderson, Orangeville Northmen
12. Chad Thompson, Orillia Kings
13. Jordan Hall, Surrey Stickmen
14. Matt Leveque, Surrey Stickmen
15. Jamie Rooney, Elora Mohawks (B)
16. Cliff Smith, Surrey Stickmen
17. Darren Halls, Orangeville Northmen
18. Mitch Nanticoke, Six Nations Arrows
19. Nick Johnson, Calgary Raiders
20. Cody Jacobs, Six Nations Arrows
21. Dane Dobbie, Burnaby Lakers
22. Kent Squire-Hill, Six Nations Arrows
23. Rhys Duch, Victoria Shamrocks
24. Kyle Sorensen, Peterborough Lakers
25. Sid Smith, Six Nations Arrows
26. Mike Poulin, Orangeville Northmen
27. Jeff Shattler, Brampton Excelsiors
28. Brad Richardson, Burnaby Lakers
29. Greg Whitenect, Edmonton Miners
30. Callum Crawford, Six Nations Arrows

It was by far our most popular article. Players to this day still post pictures from that famous feature, including snaps of Shawn Evans’ frosted tips which were seemingly being admired by the lacrosse Gods on that sunny Saturday in downtown Toronto.

It’s also the topic we get asked about most since The Lax Mag returned in recent years.

So here we are.

Our Top 30 has been bumped up to a Top 50, as we quickly found out that 30 would not come close to containing much of the talent that deserved to be mentioned. Heck, 50 didn’t do it either, but we had to cut it off at some point.

Unlike our NLL Top 100, ranking juniors is a bit, actually a lot, trickier. With players returning from college sometimes well into the season, others taking time off after playing collegiately or some even professionally already, different sized schedules amongst all three of Canada’s Junior A leagues during both the regular season and playoffs, roster depth discrepancies, a glaring gap between provinces when it comes to online rosters, stats and streaming availability, as well as another dozen or more issues makes balancing a loaded list like this tremendously difficult to order.

With probably close to 600 players taking part in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League, British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League and the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League’s A loop this summer, it took a while to narrow down today’s elite eight-ish percent.

Ontario supporters (the most and by far the loudest) will wonder why half of their hometown team didn’t make it, BC clubs will chirp us for putting too many from the east on the countdown, and the RMLL will claim complete disrespect for having so few of their players mentioned. It’s how it was in 2006, and you better believe it’s remained the same all these years later.

Below, see who made our Top 50 for 2024, our reasons why they’re here, plus much more.

50. Nicholas Volkov

Team: Mimico Mountaineers
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
NLL: Albany FireWolves (drafted 14th overall in 2023 NLL Entry Draft)

A trade target for much of the summer and an injury sustained at the absolute worst time of the season (the OJLL Finals) made Nicholas Volkov’s final junior season not quite as impactful as most would have expected. With that said, from a pure defensive standpoint, not many are at Volkov’s level due to his size, strength, smarts and NLL seasoning while playing with the almost NLL Cup champion Albany FireWolves earlier this year.

49. Greg Palmer

Team: Toronto Beaches
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Saint Leo University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

The overall on-floor impact he had this summer certainly won’t show up in his statistical summary (you know why), but there were few forwards anywhere in Canada that were as consistent and clutch as Greg Palmer was in Toronto’s star-studded lineup. While his touches seemed to diminish a bit after the trade deadline, Palmer’s talent still certainly stood out.

48. Jordy Neary

Team: Port Coquitlam Saints
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
NLL Draft Eligible: 2024

While already NLLers Brayden Laity and Caelan Mander often receive much of the attention on Port Coquitlam’s powerful defensive unit, don’t forget about Jordy Neary, who caused his fair share of hell and havoc against top offensive lineups all summer. A ball hound and turnover-forcing fiend, expect to hear Neary’s name called during the upcoming 2024 NLL Entry Draft.

47. Cash Frijters

Team: Raiders Lacrosse Club
Position: Forward
YOB: 2007
NLL Draft Eligible: TBD

Yes, goalie Tommy Wood was the Raiders’ MVP this summer (after not being drafted last year, expect to see Wood at an NLL camp this fall), especially during the playoffs, and especially during two unbelievably clutch performances in games six and seven in the RMLL Finals, but our money is on Cash Frijters in 2024. At only 16 years old, Frijters was maybe the most mint distributor of the ball anywhere in Alberta (oh right, Saskatchewan is still in the league too, but are they?) and played with as much confidence, composure and creativity as the Miners high-profile big three during the regular season and most definitely the playoffs. He’ll have his hands full against some of Canada’s most dominant defensive units at the Minto, but this kid has a bright-as-fuck future ahead of him, and he put ya’ll on notice this summer.

Also on the Raiders’ offense, look out for another youngster (the Raiders are likely the youngest team to ever make the Minto) to have a big impact in Coquitlam in Dylan Belliveau (Newberry College), who co-led the RMLL playoff scoring charts with Frijters (45 points each in eleven games).

Aiden MacDonell (Photo: Jeramie Bailey/OLA)

46. Aiden MacDonell

Team: Mimico Mountaineers
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
College: St. Bonaventure University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

It’s difficult to pick single standouts from Mimico’s effective by-committee-defensive unit, but we really like Aiden MacDonell, who is a straight up workhorse with white-on-rice covering skills, and way above average defensive decision making & IQ. With most NLL teams looking for defenders with decent size (last year the average NLL defender/transition player came in at 6’1” and nearly 200 lbs.), MacDonell checks off that box too (6’1” or 6” depending on where you look, and 205 lbs. in the summer).

It was good to see his Dallas Stars-drafted brother Angus back in the box this year after putting up a 62 point + 90 PIM season with the Brampton Steelheads in the OHL last year. And speaking of hockey…

45. Aiden Long

Team: Orangeville Northmen
Position: Defense
YOB: 2005
College: Cornell University (Hockey)

Committed to Cornell because of what he does on the ice, Aiden Long isn’t so bad on concrete either. He’s got size (6’3”, 185 lbs.), deceptive speed, offensive-press skills that saw the still-only 19-year-old average more than a goal a game during the regular season, and score some seriously clutch goals during the still-going playoffs too. While still developing into a complete defensive threat, Long is the type of modern-day transition player NLL scouts salivate for when looking for future draft picks – if of course he’s available.

44. Josh Ford

Team: Oakville Buzz
Position: Defense
YOB: 2004
College: University of Michigan
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

The Oakville Buzz were not nearly as bad as their 5-15 dead-ass-last record would suggest, the team competitive with top clubs early on, and never giving up after half their roster was unloaded before the trade deadline. They still have goalie Evan Constantopoulos for another year (he just missed today’s list), have emerging young talent like Thomas Bagnell (UMass), Jameson Steele (High Point), Finn Morgan (Lawrenceville) and others for many summers still, and one more year from our 44th ranked player, Josh Ford too. Ford, who most would likely agree was Oakville’s MVP this year, is also a finalist for the OJLL’s Outstanding Defensive Player Award. He’s a super-athletic, two-way defender that is also pretty dependable at the dot too.

43. David Peterkin

Team: Toronto Beaches
Position: Defense
YOB: 2004
College: Hobart College
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Up for the OJLL’s Transition Player of the Year, David Peterkin’s work ethic, wheels, never-on-E gas tank, smart sprints, timely possessions, and ability to click from D to O before the rest of the floor realizes the ball is about to change hands, has helped make Toronto’s transition game one of the better ones across the league over the past three years.

42. Jaden Ciappara

Team: Orangeville Northmen
Position: Defense
YOB: 2004
College: Cornell University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

If the OJLL tracked blocked shot stats, Orangeville Northmen captain Jaden Ciappara would surely lead the province there, even after missing a handful of games this summer due, not surprisingly, a shot-blocking-related injury. While some may say he’s undersized, Ciappara’s heart, hustle, determination, and drive override those concerns and then some.

41. Thunder Hill

Team: St. Catharines Athletics (traded by Six Nations Arrows)
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Onondaga CC
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Few have as accurate an arrow as Thunder Hill, who can rip from range high, low and everywhere in between. Hill has a misleading windup that baits even the best defenders and his deceptive release has goalies regularly guessing wrong. While we don’t utilize our Clutch Kings calculations during the junior balls like we do during the NLL season, if we did, no doubt Hill would rank really high amongst Junior A’s most money goal getters.

40. Matthew Boas

Team: Nanaimo Timbermen
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: University of Montevallo
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Only one player (Ethan M’Lot) has produced more regular season BCJALL points than Nanaimo’s Matthew Boas over the past two summers combined (149 to be exact). Boas can dominate from downtown both from dishing and finishing, while his size and smarts allow him to be an inside presence offensively as well. The Timerbmen have had virtually no success in the playoffs over the past three years (they’re 1-10 to be exact), which has hurt getting some of their top players more pub when most outside of the province are watching. Another statistically strong summer next year, his final Junior A season, should put a bigger spotlight on Boas.

Luke Bowen, Jack Royer and Briley Maxwell (Photo: Byron Onciul)

39. Luke Bowen

Team: Edmonton Miners
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: Tusculum University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

First showing up on radars outside of Alberta at the 2022 Minto Cup, and then again at the national tournament last year when he led the Edmonton Miners in goal scoring, Luke Bowen followed up that hype by having by far his most productive regular season yet - part of the Miners high-scoring trio (Briley Maxwell and Jack Royer sit a few spots ahead of him here) that finished one, two and three atop the RMLL scoring charts. Next year, his last season of junior lacrosse, should be a big one as Bowen looks to follow in big brother Jake’s footsteps into the NLL (Saskatchewan Rush).

38. Bowie Horsman

Team: Orangeville Northmen (traded by Brampton Excelsiors)
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Cornell University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

He may be looked at as more of a secondary scoring option on the Northmen’s sickly stacked offense, but make no mistake, Bowie Horsman is a legit and lethal operator out of any team’s front door, even Orangeville. His release from outside is smooth like butter but stings like a bad-tempered bee. If an opposing defender doesn’t suck up his space ASAP, Horsman will whip a heater at their keeper. He’s scored some critically clutch goals for the Northmen (and many for Brampton before this year’s trade deadline) during this year’s run at an eighth Minto title for the team.

37. Caelan Mander

Team: Port Coquitlam Saints
Position: Defense
YOB: 2004
NLL: Halifax Thunderbirds (drafted 36th overall in 2023 NLL Entry Draft)

Few have seen their stock rise over the last few years like defenseman Caelan Mander, who this summer continued elevating his game while co-leading one of the best pure defensive units in the country. His size, strength, mobility and athletic approach, even (especially) while short-handed, are high-end assets that make Mander one of junior ball’s most dynamic defenders. Recently signing a new deal with Halifax in the NLL, Thunderbirds Head Coach Mike Accursi said, “Coming into this year we expect him to be a regular in our line up and we think the sky is truly the limit for him.” Decent quote.

36. Daniel Clark

Team: Peterborough Lakers
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: University of Denver
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

Coming off his most productive and impressive season yet, Daniel Clark looked confident, creative and composed (did you see him sink that controversial OT ender versus Six Nations in the playoffs?) while leading the Lakers attack. A sophomore middie at DU last year, Clark was already putting in quality minutes for the Pioneers, standing out statistically in the school’s upset win over Cornell early in the season (1G, 2A). Son of former NLLer Jason Clark, he and Peterborough teammate Nicholas Roode (who just missed this year’s 50) were one of this past season’s most effective offensive duos, the pair back for one my year in 2025. In fact, Peterborough’s first five forwards next season, a group that also includes Colby Wood (up for OJLL ROTY) Matthew Drimmie (another outstanding 2024 rook) and Nate Sage (yup, another rookie, who saw his stock soar in the playoffs) in addition to Clark and Roode, should be one of the top O units in Ontario a year from now. Honestly, all of them could crash the 50 in 2025. You’ve been warned.

35. Ryan Colsey

Team: Coquitlam Adanacs
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: University of Virginia
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

He was in Coquitlam regularly while playing for Team USBOXLA at the Trevor Wingrove Memorial Tournament from U13 all the way up to U17. Ryan Colsey was often if not always the best player on the floor. So, it really shouldn’t be that big of a surprise that Colsey, especially during the BCJALL playoffs, has again, been one of the best players on the floor in Coquitlam. The 6’3”, 200+ pound Colsey is crafty at creating space for himself in tight, but can also rip from range when he has even just a sliver of space. Colsey sat second in BCJALL playoff goals (15) and had one of the best performances of the playoffs anywhere in Canada when finished five times in the finals-clinching Game 3 win over Port Coquitlam. Orangeville is bringing some high-level American ball players to Coquitlam this week, but the Adanacs have a pretty damn good one themselves in Colsey.

34. Keaton Zavitz

Team: St. Catharines Athletics
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: Ohio State University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

Capable of impacting either end of the floor at a high-end rate, Keaton Zavitz is one of the most complete all-around players in all of junior lacrosse. An incredible athlete that has really good instincts and decision-making ability, Zavtiz has also become an unmatched leader that seems to always be on the floor no matter the situation. With St. Catharines hosting next year’s Minto Cup and their entry in the tournament already confirmed, expect 2025 to be a big year for Zavtiz.

33. Joel McCormick

Team: Burnaby Lakers
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Robert Morris University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

One of the reasons the Burnaby Lakers had their most successful season in seemingly forever, was the play of Joel McCormick, who spent this past summer going from one of the province’s really good forwards, to one of BC’s absolute best. His stats back up that bold statement (38G, 46A), McCormick adding another ten goals during the regular season this past summer, and an even more impressive 25 points - and yes, we know he played a few more games in 2024 vs. 2023, but still. Shoutout to Lakers teammate Dagan Carlson, who was one of three Burnaby forwards to burry 30+ goals this summer, who just missed making today’s Top 50.

32. Nick Crowley

Team: Peterborough Lakers
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
College: Princeton University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

The Peterborough Lakers sported one of this summer’s stingiest defensive units, so it was a bit perplexing not to see own-end Lakers leader Nick Crowley’s name included on the OJLL’s finalist list for Outstanding Defensive Player. Crowley is entering his junior season at Princeton, so no shock he’s as smart on the floor as he is in the classroom. Defensively dependable, always alert and ready to jump start Peterborough’s press, plus tough too, Crowley will without question be one of the first defensive players picked in the 2026 NLL Entry Draft.

Nick Crowley (Photo: Craig Robertson/OJLL)

31. Ethan M’Lot

Team: Burnaby Lakers
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
NLL Draft Eligible: 2024

How did Ethan M’Lot’s final year of junior ball go? Well, he piled on another almost 30 points on top of his 2023 total, easily leading the entire league with 90 altogether this year. While 90-point BCJALL seasons aren’t necessarily rare, if you look back at the other players that hit that milestone over the past 20 years, almost all of them are in the NLL right now, most playing prominent roles for their club. M’Lot’s 55 league-leading dishes also helped teammates Joel McCormick & Dagan Carlson put up really impressive campaigns. The high-scoring trio co-led Burnaby to their best regular-season record since 2008.

30. Connor Nock

Team: Coquitlam Adanacs (previously Toronto Beaches)
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
College: Quincy University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

Expelled from Ontario during the Toronto Beaches illegal player fiasco earlier this summer (he was apparently one of the players that was not even registered within the OLA for 2024), things have like really, really, really worked out for Connor Nock. While everyone was pointing fingers in the East, Coquitlam was quietly watching and then waiting to benefit from the drama going down in their rival province. Since being scooped up by the Adanacs, Nock has quickly become one of the team’s top defensive players, and gives Coquitlam some much needed size, sandpaper, and someone who has had success playing against the Orangeville Northmen, who the Adancs may see as many as four times during this year’s Minto Cup.

29. Lucas Littlejohn

Team: Whitby Warriors
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: University of Richmond
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

The Whitby Warriors mighta missed the playoffs, but the team’s leading point producer and penalty minute leader (such Shawn Evans vibes) Lucas Littlejohn hasn’t had any issues keeping his calendar full, registering a four-goal game as a Brooklin Lacrosse Club call-up at the Major Series Lacrosse level, and then scoring six in six for the Dragons during the recent NCBS National Championships in Utica, New York. But that’s not why he’s ranked as high as he is here today. Already turning heads as an 18-year-old while winning a Minto Cup in 2022, Littlejohn is a highly skilled goal scorer that is as tough as he is talented. Entering his sophomore season at Richmond this year, expect Littlejohn to play a more prominent role for the Spiders this the spring.

28. Briley Maxwell

Team: Edmonton Miners
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
NLL: Halifax Thunderbirds (drafted 77th overall in 2023 NLL Entry Draft)

The fact that Briley Maxwell spent a full season under the Halifax Thunderbirds learning tree after the NLL team took him in last year’s draft, most definitely showed in his game this past summer in Edmonton. No one scored more goals during the RMLL regular season than Maxwell (28), who finished as scoring champ runner up to teammate Jack Royer. Good size (6’3”, 210 lbs.), skilled and highly driven, Maxwell continues to be an intriguing pro prospect and one of a growing number of Edmonton-born ball players that are slowing making their way to the NLL.

27. Noah Manning

Team: Coquitlam Adanacs (traded by Victoria Shamrocks)
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: University of Denver
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

Stats for a player as impactful an on-and-off floor presence like Noah Manning was in Victoria and now is in Coquitlam only tells a fraction of his highly successful story. Sure, the Adanacs picked up Manning for his skill and point producing prowess, but also due to his above-average athleticism, effective off-ball ability, experience (he played in the 2022 Minto Cup), next-level leadership, and that he simply makes everyone around him better. His shooting percentage during the playoffs (.093) was lower than the team obviously would have liked (no one averaged more shots per game than Manning did during the postseason), but if teams at this year’s Minto get too caught up trying to tie down the likes of Malawsky, Dillon and Colsey, Manning is more than capable of doing some serious scoreboard damage too.

26. Jack Royer

Team: Edmonton Miners
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Queens University of Charlotte
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

While he’ll miss the Minto for the first time in three years (he was the team’s second highest point producers behind only NLLer Mathieu Gautier in both the 2022 & 2023 Minto Cup), Royer still had a really strong regular season for the Edmonton Miners over the past few months. The Edmontonian led the RMLL in assists (37) and points (63), this just a few months after topping Queens in the goal column (20) and owning a really high shooting percentage there (.303). Royer’s performance at the 2022 Minto still ranks really high in the all-time RMLL record books too.

8 goals: third highest total during a single Minto Cup tournament
19 assists: second highest total during a single Minto Cup tournament
27 points: second highest total during a single Minto Cup tournament

25. Jaxon Dillon

Team: Coquitlam Adanacs
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: St. Bonaventure University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

Last year’s Marcolis Gilson Award winner (BCJALL Rookie of the Year), Jaxon Dillon followed up his fantastic first year with the Adanacs with an equally outstanding one while leading arguably the top team in the country in literally every offensive statistical column there is. Dillon was #1 on the A’s in goals (37), assists (36), points (73), points per game (4.3), power-play goals (8), short-handed goals (2), game-winning goals (4) and shots (162) too. Ever after high-profile reinforcements arrived later in the year, Dillon did not disappear, but simply continued to produce at a hellaciously high rate. He’s a gifted goal scorer but also a consistent playmaker who will be competing in his second straight Minto after just his first two Junior A seasons.

24. Sakaronhiotane Thompson

Team: Six Nations Arrows
Position: Goalie
YOB: 2004
College: SUNY Potsdam
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Hands down the Six Nations Arrows 2024 MVP and in the running for the OJLL Goalie of the Year honour, Saka Thompson was backstopping brilliance throughout the last number of months. The one thing that likely will see him finishing third behind Connor O’Toole and Thomas Kiazyk for the top tendy title is his far fewer minutes played, sharing the Arrows’ crease for much of the season. Athletic, agile and an ability to make absurd saves at key moments in the game, if he doesn’t get Ontario’s GOTY this year, smart money is Saka sealing the deal next summer for a Six Nations squad that seemingly sees very few lost to graduation. Thompson’s father is former Buffalo Bandits backstop, Mike Thompson.

23. Jaxon Fridge

Team: Coquitlam Adanacs
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
College: Canisius College
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

One of Coquitlam’s defensive leaders, Jaxon Fridge is a perfect fit in Pat Coyle’s Minto Cup-contending defensive unit. A hard-working defender that presents problematic-and-pestering matchups for some of the opposition’s top-producing forwards, fighting Fridge for any real estate is not a fun shift. Even though Fridge’s slightly down offensive numbers might suggest he’s not as involved in Coquitlam’s O press, the super-athletic and alert defender can still be an asset there. Under Coyle & Co., Fridge’s pure defensive skillset seems to be at an all-time high.

22. Matt Collison

Team: Toronto Beaches
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Johns Hopkins University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Like all Beaches forwards, forget even looking at Matt Collison’s 2024 regular season stats, because with games and player points subtracted from Toronto’s season, it won’t tell you diddly-squat. While on the topic of squats, clearly Collison musta done about a million of them at Johns Hopkins between Beaches seasons, because the Toronto power forward looked like a grown-ass man against virtually every defender that was matched up against him this year. At times Collison’s cover would simply bounce off him when trying to check his formidable frame, defenders often looking like they were ready to throw in the towel while escaping back to the bench. A power forward in every sense of the term, Collision combines size, skill and strength like few others in the junior game and will likely be a Top 10 if not Top 5 player taken in what is shaping up to be a seriously stacked 2026 NLL Entry Draft.

21. Dante Bowen

Team: Orangeville Northmen (traded by Brampton Excelsiors)
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
College: Ohio State University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

Sure, Dante Bowen scored a few fewer times after being dealt to the Orangeville Northmen at this year’s trade deadline, but if you watched him at all during the provincial playoffs that just passed, like, who cares, right? Bowen was a matchup nightmare for the opposition, sticking to his man as if their jerseys were sewn together, constantly causing turnovers & confusion, and jumpstarting Orangeville’s always potent press. His game is so well suited for the high-flying & up-tempo NLL.

20. Lukas Nielsen

Team: New Westminster Salmonbellies
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

Record books reveal that just two players scored 50 regular season goals in Junior A lacrosse anywhere in Canada this year. One was the high-profile Will Sheehan while playing in Oakville and Toronto in the East. The other? Clearly, it’s the massively underhyped Lukas Nielsen since this is his Top 50 spot, but damn, that’s pretty a significant statistical achievement for the notable New West forward. We went back to the 2005 BCJALL regular season, the furthest the league site has single-season stats available, and here are the handful of players to score 50 or more during one summer:

Garrett Billings (2005) 52
Jamie Lincoln (2007) 63
Wes Berg (2011) 60
Eli McLaughlin (2013) 60
Josh Byrne (2013) 56
Brett Dobray (2014) 52
Adam Dickson (2016) 53
Connor Robinson (2016) 52
Connor Robinson (2017) 50
Braylon Lumb (2018) 57
Tre Leclaire (2018) 52
Thomas Vaesen (2019) 53
Haiden Dickson (2019) 50
Thomas Vela (2023) 54
Marcus Klarich (2023) 50
Lukas Nielsen (2024) 50

Almost all high-level NLLers, including a recent MVP. Not bad company. Oh, Nielsen was also later voted the BCJALL’s MVP for this past season. Is that good?

19. Hayden Hiltz

Team: Burlington Blaze
Position: Defense
YOB: 2005
College: Marquette University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2028

Still with two years of junior lacrosse left, Hayden Hiltz has already cemented himself as one of the OJLL’s most impactful defense-first players, amazingly up for both the league’s Top Defender and Transition Player prizes this year. A former Rock Elite League Pat Coyle Award winner (DPOTY), Hlitz also has a ton of offensive upside in addition to being a dependable defensive presence for the Blaze. Starting at Marquette this fall, the field middie still has four years to further develop his two-way game before his pro draft year, which is kinda scary considering the accolades he’s already achieving.

18. Michael White

Team: Whitby Warriors
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
College: Queens of Charlotte University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

A member of the 2022 Minto Cup-winning Whitby Warriors, Michael White most definitely contributed to that title, but kinda flew under the radar while last-year players performed extremely well that summer. Fast forward two more seasons, and it’s White who is deservedly hogging the headlines, one of three finalists for the OJLL’s 2024 Outstanding Defensive Player, and likely the odds-on favourite to win, as his placing here would suggest. A physical freak of an athlete (6’4”, 225 lbs.), White is far more than just a big body. Whitby’s captain played his most composed and clinical season yet while showcasing his overall defensive game this year. He’ll definitely be one of the top defenders drafted in 2026.

17. Will Sheehan

Team: Toronto Beaches (traded by Oakville Buzz)
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Yale University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Even though the results were always seemingly just out of reach, Will Sheehan kept the Oakville Buzz relatively competitive prior to becoming one of the most in-demand assets at the OJLL tread deadline ever. Virtually every Cup contender made an offer for Sheehan’s services, but it was the Toronto Beaches that won out with this massive move:

Toronto Beaches have acquired Will Sheehan and Eric McDonald from Oakville Buzz in exchange for Carter Drynan, a first-round selection in 2026, a first-round selection in 2027, a first-round selection in 2028, a first-round selection in 2029, a second-round selection in 2028 and a second-round selection in 2029.

The sky-high return alone tells you just how insanely valuable Sheehan is. Although his final playoffs didn’t go exactly as most would have hope (just two goals in three games in a wrong-side sweep against the Orangeville Northmen), Sheehan ended his Junior A career with nearly 150 combined regular season and playoffs points (FYI: that’s a lot), 277 total points (again, super-high stuff), and a reputation as one of the classiest players in the province. Super smart, supremely skilled, and so difficult to defend against, Sheehan likely would have been much closer to Top 10 territory had Toronto’s playoffs played out differently.

16. Thomas Kiazyk

Team: Toronto Beaches
Position: Goalie
YOB: 2004
NLL: Saskatchewan Rush (drafted 20th overall in 2023 NLL Entry Draft)

A standout stopper for the 2022 Founders Cup champion Nepean Knights and a high-profile backup for the Minto Cup-winning Burlington Blaze last year, Kiazyk made a seamless transition from those roles to one of the OJLL’s top goaltenders this year. He’s tall for a box tendy (6’3”), but like say the Colorado Mammoth’s Dillon Ward (6’5”), Kiazyk is precise in his movements, physically fit, super spry, and extremely athletic. While most goalies are either an angle guy or a mobile mover, Kiazyk is kind of a bit of both, making him an extremely hard goalie to figure out. Already in the NLL after being selected in the second round of last year’s draft by Saskatchewan, the Stittsville-born stopper still has another year of junior lacrosse left.

15. Nolan Byrne

Team: Brampton Excelsiors
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: Lafayette College
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

While most expected Joey Spallina’s name on the OJLL’s MVP final three list, they got Nolan Byrne instead. The social media shock and outrage over snubbing Spallina took some of the shine off of recognizing Byrne, who had an excellent season in Brampton this summer, his first full one at the A level after an impressive B string with the Gloucester Griffins (126 points in 30 games). The Excelsiors, battling consistency issues for most of the year, got the exact opposite from Byrne in 2024. After not scoring in his first game of the season, Byrne would get one (often way more than one) in his next 22 for a total of 48 across Brampton’s regular season and playoffs. With Excels forward Jacob Janke (Hobart College) having a really strong first season, the addition of Marcelo Carreiro (Mount St. Mary’s University) in the Connor O’Toole trade, and Byrne back, Brampton’s offense should be a fun one to watch next year.

14. Lucas Dudemaine

Team: Mimico Mountaineers
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Georgetown University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

With above average size for most forwards in the league right now, Lucas Dudemaine can fight for real estate in traffic well enough, but what’s maybe even more impressive his ability to bait defenders with his smooth footwork and deceptive top body movement, freeing up space to drive to the net and finish in tight. The Mimico forward can bomb from outside too, ripping from range on some really big goals during the Mountaineer’s impressive playoff run. None were obviously more clutch than that down the middle OT heater than sent this year’s OJLL Finals to a seventh game. Others ahead of him on the regular season scoring chart sit behind him here, and that’s 100% because Dudemaine elevated his game when it mattered most during this year’s postseason.

13. Connor O’Toole

Team: Orangeville Northmen (traded by Brampton Excelsiors)
Position: Goalie
YOB: 2003
NLL: Vancouver Warriors (drafted 18th overall in 2023 NLL Entry Draft)

What has the addition of OJLL GOTY finalist Pat O’Toole, one of the few netminders drafted in the NLL’s first round, done for the Orangeville Northmen? Confidence. Since acquiring O’Toole and other key contributors on June 23, Orangeville has played like a group knowing they are the team to beat in Ontario. While many played well in their opening series against Toronto, O’Toole was simply outstanding, holding the Beaches to just about six goals per game which was more than enough for Orangeville’s high-octane offense to work with. In the Northmen’s back-and-forth war with Mimico in the OJLL Finals, O’Toole made key stops when the score was close or the Mountaineers were in the middle of building momentum.

Alex Marinier and Will MacLeod (Photo: Abbey Papineau)

12. Alex Marinier

Team: Burlington Blaze
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Ohio State University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2025

As complete an offensive player as there is today, the ultra-athletic and highly skilled Alex Marinier has a skillset that allows him to excel virtually anywhere on the floor. During the 2022 U21 World Championships, Marinier made (the eventual silver-winning) Team Canada as a defender. Last year at Ohio State, the team moved him from more of a ball carrier to a straight shooter, and of course, Marinier found success, scoring 28 goals in 15 games for the Buckeyes. He has a razor-sharp release that beat OJLL goalies nearly 40 times this year, while Marinier’s unselfish dishing also saw him finish fourth in all of Ontario with 56 helpers. Burlington’s outgoing captain will be a guaranteed first rounder in next year’s NLL draft, a really high pick at that.

11. Liam Matthews

Team: Orangeville Northmen
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: Penn State University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

With Joey Spallina spitting out stupid-silly stat lines nightly and Trey Deere hogging the highlight reel with ridiculous goal after ridiculous goal, Liam Matthews kinda flies under the radar on the Orangeville roster. He shouldn’t. The fact that Matthews still puts up the hefty point totals he does (only Sheehan, Thomson, Deere and Byrne scored more than him during the OJLL regular season), still sinks so many clutch snipes, and also does dirty work that often goes unnoticed, speaks volumes of the type of resilient and multi-skilled player he is. Like most of the top-ranked forwards on this list, Matthews can make things happen with his really nice outside rip or deflecting off defenders and driving to the net with or without the ball in his pocket.

10. Jack Kask

Team: Coquitlam Adanacs
Position: Goalie
YOB: 2004
College: Marquette University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

Adanacs starting stopper Jack Kask plays between the pipes in both box and field lacrosse, and when you’re watching him at the Palace on Poirier in Coquitlam, you’d probably guess that’s the case. Alarmingly athletic, lightning quick across his crease, and far more than just an angler, Kask comes in as our #1 rated goalie in Canada after a brilliant summer backstopping this year’s British Columbia champs and Minto Cup hosts. He led the BCJALL regular season in goals against average (6.05) and save percentage (.857) and then did it again in the playoffs (6.18 & .846) against both Burnaby and Port Coquitlam. Kask has a crisp outlet pass that rarely misses. Plus, he pitched not just one but two shutouts during the regular season (41 saves vs. Nanaimo in a 10-0 win) and in the playoffs (37 stops vs. Burnaby in a 12-0 series-sweeping victory). Unreal.

9. Will MacLeod

Team: Burlington Blaze
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Robert Morris University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Last year’s Minto Cup winners lost a lot of notable names to graduation. Many figured the Burlington Blaze would struggle to remain competitive in 2024 as a result. Will MacLeod made sure that wasn’t the case. His 111 points this year were the highest a Burlington Blaze player has hit, well, maybe ever. Between available OJLL stats on GameSheet and PointStreak, which takes us as far back as the 2009 season (holy shit do we miss easy access Wamper’s Bible, RIP Larry Powers), only two other Burlington ball players went higher than 100 to end a season. Neither got to where MacLeod did though: Kiel Matisz (108 in 2010) and Ryan Smith (101 in 2018). The only player to top MacLeod’s 75 helpers anywhere in Canada this summer was Joey Spallina, who had just one more than MacLeod. The two are both in the running for the OJLL’s MVP & MOP awards.

8. Finn Thomson

Team: Mimico Mountaineers
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Syracuse University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Finn Thomson became Mimico’s all-time career points leader earlier this year, a record that Graeme Gair owned since 1966. While that name may not mean much to most, even though the Gairs have long and storied history in the sport, the fact that he jumped modern-day Mounties like Jonathan Donville, Thomas McConvey and older brother Tanner Thomson, well, that’s clearly a significant statistical milestone no matter what generation you’re from. This year, Thomson was one of only four players to (officially) surpass 100 points during the regular season. In a heated edition of provincial playoffs, only Joey Spallina had more points than Thomson’s 68 in 14 games. And like Spallina, Thomson was laughably left off the OJLL’s end-of-year all-star selections, not nominated for a single award either. Insulting, maybe, but 60 years from now when another generation looks back and sees Finn Thomson’s name still just ahead of Graeme Gair in the record books, none of the bullshit that went on in Ontario this summer will mean a thing to that GTA kid hoping to make his own mark on the sport.

7. Brayden Laity

Team: Port Coquitlam Saints
Position: Defense
YOB: 2003
NLL: Vancouver Warriors (drafted 9th overall in 2023 NLL Entry Draft)

Our highest ranked pure defensive player, Brayden Laity is a lot to handle for any forward, especially after getting in an 18-game regular season with the Vancouver Warriors earlier this year. If defensive stats were kept at the junior level, there is no doubt Laity would lead in almost all of them. While we have him this high largely for his overwhelming defensive skillset and high-level leadership, Laity can also push the pace in transition. A student of the game, Laity is an elite-level athlete with a zero-quit motor that will make you work your ass off for any inch concrete or turf you hope to maybe get in Port Coquitlam’s own end. He’s a flat out defensive freak that has yet to come close to hitting his ceiling in the pros. Laity and the rest of PoCo’s hard-hitting defensive unit should keep them competitive against three provincial champions at this year’s Minto Cup.

6. Silas Richmond

Team: Port Coquitlam Saints (traded by Delta Islanders)
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: University at Albany
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

Scoring nearly a hat-trick per game during his sophomore season with the Great Danes, all those filthy finishes you saw Silas Richmond pull off on big-ass turf fields in school, he does the same damn thing with limited space in box. Yeah, yeah we know, most Canadian attackers do too, but not like Silas Richmond. The BCJALL’s playoff points (33) and goals (19) leader can tuck around the cage with paper-thin precision, the ball in and out of his stick before his cover even knows Richmond just snuck in behind them. He has a hotter than hell heater from outside, but can knock a defender’s drawers off with his dangerous dodging too. The PoCo trade deadline acquisition has the skillset and finishing ability to fuck you up 50 different ways, and if the Saints hope to compete at this year’s Minto Cup, they’ll need Richmond to do just that (plus what we said in Laity’s piece above) against some of the sport’s most suffocating defensive units.

5. Cody Malawsky

Team: Coquitlam Adanacs (traded by Langley Thunder, again)
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: University of Denver
NLL Draft Eligible: 2028

Minutes after losing last year’s Minto Cup to the Burlington Blaze, Cody Malawsky was awarded the prestigious Jim Bishop Award, given to an individual who shows the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and outstanding play during the national tournament. While he respectfully accepted the honour amongst a backdrop of Blaze players hugging one another after their Cup-clinching results, Malawsky was most definitely unsatisfied. As stupendously skilled, tremendously talented, and thoroughly tough as Malawsky is, the characteristic that makes him one of the most dangerous players in all of junior lacrosse today, is that he shares a compete level with his old man, Curt Malawsky. Malawsky is on a mission at this year’s Minto, and there’s only one conclusion he’ll be satisfied with.

4. Trey Deere

Team: Orangeville Northmen
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: Syracuse University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

Even if you barely pay attention to junior ball and don’t follow a single Jr. A team on social, 100% you’ve still had about a dozen Trey Deere goals force their way into your feeds over the past two summers. Boring, ordinary and average are words that don’t exist in Trey Deere’s world. No matter the on-floor situation, Deere is capable of throwing down a goal that will completely deflate the opposition, the other team wondering if their coach will be pissed if they ask for his autograph after the game. His movement is unmatched, his baiting skills are Jedi level, and his ability to turn a nothing shift into some last-second crazy shit that goes viral before the game ends is what makes Trey Deere junior lacrosse’s most electric goal scorer going. The kid scores quantity too, few anywhere in the country coming close to the stats he’s piled up since arriving in Orangeville.

3. Ty Banks

Team: Coquitlam Adanacs
Position: Defense
YOB: 2004
College: Georgetown University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

Coquitlam has developed some of today’s top two-way talent in the NLL. Most recently that includes the likes of Challen Rogers and Reid Bowering, two former Adanac captains that are do-everything type players in both box and field lacrosse. Next up is Ty Banks. The current Coquitlam ‘C’ is looking to lead the Adanacs to their first Minto win since 2018, and fourth in 14 years. He shares many of the same skills both Rogers and Bowering possessed when they were in the exact same spot Banks is in now. While we said Brayden Laity was this list’s best pure defender (see #7 above), Banks is the Top 50’s most well rounded, not just defender, but player period. He is a loose-ball scooping and caused-turnover terror that can dictate the pace of any game while pushing or pausing Coquitlam’s press. He averaged almost a goal a game during the playoffs and would have likely done the same during the regular season had he not been sidelined by an injury for most of it. Ty Banks if Coquitlam’s ultimate weapon heading into the 2024 Minto Cup.

2. Willem Firth

Team: Toronto Beaches
Position: Forward
YOB: 2004
College: Cornell University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2027

Ask AI to combine Jeff Teat with the Terminator, and if it spits back anything other than a picture of Willem Firth, delete the app. Firth has no off switch. The determination and drive Firth exudes on every shift is absolutely unreal. Nothing except for the four jersey-matching forwards he’s on the floor with appears to exist in his world at that moment. Not the hot and bothered fans in the sweat-soaked stands, not the opposition’s coach screaming like an unhinged lunatic (it’s the OJLL after all), and while the desperate defenders slashing him relentlessly are registering on his radar, they’re not much more than an obstacle he’s about to obliterate. Firth plays with extreme precision, offensive perfection, and is unsatisfied with anything less. We could have copy and pasted his preposterous point totals here, but his game goes well beyond a simple stat line, no matter how monstrous it is (or OLA officially it was in Firth’s case this year). He’ll be back (said in Schwarzenegger speak), and everyone is probably pretty much screwed in 2025.

1. Joey Spallina

Team: Orangeville Northmen
Position: Forward
YOB: 2003
College: Syracuse University
NLL Draft Eligible: 2026

We’re going to be fully transparent here and admit that prior to this year’s playoffs, Willem Firth was our obvious #1. Even if Toronto tanked in the first round, how could he not be? Well, Joey Spallina statistically skewered that plan after having an all-time playoff performance for the Orangeville Northmen, which included an opening round series sweep of Firth’s Beaches. After Orangeville’s Game 7 win in the OJLL Finals, there was no debate, Spallina would have to be pushed up to our top spot. Left off the league’s regular season all-star selections (as voted by OJLL team reps), not even apparently worthy of a second-team spot, Spallina’s 86 points in 13 playoff games and coming soon first (and only) appearance at the magnificent Minto Cup, was a middle finger flip for the ages. Spallina has a howitzer like few others, has fantastic footwork, a darting change of direction, and is both clinical and creative with the ball in his twig. His passport may make him an American, but from mid-May to late-August, Spallina is about as Canadian as you can get.

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The Top 50 Junior A Players: 2024 Edition