North American Lacrosse League: The Rise and Fall of Professional Box Lacrosse in the 1930s

How did the North American Professional Lacrosse Association emerge during the Great Depression. What challenges did the league face in its short-lived existence. Why did professional box lacrosse struggle to gain traction in North America during the 1930s.

The Birth of Box Lacrosse and Early Professional Attempts

The 1930s saw a surge in attempts to professionalize various sports, despite the economic challenges posed by the Great Depression. Among these efforts was the creation of box lacrosse, an indoor variant of the traditional field game. Invented in 1931, box lacrosse was quickly seen as a potential goldmine for professional sports entrepreneurs.

The first professional box lacrosse league, the International Lacrosse League, was formed in Canada shortly after the sport’s invention. However, it lasted only a season and a half before collapsing. This failure did not deter American investors, who saw potential in the fast-paced indoor game.

Early American Box Lacrosse Leagues

• 1932: American Box Lacrosse League (lasted about a month)
• 1933-1934: North American Professional Lacrosse Association
• 1939: Pacific Coast Lacrosse Association (lasted about a month)

The North American Professional Lacrosse Association: A Bold Venture

In late 1933, the North American Professional Lacrosse Association (NAPLA) was formed. This league was primarily focused on what was then considered the Midwest region of the United States. The founders of NAPLA were inspired by box lacrosse’s indoor debut at Madison Square Garden in May 1932 and believed they could succeed where previous leagues had failed.

Why did the NAPLA founders believe they could succeed? They attributed the failure of the American Box Lacrosse League to its decision to hold games outdoors during the summer. The NAPLA organizers were convinced that box lacrosse was “the sport of the future” and that their indoor, winter-based format would be the key to success.

Key Details of the NAPLA

• Planned franchise locations: Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Rochester
• Venues: Largest available indoor halls in each city
• Season schedule: November 15 to April

The Role of Hockey Arena Owners in Professional Box Lacrosse

A recurring theme in the history of professional box lacrosse was the involvement of hockey arena owners. These entrepreneurs saw box lacrosse as an opportunity to fill their venues during the off-season, potentially creating a year-round revenue stream.

How did this impact the formation of the NAPLA? The primary movers behind the league were from St. Louis, likely connected to the city’s hockey scene. This connection between hockey and box lacrosse would continue to play a significant role in future attempts to professionalize the sport.

Challenges Faced by Early Professional Box Lacrosse Leagues

Despite the enthusiasm of investors and organizers, professional box lacrosse leagues in the 1930s faced numerous challenges. Why did these leagues struggle to gain traction?

1. Economic climate: The Great Depression made it difficult for new sports leagues to attract investors and paying spectators.
2. Competition from established sports: Professional baseball, football, and basketball were already vying for public attention and entertainment dollars.
3. Lack of established fan base: Unlike college football or baseball, box lacrosse did not have a large existing fan base to draw upon.
4. Operational costs: Renting large indoor venues and paying players professional salaries proved challenging for many teams.
5. Short seasons: The brief duration of many of these leagues made it difficult to build a loyal following.

The Impact of the Great Depression on Professional Sports

The 1930s were a tumultuous time for professional sports in North America. While established leagues like Major League Baseball managed to weather the economic storm, many new ventures struggled to gain a foothold. How did the Great Depression impact the sports landscape?

During this period, entrepreneurs sought to discover the “next big thing” in professional sports. Major League Baseball had proven successful but was not accepting new members, and challenging its monopoly had proven futile. This led investors to explore opportunities in other sports, including soccer, football, basketball, and lacrosse.

Notable Sports Developments During the Great Depression

• 1933: Second version of the American Soccer League launched (survived until 1983 but was barely professional for much of its history)
• 1920s-1930s: National Football League began to abandon its Midwestern roots and expand to major cities
• 1933: American Basketball League relaunched (survived until 1955 but remained minor league status)
• 1937: Formation of the National Basketball League

Box Lacrosse vs. Other Professional Sports in the 1930s

How did box lacrosse compare to other professional sports attempts during this era? While football and basketball eventually found success, their paths were not without challenges. The NFL, for example, took decades to become the powerhouse it is today, only truly establishing itself as America’s most popular sport around 1960.

Basketball similarly faced a long road to stability and profitability. The NBA, formed in 1949 from the merger of the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America, did not achieve major success until the 1980s with the arrival of stars like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.

In comparison, box lacrosse struggled to gain the same level of traction. Why did it lag behind these other sports?

• Lack of college popularity: Unlike football and basketball, box lacrosse did not have a strong collegiate following to build upon.
• Regional limitations: Box lacrosse remained largely confined to certain regions, making national expansion difficult.
• Cultural factors: The sport’s Native American origins and relative novelty may have made it less accessible to mainstream American audiences.

The Legacy of Early Professional Box Lacrosse Attempts

Although the North American Professional Lacrosse Association and other early attempts at professional box lacrosse were short-lived, they laid important groundwork for future developments in the sport. How did these early leagues influence the future of professional lacrosse?

1. Proving concept: These leagues demonstrated that there was potential interest in professional indoor lacrosse.
2. Refining the game: Early professional play helped to develop and refine the rules and strategies of box lacrosse.
3. Building awareness: Despite their brief existence, these leagues helped to introduce box lacrosse to new audiences across North America.
4. Lessons learned: Future organizers could study the successes and failures of these early attempts to create more sustainable leagues.

While it would take several more decades for professional box lacrosse to find stable footing in North America, the pioneering efforts of leagues like the NAPLA played a crucial role in the sport’s development and eventual professionalization.

The Evolution of Professional Lacrosse After the 1930s

Following the collapse of early professional box lacrosse leagues in the 1930s, how did the sport evolve in subsequent decades? The path to sustainable professional lacrosse was long and winding, with several key developments along the way:

• 1960s-1970s: Revival of interest in field lacrosse at the collegiate level
• 1974: National Lacrosse League founded (unrelated to the current NLL)
• 1987: Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League established (renamed Major Indoor Lacrosse League in 1988)
• 1997: National Lacrosse League (current incarnation) formed
• 2001: Major League Lacrosse (outdoor) founded
• 2018: Premier Lacrosse League (outdoor) launched

These later leagues learned from the mistakes of their predecessors, implementing more sustainable business models and capitalizing on growing interest in lacrosse at the youth and collegiate levels. The current professional lacrosse landscape, while still not as prominent as the “big four” North American sports, has achieved a level of stability that eluded the pioneers of the 1930s.

Factors Contributing to Modern Lacrosse Success

1. Improved marketing and media coverage
2. Strategic scheduling to avoid direct competition with major sports
3. Development of strong youth and collegiate lacrosse programs
4. Advancements in equipment and playing surfaces
5. Integration of both indoor and outdoor professional leagues

The journey of professional lacrosse from its tumultuous beginnings in the 1930s to its current state offers valuable insights into the challenges of establishing new professional sports leagues and the persistence required to achieve long-term success.

North American Professional Lacrosse Association (1933-34)

by Steve Holroyd ([email protected])

Even though the 1930s found the United States in the midst of the Great Depression, the worst economic crisis it has ever faced, enterprising individuals insisted on starting up professional leagues in a number of sports.

Why? Perhaps it was to discover the “next big thing”—major league baseball had done well, but it was an exclusive club, not accepting any new members. And, as the folks behind the Federal League found out, challenging the baseball status quo was an exercise in futility. As a result, plundering other sports was the only viable option.

Even though the
highly successful original American Soccer League had collapsed directly as the
result of the Depression, a second version with the same name started up in
1933; although this league survived until 1983, it was barely professional for
most of its history and, in any event, was far from a success.

As soccer was not
the most “American” of games even then, others turned to profit from team
sports that were already very popular in college. Although the National
Football League started in 1920, it, too, was a largely chaotic,
semiprofessional league for its first decade, as gridiron fans were slow to
embrace professionalism in what was considered a “pure” sport in college. The
signing of Red Grange in 1925 by the Chicago Bears finally gave the league some
legitimacy, and by the 1930s it had finally abandoned its Midwestern roots, as
teams from Decatur, Portsmouth and Canton were replaced with major cities like
New York, Philadelphia, and Detroit (in fact, Green Bay is the only remaining
vestige of those early cities). Pro football would be here to stay, even if it
did not become the de facto national
pastime it is today until about 1960.

As the other major
college team sport of the era was basketball, a number of pro basketball
leagues rolled out in the 1930s, as well. The first attempt was in 1925, with
the original American Basketball League, but it collapsed in 1931.  It returned in 1933, however, but never rose
above minor league status even as it survived until 1955.  In the interim, the National Basketball
League formed in 1937, and merged with the Basketball Association of America
(which formed in 1946) to create the National Basketball Association in 1949.
However, even the NBA did not hit its stride as a stable, profitable league
until the 1980s, with the arrival of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael
Jordan.

Lacrosse was not
left out of the rush. While field lacrosse had been around for decades, there
was little thought to professionalizing the ancient Native American
game—presumably because no one wanted to compete against baseball. However, the
indoor game of box lacrosse was invented in 1931—and, apparently, for the sole
purpose of having a new professional sport to market. No sooner had the new
sport been minted than the International Lacrosse League had formed in Canada,
only to fizzle out after a season and a half.

This failure did
not deter American sportsmen, however. In 1932, the American
Box Lacrosse League was formed; played outside in boxes erected in baseball stadiums during the late
spring, the league collapsed in about a month. In 1939, the west coast got into
the act with the Pacific
Coast Lacrosse Association. This time the sport was played indoors, and
in the winter; it, too, collapsed within a month.

In between these
two leagues was a third attempt. Given the fact that the other leagues covered
the east and west coasts, respectively, it is only fitting that this circuit
was set primarily in what was then considered the Midwest.

In late 1933, the North American Professional Lacrosse
Association was formed. The backers of the league had seen box lacrosse’s indoor debut at Madison Square Garden
in New York in May 1932 and loved what they had seen. While they also had the
chance to watch the ABLL collapse, they decided that the failure of that league
had nothing to do with the sport, but with the decision to hold the season
outside, in the summer. “Box lacrosse is the sport of the future,” one can easily
see them thinking, “and we’re the
ones who can market it correctly.”

In what would be a
common theme in pro boxla history, the primary movers behind the league were
people looking for extra dates for their hockey arenas. The original movers and
shakers behind the league were from St. Louis, and the original franchises were
reported to be in Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Toronto,
Pittsburgh, Detroit and Rochester.  All
of the teams had “leased the biggest and best halls in these cities in order to
have plenty of space for the indoor game, as well as to handle large crowds.”[1]  The season was scheduled to begin on November
15 and run until April 1.

Looking long term,
the new league molded itself on major league baseball in the sense that the
“North American Professional Lacrosse Association” was the umbrella
organization for two other “leagues” (in reality, divisions): the National
Lacrosse League and the American Lacrosse League. The inaugural season would
find three teams in each division, but initial interest was such that a third league—the International Lacrosse
League—was slated to begin play in 1934-34.

Unfortunately, all
of these names led to rampant confusion in the press, who would refer to the
league by each of those names, or combination thereof (“American &
International Lacrosse League”). This confusion was foreshadowing for how the
league would soon operate.[2]

Games would be one
hour long.  In the event of a tie at the
end of regulation, teams would play two ten minute “sudden death” periods; if
the game was still tied after the conclusion of those overtime periods, the
game would be declared “no contest.” 
Teams would receive two points per win in the standings.[3]

Notwithstanding
earlier reports, the league did not start until mid-December, and with only six
teams: in the National League were the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets, Buffalo
Indians, and Toronto Maple Leafs, while the American League consisted of the
Chicago Blue Ribbons, Milwaukee Brewers, and Indianapolis.

Pittsburgh was a
relative late-comer to the circuit, but made up for lost time by simply
importing another team to represent the city: the Montreal Canadiens box
lacrosse team, described in local papers as “world champions” by virtue of
their having won the 1931 International League.

With its first few
weeks, however, the league was down to four teams: Toronto bailed after one
game, and Indianapolis not only folded before playing a match, but apparently
never even got around to getting a nickname. Now just the “National League,”
the circuit soldiered on.

The four remaining
teams were highly competitive, at least. Given their pedigree, it was no
surprise that Pittsburgh would rise as the best team, featuring the likes of Al
McLean, Norm Langevin, and Leo Boulaine. 
Steel City natives appreciated the effort, as the Yellow Jackets were by
far the most supported team in the league. Indeed, Pittsburgh games were
regularly broadcast on the radio.

Al McLean (photo from the collection of Mary Lou McLean)

The other three
teams were also competitive.   The Buffalo
Indians had players who were listed as “Silver Heels,” “Chief Tecumseh,” and “Little
Elk”—in some cases authentic tribal names, but many mere nicknames adopted for
publicity purposes—but who were actually players who had starred on the
Atlantic City Americans team that toured the United States and Canada
successfully in 1932, and included familiar faces like goalie Judy “Punch”
Garlow and Harry Smith.

Chicago Blue
Ribbons were owned by the irrepressible sports promoter Mike “Mique” Malloy,
and played out of the Arcadia Gardens, located on 4444 Broadway Street in the
Windy City.  Featuring for the side was
former Penn State football and lacrosse star, Bill House, along with Leonard “Fat”
Plummer, Toots White, Piper Bain, and goaltender Bill McArthur.  Former Chicago Black Hawk Corbett Denneny was
tabbed to coach the side.

A promoter by
trade, Malloy worked hard to generate excitement for lacrosse, offering:

“Why, this game has all the thrills of the rest of the
sports put together.   You’ve got to be
able to take plenty of abuse, and they don’t have any padding on those lacrosse
sticks.  and one of the first things I’m
going to try to find out is how far those fellows run during the course of a
game.  Why, I bet their mileage,
straightened out, would carry from here to there.”[4]

Notwithstanding
such efforts, other than in Pittsburgh, crowds were hard to come by.  By late January, the Milwaukee franchise
relocated to the south side of Chicago, giving the Windy City two teams. The
second Chicago team was also operated by Malloy, who promised to fill the side
with players from Baltimore, the “lacrossest city in America.”[5]  In the end, he stuck with Milwaukee holdovers
goaltender Tillie Stokes, forward Chuck Davidson, and player-coach Kelly
DeGray.   Known alternatively as the
“Bruins” or “Sox,” this side would give Pittsburgh the strongest opposition in
the league, playing out of Dexter Park Pavilion.  Michael Agazin assumed control of the Blue
Ribbons.

With the transfer
of Milwaukee to Chicago, and the Buffalo team dying from lack of fan support,
the league abruptly declared that the season to date would be a “first half,”
and that a second half—with Detroit replacing Buffalo, would begin on February
16. Pittsburgh, as winners of the first half, would face the second half winner
in a championship, if necessary. Confusingly, the “second half” league was
often referred to as the “American & International Lacrosse League,” giving
the impression of a new league.

The utter chaos
was best described by an anonymous scribe in Chicago:

The la crosse [sic] situation in Chicago is as clear
as a glass of river water…[T]he Milwaukee team now plays for Chicago, but…the
former Chicago team is going to play for Chicago, too. Milwaukee is still in
the league, but does not have a team. Detroit is going to place a team in the
league, but it hasn’t hired any players. Last night the Chicago [Bruins]
players wore Milwaukee uniforms. [6]

The three
holdovers continued right along. 
However, Detroit had difficulty starting its schedule, as U.S. Customs
would not let the natives who made up the Buffalo team (and were from Canada)
cross the border until certain issues were resolved.[7] In the end, Detroit formed
a team from scratch, and proved to be respectable—even defeating Pittsburgh.
However, “crowds” of 200 for games in the Motor City did not bode well.

(Rare video footage of the Pittsburgh and Detroit teams
practicing can be viewed here)

After a month, the
second half ended, with Pittsburgh again at the top of the standings, followed
by the Chicago Sox.

While there was no
formal announcement that the league was folding, its death knell was
effectively rung on March 15, when the Motor Street Arena announced it was
evicting “minor” sports like box lacrosse and boxing by April 1 so it could
free up dates and seek “major” touring events like the circus.  With the league’s most successful team
without a home, there was little incentive to reorganize for the following
season.

Although there
would be a third attempt at pro boxla five years later, by the end of the
decade there would be three professional leagues that had come and gone within
the space of a few months.  It would be
almost thirty years until there would be another attempt.

(standings taken from Canadian Lacrosse Almanac, 2020 edition, compiled by Dave Stewart-Candy)

[1] “Indoor
Loop of Pro Stick Teams Makes Debut This Winter,” Baltimore Evening Sun, October 13, 1933

[2] Id.

[3] “Form
National La Crosse Loops,” Bristol (PA) Daily
Courier, December 30, 1933

[4] “Malloy
Tells Of Thrills In Lacrosse Game,” Chicago Tribune,
January 26, 1934

[5] Dwyer,
Patrick, “Blue Ribbon Lacrosse Team Wins, 14-4,” Chicago Tribune, January 6, 1935

[6] “New
Chicago Lacrosse Team Wins, 11 to 7,” Chicago Tribune, January 29, 1934

[7] “Lacrosse
Game Off; Immigration Trouble,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
February 21, 1934

Native American Lacrosse Teams Reported Racial Abuse.

Then Their League Expelled Them.

Lacrosse was played by Native American nations across North America long before it was colonized by Europeans. But despite Native people’s historical and cultural connection to the game, they were periodically banned from playing before the 1973 American Indian Religious Freedom Act restored Native peoples’ right to practice religious and cultural ceremonies. Native Americans who play and coach lacrosse today have recent ancestors who were forced to play in secret.

Jeremiah Moreno, who coaches the 7 Flames youth lacrosse team in the Dakota Premier Lacrosse League (DPLL), says he views instilling a reverence for lacrosse and its history as a part of his job. “The game is a ceremony to us. I tell the kids, this game our ancestors played was a ceremony, so you have to respect it,” he said. “The Creator is the one looking down on you watching you play, with a good happy heart. So no matter what happens, no matter who says what to you, you always remember that. ”

Until a few weeks ago, Moreno’s team was one of a few majority-Native lacrosse teams playing in the DPLL, the only lacrosse league in the Dakotas, which includes players from age 11 through high school. 7 Flames draws most of its players from two Lakota reservations, while two other Native-majority teams in the league, Susbeca (which means dragonfly in the Dakota language) and Lightning Stick Society, field mostly players from Dakota reservations.

Last month, these three Native American teams were suddenly expelled from the DPLL by league administrator Corey Mitchell, for reasons players and coaches say they still do not understand. Members of all three teams say they have experienced severe racial abuse from other DPLL players, parents, and referees, and they allege they were kicked out of the league because Mitchell was uninterested in addressing their allegations of racial abuse.

On March 8, Cody Hall, director of 7 Flames Lacrosse, called Mitchell to discuss allegations of racism that have plagued the DPLL from its inception. According to Hall, Mitchell responded by acknowledging that racism against Native American players was an issue in the league, but said he couldn’t do anything about it. Then, Hall says, Mitchell informed him that he was expelling 7 Flames and the two other Native teams from the league.

Registration for the upcoming season was only a week away, leaving the teams no time to fight Mitchell’s decision. Lightning Stick Society director and head coach Franky Jackson was never notified of the expulsion by Mitchell, and only noticed something was amiss when he found he had been locked out of the DPLL registration web page. “My take on that is, [Mitchell] wanted to give them as little time as possible to fight this,” said Michael Butler, a former DPLL official. “He did everything in his power to make sure these teams would not be able to come back this year. Which is totally unprofessional and frankly, evil.”

“The Creator is the one looking down on you watching you play, with a good happy heart. ”

Mitchell did not return several requests for comment. Deadspin reached out to him via phone and email and left numerous voice mail messages.

On the same day Mitchell broke the news about the expulsions to Hall, he spoke on the phone with Ali Vincent, a volunteer grant writer for the 7 Flames. Vincent recorded this call and shared an audio file with Deadspin. She also shared a screenshot of her phone’s call log, showing that on March 8 she had a 31-minute phone call with a number matching one listed for Mitchell on the DPLL website. (The legal standard for recording calls requires one party’s consent in Kansas, from which Vincent placed the call, and South Dakota, in which Mitchell lives). In the recording, Mitchell said, “I don’t want to associate with guys like Cody, who always want to make it more than just a game.” He continued: “Whenever there’s a conflict that comes up with Cody’s teams it’s never because the ref exists inside the human condition and people make mistakes, it’s because he’s always saying there’s a racial issue involved. ”

Mitchell told Vincent that he had indeed refused Hall’s request that more be done to curtail incidents of racial abuse in the league. “He asked me to address racial training or something at referee clinics and coaches clinics. That’s not part of the curriculum U.S. Lacrosse delivers, and quite honestly, I don’t believe—I know there’s racism out there and there are people who are racists and I get it. But what I’m saying is that my focus has to be on training our officials to recognize and call when there’s a penalty,” he said.

In the audio, Mitchell said he had made this decision to expel the teams in June 2017, shortly after the last season ended. When asked why he did not inform the teams sooner, he responded, “It’s a two-way street when it comes to notifications and courtesies.”

The call ended with Mitchell criticizing what he viewed as Hall’s insistence on teaching his players to view the world through a racial lense. “[Cody Hall] teaches his children that whenever something bad happens to them, it’s about their race and not something they may have done. I think we’re done here,” he said.

Coaches from all three majority-Native DPLL teams told Deadspin that Mitchell frequently said he was tired of Native teams playing the “race card.” Meanwhile, seven Native players and six coaches from the three Native teams said racist incidents—from referees, coaches, players, and parents—occurred nearly every game.

A Native American student who has played in the league for five seasons (and who requested to remain anonymous because he feared blowback from the league or its players) said he has dealt with racist comments every season. “We could have played the race card five years ago. But we have dealt with this for five years now, so I honestly think it’s time for us to start using that ‘race card’ if there ever is a time to use it,” he said.

The player said he heard racial slurs and insults regularly while playing in DPLL games. “I may even get more than other players because I have a long braid going down my back, so people just pick that out immediately,” he said. “They’ll say I look like a girl, or they’ll call me a prairie nigger, just a lot of stuff. It’s often from brothers or sisters on the sidelines, they’ll say like, ‘you look like a girl, you should be playing girl’s lacrosse.’ I get that so much it doesn’t even faze me anymore.”

Another Native player said he heard racist remarks from opposing players and coaches who assumed he was white. “I would hear them call my teammates prairie nigger during the games,” he said. I would hear them say ‘they are little savages’ and stuff, and they would call them savages on the field.” Once, he said, a referee told his team at the end of a game to “go back to the reservation.”

Coaches confirmed their players’ stories of being called racial slurs, including “savages,” “dirty Indians,” “prairie niggers,” “bunch of drunks,” and more. Kevin DeCora, a coach for Lightning Stick Society, said opposing coaches joined in the players’ insults. “We were playing the Black Hills Shock, and it kept every ounce of me to keep my cool. I was really upset. They were teasing us about the tomahawk chop. ‘Oh they got sticks now, look at them Indians tomahawk chop,’” he recalled. “These were coaches to 12-, 13-, 14-year-old kids. Our boys, some of them were upset. They take it with a grain of salt, they know they are going to experience it, but when they do, it hurts.”

Multiple Native coaches and players say safety has also been a concern. Moreno, the head coach of 7 Flames, said that non-Native teams seem to increase their physicality when they play Native teams. “Our boys had bruises and the scars on the neck, the chest, the shins, the arms,” he said. “They were stepping on my boys’ shins for ground balls. We were adamant about getting off the field if something happened. It was no cake walk.”

Representatives from Susbeca, Lightning Stick Society, and 7 Flames each said they had conversations with Mitchell and the DPLL regarding their concerns about racism in the league. “We had offered to set up a cultural-sensitivity or cultural-awareness training for when he does his reffing or coaching clinics. And he was not open to that at all, he just shut down on us,” said Jeremy Red Eagle, a Susbeca coach. Lightning Stick Society assistant coach Dan Paur said he wrote a letter to the league in June 2016 about opponents using slurs against his team, and detailing an incident in which a team made mocking Indian war cries when Lightning Stick Society won an award at a year-end award ceremony.

Deadspin reached out to representatives of all eight teams that remain in the league via emails, texts, phone calls, and Facebook messages. The Grand Cities Predators and Red River Valley Polars declined to comment, beyond a denial that their players or coaches had witnessed or participated in any racism. The Bismarck-Mandan Rattlers, Aberdeen Cobras, and Watertown Warriors did not respond to requests for comment. The current president of the Black Hills Shock denied that his program had participated in any racist incidents, and said that if any such behavior was uncovered by the organization the offending coach or player would be banned from the team immediately. The Sioux Falls Spark and the Brookings Rage list Mitchell as the official point of contact. (He is the head coach of the Sioux Falls club in addition to his league-wide responsibilities.)

After informing Hall that the Native teams were being expelled from the DPLL, Mitchell wrote a formal letter about his reasoning, which U.S. Lacrosse CEO Steve Stenersen provided to Deadspin. Mitchell cited seven reasons:

Not having US Lacrosse certified coaches (which, like other sports, requires a clinic, online modules, and background checks, as administered through the national governing body, US Lacrosse)

Coaches neither acknowledging nor accepting the Code of Conduct

Illegal players (non-rostered or playing on multiple teams or age groups)

Not showing up to games, leaving tournaments early, and giving no advanced notice

Rosters which were incomplete or not submitted for required validation

Coaches and players not being registered members with US Lacrosse

Unwarranted hostility toward officials, opponents, and league administrators

Coaches and administrators from the Native teams deny the accuracy of all seven allegations. Deadspin obtained a league incident log that lists each time a team was officially reprimanded, as well as coach suspensions.

Coaches failing to secure U.S. Lacrosse certification has been an issue for nearly every team in the DPLL. Lightning Stick Society had three coaches cited for violations, Susbeca had two, and 7 Flames had two. Meanwhile, the Watertown Warriors had three coaches serve certification-related suspensions, the Spearfish Spartans (now part of the Black Hills Shock) had one, and the Red River Valley Polars had one. Those teams are still playing in the DPLL.

Coaches from the Native teams said the issues were not due to a refusal to follow the rules, but simply long waits for paperwork to be processed. All of the coaches were eventually certified, and none violated their league suspensions, they said. While they waited for the official clearance, coaches said, they coached from the parents’ section at games, with certified coaches standing in for them on the sideline.

“They’ll say I look like a girl, or they’ll call me a prairie nigger.”

Coaches from each Native team also deny failing to acknowledge the league’s Code of Conduct. Multiple coaches are cited for late Code of Conduct filings numerous times: Black Hills, Watertown, Bismarck-Mandan, Grand Cities, Spearfish, Red River Valley, and Aberdeen, in addition to all three Native American teams.

7 Flames does acknowledge using a non-roster player on one occasion: When the high-school JV team found itself a man down before a game, the coach decided to play a 21-year-old, a clear violation of the rules. Hall, who was at a U14 game being played on a nearby field at the time, said he found out about the illegal move after the game. “I was very upset,” he said. “I made sure to let that coach know that should never happen. If you are a man down, just play with what you have, and we’ll be fine. It was something I took very seriously.”

Each of the Native teams denied that missing games was a common occurence; Susbeca claims that its team didn’t miss a single game, while Lightning Stick Society missed one because of a “really bad car accident,” Jackson said. 7 Flames also missed one game, their coach said: “We had a lot of players leaving at the very end of the year to go back to their grandparents or their reservations. It was tough fielding enough guys. So our 14U team couldn’t show up. But we told them ahead of time,” said Moreno.

The coaches from the Native teams all say that they went to great lengths to register their players with U.S. Lacrosse despite limited funding and $25 registration fees for each player. “Corey Mitchell is well aware of our situation,” Red Eagle said. “These kids come from poverty. I have to get support from council and district meetings for these programs to pay the team registration fees. I mean, you’re talking $900 and then an additional fee for games. And that isn’t counting jerseys and equipment, because these kids do not come from homes where their parents can just go out and buy $200-300 worth of lacrosse gear for them.”

As for the league’s claim that the Native teams showed unwarranted hostility towards league officials and administrators, coaches admitted occasional frustration with referees, but said there was never anything more serious than an occasional outburst along the lines of “Open your eyes, ref!”

Coaches for the Native teams say they were subject to additional scrutiny on rules issues, a claim supported by former DPLL official Michael Butler. During a summer of 2015 game between the Sioux Falls Spark (the team Mitchell founded and coaches) and the Sicangu Thunderhawks, which are now part of the Lightning Stick Society, Mitchell demanded a roster check on Sicangu before the game because he objected to the team using younger boys playing up a level (which is allowable under league rules). “You’re allowed to do that and Corey was not okay with that, so he kind of muffed the rules so he could be allowed to keep those players from taking the field.” Butler said. Asked if he had seen similar actions against majority-white teams, Butler answered, “No, not at all. He never, ever came to me for a roster report for the Black Hills team, or for any other non-Native team. I’ve only witnessed this for Native teams.”

In the audio recording provided by Ali Vincent, she asked Mitchell if any of the majority-white teams that served suspensions for various violations were being kicked out of the league. Mitchell replied, “They served their suspensions. ” When Vincent responded that 7 Flames did too, he answered, “But then your team didn’t show up, I mean…”

“But then you never brought that up until today,” Vincent said. “We thought that was dealt with and now in the category of a non-issue. We served our suspension. Who else is there to deal with? You either communicated to us that it was a problem, or you did not.”

“I did not,” replied Mitchell.

“Now it is 2018. And you are just now saying this in passing. We’ve never received anything in writing, or seen anything in writing relating to any of that,” Vincent said.

Mitchell responded, “Well, I don’t know.”

Several people affiliated with the three lacrosse teams say the racism they have faced is reflective of a broader sports culture in the region. “In South Dakota you gotta teach your kids that. We know that coming in,” said Lightning Stick Society coach Kevin DeCora. “You’re going to experience racism, you’re going to get called prairie nigger. They’re gonna go ‘oohooh oohooh oohoh’ [mocking an Indian war cry]. Gotta just let it go and let your game do the talking.”

A Native lacrosse player who also plays hockey says he was once called “prairie nigger” by an entire fan section at an ice rink, and his white coach did nothing about it. “I deal with some racial stuff at least once a day,” said another lacrosse player.

Coaches said playing lacrosse has made a tangible difference in the lives of many Native students, and that the racism and discrimination they’ve faced poses a threat to those gains. “I’ve seen where these kids come from. I’ve dealt with young men who were suicidal. Low self esteem, in and out of jail,” said DeCora, who works as a clinical psychologist at Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud Reservation. “But being part of the game, enjoying ceremonies—the game is a ceremony. Look at what we’re doing, getting kids scholarships to go DI, DII. That’s our triumph. There is some good stuff happening.”

Hall puts it this way: “I look at it like, Corey is denying these kids the opportunity to play other youth, and denying a group of kids this opportunity to grow. And as a guy working with youth, I find that very disturbing. Because who has a right as an adult to say that you cannot grow up equally?”

“It’s white privilege,” Red Eagle added. “[Mitchell] doesn’t have to experience it, so why would he attempt to put himself in a situation to try and experience it? Maybe he thinks we are overreacting because he doesn’t understand and he doesn’t live in our world and experience that.”

Even before the expulsion, Susbeca was contemplating not rejoining the DPLL this year because of their negative experiences in the past, Red Eagle said. Now, the team is looking for a different league in which to compete. Lightning Stick Society is planning to join a league in Minnesota despite the long drives from the Rosebud Reservation such a move will require. 7 Flames is still practicing but has yet to commit to another league. “We are trying to move forward with them in a positive way, keep practicing and get ready for some tournaments coming up in Nebraska and Colorado,” Moreno said.

U.S. Lacrosse CEO Steve Stenersen said the organization is in the process of investigating the DPLL situation. U.S. Lacrosse representatives, including a lawyer and Stenersen himself, have reached out to all of the expelled programs, and are considering a mediation session with the league and the teams. 7 Flames, meanwhile, is considering a lawsuit.

“We play this for the Creator, for our ancestors,” said one player. “But now Corey has taken us away from the league. It’s hard to think about. But we still play. We still practice. We still play the Creator’s Game. And that’s enough for now.”

Curtis Waltman is a freelancer and reporter for MuckRock, based out of Boston. You can find him on twitter @CHWaltman.

Pro Lacrosse Is Swapping Elitism for Land Acknowledgments

The popular conception of lacrosse has been the same for decades. In 2010’s The Social Network, despite already being set amongst the most elite of Ivies, Justin Timberlake as Napster founder Sean Parker makes a point about power by recalling a revenge fantasy against the co-captain of his high school lacrosse team.  In 1988’s Scrooged, the coiffed blowhard called in to replace Bill Murray’s character attempts to lighten the mood with the anecdote: “My lacrosse coach used to say, ‘There is no ‘I’ in ‘T-E-A-M.’”

In other words, people think of lacrosse as a sport for the privileged elite. People who are rich, white and live on the East Coast, and whose high schools probably have a dress code. For a long time, the professional leagues in the U.S. haven’t actively discouraged that reputation, no matter the historical context of the game or the current demographics of players. Then, during the first year of the pandemic, when people were restless and more likely to take a chance on a sport they’d never watched before, the bubble of the prevailing narrative popped. 

“My name is Jeremy Thompson from the Onondaga Nation. Today, I am going to be giving a Thanksgiving address, a land acknowledgment,” Thompson, a midfielder for Atlas LC, said during an August broadcast of a Premier Lacrosse League game. “And what a land acknowledgment means to me is giving thanks to everything here on earth that has been provided for us here as humans to sustain ourselves.” 

If you’ve never heard of Premier Lacrosse before, remember the name, because you’ll hear it again soon. The PLL started in the summer of 2019 as a savvier alternative to Major League Lacrosse, the preeminent professional outdoor league in the U.S., but in December it was announced the two organizations had merged; in essence, the student had overtaken the master. But while the PLL has its sights firmly set on the future, it also has them set on the past — on the gap that has long existed in the modern incarnation of the sport, between the Native Americans who created it and the well-to-do English-speaking colonizers who adopted it. 

“Lacrosse is, I believe, the closest marriage [between] a group of people and their spirituality than there is in any other game in the world,” Paul Rabil, co-founder of the PLL, tells InsideHook. “Native Americans have been playing lacrosse for centuries and that, to me, is the most compelling story related to sport and people in the world.” 

Rabil is a rarity among sports bigwigs. Not only does he act as CMO of the PLL — which he founded with his brother Mike with the hope of building the next UFC, a non-legacy sport that has become a serious force — he’s a player himself, a star midfielder who will suit up for the Cannons Lacrosse Club, one of the eight teams in the league, when the season kicks off in June. But he’s a rarity for another reason as well: instead of seeing the fraught history of his sport as something to shove into a closet, he sees it as an opportunity to change the sport for the better and turn what has been a niche pastime into a national sensation.  

According to Donald Fisher, Ph.D., who wrote Lacrosse: A History of the Game, one of the most complete histories of the sport, the story of lacrosse is like that of many Native American traditions: settlers adopted it, then shut out the originators. 

“A ball game that we call lacrosse today was played in many, many local forms centuries ago by Native people all over eastern North America, if you can imagine the eastern woodlands,” says Fisher, a history professor at Niagara County Community College. “So you’re talking people playing in the Great Lakes region all the way down to the deep South. Every cluster throughout eastern North America had their own game, but they’re all similar.”

Then in the 19th century, English-speaking Canadians who were trying to invent an identity made it the national game, and it became hugely popular almost immediately. “The more the game got commercial,” Fisher says, “there was a systematic effort to push Natives out of that world, essentially.” When the sport migrated to the U.S., first to upper-class society, then to college campuses, and slowly to suburbia, that trend was hardly reversed. 

That’s not to say that the Indigenous people of North America have been completely sidelined. As Fisher notes, in 1936 the North Shore Indians made it to the championship game for the Mann Cup, the Super Bowl of Canadian box lacrosse. More recently, the Six Nations Chiefs, a First Nations team, has won the Mann Cup three times in the last decade. And the Iroquois Nationals, a team that represents the Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee, have been competing in the international World Lacrosse Championship since 1990, winning bronze in both 2014 and 2018.

“Offhand, I can’t think of another sport that allows an Indigenous team to compete as a country,” says Fisher. “But again, considering lacrosse is of Native origin, it makes sense.”  

We’re honored to share this Land Acknowledgment, and together we recognize that our games will be played on lands that have been inhabited, cared for and respected by Indigenous people for centuries. They are the originators of lacrosse.

This is the 2021 PLL Season Schedule. pic.twitter.com/z4APiE3vTv

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) April 14, 2021

It also makes sense that — in a time when NFL and MLB teams are changing their names and racial justice issues are front and center in American life — the PLL would choose to kick off a broadcast game with an Onondaga athlete giving a land acknowledgment, a ritual gaining steam in the U.S. that recognizes the Indigenous people of the area, usually spoken at the beginning of events. But while combining business and advocacy is par for the course in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the broader social justice movement it sparked, the PLL built advocacy in from the beginning. 

“We did a land acknowledgment in our inaugural season too when we played in upstate New York at the University of Albany,” says Rabil. “We did so again to start our [2020] tournament, which was held in Utah, so we acknowledged the land for the full two and a half weeks that we played there. This year, we’ll be doing land acknowledgments at each of our 11 cities, and we started off by acknowledging some of the Native nations that currently are there and some that have inhabited the land at one point.” 

To put together these declarations, the PLL works with Indigenous scholars, leaders and players to co-create the story or create the story entirely, as Rabil notes. In the most recent example, which was included along with the schedule for the 2021 season, the league tapped Lyle Thompson, who also plays on the Cannons, and who Rabil cites as one of the best players in the world alongside Lyle’s three brothers, Jeremy, Hiana and Miles, who are also pros.

“I want to acknowledge and send gratitude to our Indigenous ancestors for taking such good care of the land that we will be playing on,” Thompson wrote in the statement. “I also want to send thanks to the land and water protectors of the present day who are still fighting to preserve these lands and water that continue to provide for all of us.” 

The term “water protectors” can also be read as “pipeline protestors,” as a number of Indigenous-led movements in the U.S. are attempting to block the construction and use of fossil fuel pipelines. When asked if that means the PLL is happy to wade into the “keep politics out of sports” debate, Rabil says he doesn’t think of the issue as political.

“I view this more as a humanitarian effort,” he says. In his mind, it’s not enough to have advocacy, there also has to be action. That means an official partnership with the Iroquois Nationals, which the PLL announced in January, as well as the continuation of the land acknowledgment rituals. 

“I believe that what we’re discovering and rediscovering and educating and participating in related to the connection of lacrosse to Native American roots and the Haudenosaunee is not too different than what we want to continue to see happen at an American level,” Rabil says. “Facing that history and growing into a better place together.”

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Native American lacrosse teams leagueless in South Dakota

Travis Brave Heart was planning to spend his senior season this spring and summer tuning up to play college lacrosse in the fall. Instead, the 17-year-old standout from Aberdeen, South Dakota, is faced with the prospect of not playing at all.

His Lightning Stick Society team was one of three Native American clubs kicked out of a developmental league in North Dakota and South Dakota amid their concerns about racial abuse, leaving players and coaches upset and scrambling to find ways to continue playing a game that originated with their ancestors and means more to them than just competition.

“I got my anger out of the way,” Brave Heart said. “I went outside and practiced lacrosse, even though it was snowing. After I played, I wasn’t angry anymore. Then I thought, ‘What do we need to get past this? To get playing again?’”

The head of the league rejected any notion of widespread racism, and said the teams were removed not for complaining but for issues such as unreliable attendance.

Lacrosse is considered America’s oldest sport — an important part of Native American cultures long before the arrival of Europeans. It’s still used to teach Native youth about culture, values and life skills like keeping emotions under control. It can also be a path to college for players who often come from impoverished reservations.

The Dakota Premier Lacrosse League is part of a surge in popularity. Participation on organized teams — mostly youth and high school level — more than tripled over 15 years to a record 825,000 players in 2016, according to U.S. Lacrosse, the sport’s national governing body.

Since the Dakota league launched in 2016, Native American teams have experienced racial abuse that they don’t experience in neighboring states like Minnesota and Nebraska, said Kevin DeCora, a Lightning Stick Society coach.

“Racism kind of goes across the board with all sports,” he said. “It’s the attitude and belief that people in the Dakotas have always had to the indigenous population, for hundreds of years.”

As an example, Lightning Stick director and co-coach Franky Jackson and others cited a 2015 incident in which Native American children were sprayed with beer while watching a minor league hockey game in Rapid City.

Brave Heart said he has endured taunts about his Native American ancestry from white players and their parents, rough play he feels crosses the line into abuse and what he views as biased refereeing toward white players. He described an incident after one game, as his team was resting in the shade under some trees, in which a parent from another team carrying a cellphone camera came looking for evidence of drugs or alcohol, “assuming we were a bunch of drunk Natives.”

The primarily Native teams expelled from the Dakota league — Susbeca and 7 Flames are the others — say they were kicked out after asking the league to address their allegations. They provided copies of letters they said they sent to the league and to U.S. Lacrosse in 2016 and 2017, detailing the cellphone-toting parent incident and other specific instances of racial slurs and overly rough play.

League Administrator Corey Mitchell said he received only one formal complaint, in 2016. He said he investigated and found no evidence of misconduct warranting punishment, but he provided a copy of an email he sent to people in the league after the complaint informing them of a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination or racial slurs.

Mitchell said the league had problems with the Native American teams including unreliable attendance and improper registration of some coaches and players.

“I think this is nothing more than a response to being held accountable,” he said.

Ali Vincent, who writes grant requests to fund the 7 Flames, said the teams dispute they did anything that warranted expulsion.

U.S. Lacrosse in a statement said “diversity and inclusion are essential components of our sport” and that it would investigate.

Mitchell acknowledged that the fledgling league has had its struggles, including inexperienced referees, but said it has strived to improve through such measures as requiring U.S. Lacrosse certification for coaches. He has formed a board of directors with Native American representation to run the league and said he will step down as director after this season.

None of the league’s predominantly white teams responded to requests for comment, though the association that runs the team in Fargo, North Dakota, quit the league and issued a statement saying it doesn’t condone racism. That association’s president didn’t respond to an interview request.

The Native teams said they are getting support and offers to play from teams around the country, and are lining up other opponents.

“At the end of the day, we only want these kids to play,” Jackson said. “We deal with disenfranchised youth that can’t even afford to buy a mouth guard half the time. We understand how to empower these kids.”

That’s true for Brave Heart, an Oglala Sioux tribal member who helped captain his team to a league championship last year and parlayed that success into an athletic scholarship at Emmanuel College in Georgia. But the sport means much more to him than a pathway to a future as an historic preservation officer.

“We play for the Creator, and we play for the community,” he said. “You think of all the people who can’t play, like people in wheelchairs and the sick, and when you play for them, you get this drive you just can’t explain.

“The day just gets better when you start playing,” Brave Heart added. “It’s definitely more than a game.”

___

Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake

Donate! (ILNA) – Ireland Lacrosse

Ireland Lacrosse North America (ILNA) represents Ireland Lacrosse throughout the United States and Canada. All efforts and activities of ILNA are directed towards pursuit of Ireland Lacrosse’s mission, which is to develop the sport of lacrosse throughout the island of Ireland for both men and women and at all levels from youth to adult. Ireland Lacrosse also oversees, manages and supports the Irish national lacrosse teams.

Ireland Lacrosse North America is formally constituted as a sub-committee of the Ireland Lacrosse Executive Board.  More information about Ireland Lacrosse including its governance and policies and procedures is available on the About Us section of this website.  The Terms of Reference for the ILNA Executive Board and the ILNA Role Descriptions are available in the Ireland Lacrosse Governance Manual.  A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request by contacting Ireland Lacrosse North America at 1515 Farsta Ct, Reston, VA 20190, USA.

Any queries about Ireland Lacrosse North America may be directed to ILNA President James Hoban at [email protected].

The ILNA Executive Board comprises the following:

• James Hoban, President
• Michael Kennedy, Secretary & Treasurer
• Sarah Walsh, Director
• Rob Wallace, Director
• Ed Forst, Director
• Jim Delaney, Director
• Devin Kelly, Director
• Aaron Cahill, Director of Alumni

Ireland Lacrosse North America, Inc. has been fully registered with the State Corporation Commission of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA since 4 February 2016 and has been confirmed by the Internal Revenue Service as being exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (and has been assigned an Employee Identification Number (EIN): 81-0842200)).

This means donations received through Ireland Lacrosse North America are tax deductible in the USA!

Ireland Lacrosse (Dublin, Ireland) and Ireland Lacrosse North America (Virginia, USA) are 100% volunteer-led and driven organisations that currently receive no government funding. We depend on membership fees, fundraising activity and donations, and payments from players, to support all of our activities, the most important of which is developing the sport of lacrosse throughout the island of Ireland!

Become a member of Ireland Lacrosse via https://irelandlacrosse.azolve.com !

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn !

Your donation will be used to help with:

• EQUIPMENT – WE NEED GEAR, ESPECIALLY STICKS AND BALLS, TO GET MORE KIDS PLAYING IN IRELAND!

• COACHING – WE NEED SUPPORT FOR OUR COACHES TO DELIVER LACROSSE INSTRUCTION, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOLS AROUND THE COUNTRY!

• FACILITIES HIRE – WE NEED HELP WITH FIELD RENTAL COSTS SO THAT WE CAN HOST CLINICS AND GAMES!

• NATIONAL TEAMS – THE NATIONAL TEAMS ARE PRIMARILY PLAYER-FUNDED AND DONATIONS FOR A PARTICULAR TEAM OR PLAYER ARE WELCOME!

You can DONATE ONLINE :

Or DONATE BY CHECK by sending a check made out to ‘Ireland Lacrosse North America‘ to the ILNA headquarters at:

Ireland Lacrosse North America
1515 Farsta Ct
Reston, VA 20190
USA

Here’s more information about what we do:

Upon receipt, the donor will receive documentation from ILNA of their donation for their files, similar to the following examples:

• Donations over $250:  On behalf of the Board of Directors we want to thank you for your gift of $___, on [date]. You should retain this letter in your records for tax purposes. As you may be aware, the IRS no longer will accept a canceled check as substantiation of a charitable contribution of $250.00 or more. This letter further serves to verify that you did not receive anything of value in exchange for your contribution. Therefore, the entire amount of your donation is tax-deductible.
• Donations of non-cash or in-kind (estimated value of $250 or more):  Thank you for your donation of _____. The Internal Revenue Code prohibits our organization from placing a value on your donated gift. Ireland Lacrosse North America is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization. No goods or services were provided by Ireland Lacrosse North America in return for the contribution. Your contribution is deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. You should retain this receipt for tax purposes. If the organization receives an in-kind gift which has an estimated value of over $5,000, the donor must file an IRS Form 8283, and the donor needs to get an independent appraisal of the gift, the appraisal must be dated within 60 days prior to the date of donation. Additionally, if the organization sells all or part of the donated good within 2 years, they must report its sale to the IRS on Form 8282.
• Donations where donor receives goods or services (tickets to an event):  Thank you for your donation of $____ for the Ireland Lacrosse North America. Ireland Lacrosse North America is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization. This letter further serves to verify that you received dinner and entertainment, which had a fair market value of $___. Therefore, only $_____ of your donation is tax deductible.

North American Lacrosse League Sues Dissident Teams and Owners

OCEAN, N.J., Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The North American Lacrosse League has filed suit against two of its former teams and several affiliated individuals in an effort to restore order to League operations.

Anthony R. Caruso, Esq., Attorney from Scarinci Hollenbeck and acting Commissioner for the League, with the assistance of Joel Kreizman, Esq. of the same law firm, filed the complaint in New Jersey State Superior Court, Chancery Division.  The defendants listed include Jim Jennings, Brett Vickers and Graham D’Alvia, as well the Charlotte Copperheads and Jacksonville Bullies.  “This action was authorized by the member clubs in good standing with the League and is necessary to preserve the interests and welfare of North American Lacrosse League,” says Mr. Caruso. “The Plaintiff is in control of the League funds, the League website and the League intellectual property, and seeks to stop the continuous dissemination of false information.”

In addition to the filing of several counts against the defendants, the judge has scheduled a mandatory emergency hearing for next week where the Defendants shall be required to appear and defend their actions.  The League has requested, among other things, that a restraining order be issued against the Defendants restraining them from engaging in activity which is disruptive to the League.  

“This group has been troublesome to our progress for too long,” says Anthony Chase, principal owner of the Kentucky Stickhorses.  “They have personal agendas that don’t coincide with the League agenda of providing exciting pro lacrosse sooner rather than later.  The Stickhorses are excited and ready to play.”

Tyler Low and Jason Wellemeyer of PrimeTime Lacrosse, the owner of the Boston team yet to be named, stands by the League.  “We joined this League because of the integrity and professionalism of the people involved, such as acting Commissioner Anthony Caruso and owner Tony Chase,” says Low.  Jason Wellemeyer agrees.  “We are confident that the fans will remain loyal to us.”

The League has announced that, due to the recent actions of the Defendants which have necessitated the filing of this lawsuit, there will be a reduced number of scheduled games.  But that doesn’t deter Aaron Musselman, principal owner of the Pennsylvania based Shamrocks.  “We are committed to launching this League for the fans and majority of pro players in the US who wish play competitively in new and exciting markets.” In addition to these teams, there are plans for exhibition teams to visit the League venues from the US and abroad.  These teams expect to start their season in January

(http://www.northamericanlacrosseleague.com)

SOURCE North American Lacrosse League

Native lacrosse players link past to present

Lacrosse sticks of various shapes, colors and cultural significance dotted Tillie Turner’s childhood.

There were those unusual, primitive looking wood sticks made by her father, Dave, the ones her future lacrosse teammates called “the little circle sticks.” The first sticks she used for play were red- and purple-colored plastic toys. Tillie Turner graduated to the real thing when she began playing lacrosse in fifth grade.

And that’s when she began realizing how traditional lacrosse, the modern game and her Native American heritage intertwine.

“It feels like I have a back story, more of a connection to the modern game,” said Turner, a freshman goalie on the Minneapolis varsity team.

She and Chaska Spears, a goalie for the Minneapolis boys’ lacrosse team, share an interest in their cultural ties to lacrosse. Playing baseball without gloves or hockey on a frozen pond nods to those sports’ humble beginnings. But lacrosse runs much deeper in the Native American community.

While rising through the ranks of their community lacrosse programs, both Turner and Spears, a junior, participated in Twin Cities Native Lacrosse, a community effort for young people to play the traditional game and learn its history.

“They’re born with it; it’s in their genes. So when they play it, they’re just being who they are. They are just continuing what was taught to us,” said John Hunter, a founder of TCNL in 2014.

About a year ago, the organization received a $50,000 grant from the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee Legacy Fund. Those funds furthered Hunter’s mission to engage Native American youth and families in both traditional Dakota/Ojibwe lacrosse and modern lacrosse. The money helped provide free access to lacrosse equipment, transportation to practices and games, and participation in competitive league play, Hunter said.

Creating opportunity through lacrosse drove Stephanie Zadora, an assistant coach for the Minneapolis girls’ varsity team, to help found TCNL. She grew up in Virginia and spent summers on the Cattaraugus Reservation in western New York. She recalled playing with “well-established lacrosse programs of all-native girls.”

“We wanted to create players who had a connection to lacrosse,” said Zadora, whose mother played the sport collegiately at Dartmouth and whose grandfather played at Cornell. “This is their sport. They shouldn’t feel excluded even though for so long it’s been a prep school sport.

“For a community, to be told for so long that we’re not worthy or that our cultural practices should be banned, to reclaim our sport is a piece of reclaiming our culture.”

Playing for Minneapolis, a co-op of the city’s seven public high schools, leaves little time for Turner and Spears to play traditional lacrosse. Each plays a few times a year with their fathers.

Traditional lacrosse allows both to experience more running and more contact than what a modern lacrosse goalie would see.

Turner recalled watching her father play in a traditional lacrosse exhibition in Madeline Island, Wis. Dave Turner said more than 150 years had passed since a game of traditional lacrosse took place on that land. Traditional lacrosse games were played by large numbers of tribe members on fields that could stretch for miles.

Simpler sticks mean the fundamentals of cradling and passing are much different, said Spears, who teaches kids new to TCNL the basics of throwing and catching.

Whether traditional or modern, lacrosse means something special to Spears.

“I see all these people playing this game and knowing my people started it feels kind of good,” Spears said.

90,000 Ovechkin, Kucherov, Malkin and other major Russian stars in the history of North American clubs. East

Alexey Yashin was here twice.

Alexey Yashin was here twice.

Alexander Mogilny (Buffalo)

Statistics: 381 matches, 444 (211 + 233) points, “+44”

https: // twitter.com / SiriusXMNHL / status / 1250394425580302336? s = 20

The first Russian player in Buffalo and to this day remains the most iconic Russian figure for the club. Maxim Afinogenov and Alexey Zhitnik came closest to him, but they failed to surpass the first Alexander the Great. His 127 points in the 1992/93 season is the Sabers’ second highest scoring record in a single year, and he is also the second most scored in a single year (1.165 points).

Sergey Samsonov (Boston)

Statistics: 514 matches, 376 (164 + 212) points, “+41”

https: // twitter.com / SiriusXMNHL / status / 1248220141252468738? s = 20

Only seven Russians played for one of the clubs of the “original six”, the Boston Bruins, more than 50 matches, only three – more than 100. The difference between first and second place is colossal: Dmitry Kvartalnov is 402 games behind the leader. During his 8 years at Boston, Sergei Samsonov won only one individual award – the Calder Trophy -1997/98. The striker’s career was extremely unstable, but the most productive part of it fell on the Bruins.

Alexander Ovechkin (Washington)

Statistics: 1152 matches, 1278 (706 + 572) points, “+82”

Alex Ovechkin 2017-18 Season
– Led NHL in regular season goals (49)
– Led NHL in postseason goals (15)
– Won Stanley Cup

The last player to do all 3 in the same season was Mike Bossy in 1980-81 (per @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/gSqbVCopp4

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 8, 2018

By an incredible 351 points, Washington’s top scorer of all years – and that says it all. Ovechkin is one of the brightest Russian stars in the history of sports. He is the personification of the Capitals. Over the course of his career, Alexander changed along with the club – moving away from individualism to a more team-based game.Even at 34 years old, he retains excellent shape, is still able to score in the region of 50 goals per season. The Stanley Cup won by Washington in 2018 is the quintessence of the great Russian’s career.

Sergey Fedorov (Detroit)

Statistics: 908 matches, 954 (400 + 554) points, “+276”

THIS DAY IN HOCKEY HISTORY – April 6, 2003:

Sergei Fedorov became just the fourth player in Detroit franchise history to score 400 career goals as a member of the Red Wings. The milestone came in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Blackhawks in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Nczw6VLHAX

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) April 6, 2020

Had it not been for Fedorov’s strike during most of the 1997/98 season, his 13 years at Detroit would have been ideal.But even without that unpleasant story, the Russian became an iconic figure in the legendary Red Wings. Together with Steve Yzerman, Fedorov formed perhaps the best bunch of center-forwards in the NHL in the 90s. He was useful on both sides of the court, occasionally playing even as a defender. Perhaps without Fedorov that “Detroit” would eventually manage to win the Stanley Cup, but there would not be three victories for sure.

Andrey Svechnikov (“Carolina”)

Statistics: 150 matches, 98 (54 + 81) points, “+9”

https: // twitter.com / TheHockeyWriter / status / 1105303601184944128? s = 20

We have no doubt that the 20-year-old Carolina star will surpass the achievement of Sergei Samsonov (135 points) next season and come out on top in the list of the best Russian club scorers, and therefore we do not hesitate to give him the title of the main domestic star of the Hurricanes … The lacrosse-style goal scored by Svechnikov this season has inscribed his name in NHL history – before that, no one had managed to hit the opponent’s goal in this way.

Sergei Bobrovsky (Columbus)

Stats: 374 matches, 2.41 KN, 92.1% RV

https://twitter.com/NewWaveOil/status/346356450664255488?s=20

The union of “Columbus” and Bobrovsky is one of the most striking links “Russian goalkeeper – NHL club”. Yes, the maximum that the Blue Jackets have managed to achieve during this time is reaching the second round. But from a direct gaming point of view, it was a great collaboration. It was in Columbus that Bobrovsky became the best Russian goalkeeper for several years, won two Vezina Trophies, which none of the domestic players could do.

Andrey Markov (Montreal)

Statistics: 990 matches, 572 (119 + 453) points, “+64”

JUST IN: Montreal Canadiens announce that UFA D Andrei Markov will not be back with the team next season. #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/WK7fagGAfw

— SportsCentre (@SportsCentre) July 27, 2017

It is a pity that Markov never played his 1000th match for Montreal – if it were not for a series of injuries that swept the hockey player since 2009, he would have done it. Throughout all 16 seasons, the Russian was either an important option for the team, or one of the key attacking defenders. Markov distinguished himself with incredible game stability – it doesn’t matter whether he was in excellent physical shape or just recovering from another injury.

Sergey Brylin (New Jersey)

Statistics: 765 matches, 308 (129 + 179) points, “+49”

It's time for the Devils to retire Sergei Brylin's No. 18 @EliteSportsNY #NJDevils

Now We Rise Here: https://t.co/EzLbHIpbwr pic.twitter.com/AQ46vkDGmv

— 𝙺𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝙼𝚌𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚊 (@KMcKenna_NHL) May 10, 2018

Brylin is the only Russian in the NHL to win three Stanley Cups without being the leading forward of the championship team. His advantage was in his incredible defensive skills, which multiplied in value in relegation games. Brylin spent all 13 seasons of his NHL career at New Jersey, remaining all this time one of the most useful hockey players in the club.

Alexey Yashin (Islanders)

Statistics: 346 matches, 290 (119 + 171) points, “-24”

The Islanders finally ended paying Alexi Yashin… wow.#hockey pic.twitter.com/77Ol9osvCZ

— HockeyShot.com (@hockeyshot1) July 6, 2015

In the Islanders, Yashin managed to become the most important figure in every sense. He spent five seasons with the club, gaining at least 50 points, with the exception of the 2003/04 championship. But most of all I remember his 10-year contract for $ 71.6 million, which was bought by the “islanders” in 2007 due to a hockey player’s injury – payments on it ended only in the summer of 2015.

Alexey Kovalev (Rangers)

Statistics: 492 matches, 330 (142 + 188) points, “-13”

https://twitter.com/ranger_fanly/status/12489496

496896?s=20

Some hotheads have already rushed to christen Panarin the most stellar Russian in the history of the Rangers. But obviously, Alexey Kovalev, whose NHL star lit up just in New York, is a more iconic domestic player of this club. Having spent just over eight years with the Rangers, the striker never averaged more than 60 points in a season, but has always been very useful in attacking actions – sometimes super useful.Kovalev is the most important part of the 1994 championship.

Alexey Yashin (Ottawa)

Statistics: 504 matches, 491 (218 + 273) points, “-59”

On this day in 1998, Alexei Yashin scored a goal and added three assists in the second frame, establishing a @Senators record for most points in a period #sens pic.twitter.com/w6gU4X7vAd

— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) December 18, 2017

Yashin was the main structure-forming figure of the revived Ottawa in the early 90s – he spent seven whole seasons in this role. With the exception of the 1995/96 championship, part of which the Russian played on his own initiative in CSKA, in the remaining six cases he became the top scorer of the Senators.Today Yashin ranks fourth in the list of the most productive players of Ottawa.

Evgeny Malkin (Pittsburgh)

Statistics: 907 matches, 1076 (416 + 660) points, “+73”

On this day in 2009, the @penguins' Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe. He finished the post-season with 36 points, the most since Wayne Gretzky scored 40 in 1993 #Hockey365 #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/YY0RZEwm7T

— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) June 12, 2019

Malkin is not an elite addition to superstar Canadian Sidney Crosby, but an independent hockey fighting unit, which he has repeatedly proved, replacing an often injured colleague as the leader of Pittsburgh.Of the three won playoffs, in one case (2009), the Russian was unconditionally the best player in the team and received the Conn Smythe Trophy, and in the other (2017) he played on an equal footing with Crosby, being a little lost only in the final series. Malkin is now three points behind Jaromir Jagr, the third-highest scorer at Pittsburgh.

Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay)

Statistics: 515 matches, 547 (221 + 326) points, “+128”

Keeping Kucherov in Tampa Bay – https://t.co/TgIsa1gaVN #hockey #THW pic.twitter.com/gXAzjm7lv6

— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) August 10, 2016

A few years later, Kucherov has a good chance of becoming the absolute best player in Tampa Bay history, but so far he is without a doubt the coolest Russian ever to have played for the franchise.Kucherov is already in fourth place in goals scored and points scored in Lightning history. True, he has not yet managed to lead the team to the Stanley Cup – the main chance was missed in the 2015 final series against Chicago (2-4).

Nikolay Kulemin (Toronto)

Statistics: 421 matches, 195 (84 + 111) points, “-8”

Report: Contract talks between Toronto Maple Leafs, Nikolai Kulemin are 'limited.' http://t.co/INL37GyFB4 pic.twitter.com/jM5Q5Cs7th

— theScore (@theScore) June 24, 2014

Sergei Berezin, Igor Korolev, and Dmitry Yushkevich deserve to be in this place. In “Toronto” it is difficult to single out one Russian who has shown himself brightly.But we will focus on Nikolay Kulemin. He played with the Maple Leafs for six seasons and has mastered functions and tasks that were not characteristic of him before moving to the NHL. From the sniper, “Toronto” turned into an all-rounder, who spent his best years in North America with the “Maple Leaves”.

Ivan Provorov (Philadelphia)

Statistics: 315 matches, 133 (43 + 90) points, “+5”

Flyers' Provorov has future star, and future captain, written all over him.

Read now with All-Access: https://t.co/cqkMtuM2jW pic.twitter.com/psEaJfjhsp

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) November 3, 2018

With the exception of the 2018/19 post-traumatic season, the 23-year-old Provorov showed consistently high level of play in the other three championships, being a key defender of Philadelphia.He gets a lot of playing time, doing a lot of work in both the majority and the minority. Provorov has huge potential to become an elite defender of the Flyers. But already now he has surpassed all the Russians who played at Philadelphia with a margin.

Pavel Bure (Florida)

Statistics: 223 matches, 251 (152 + 99) points, “+12”

Pavel Bure made his #FlaPanthers debut while on a three-game road trip but the fans were ready to welcome him to South Florida for his home debut.

More on Bure in the @BaptistHealthSF Virtual Vault. >> https://t.co/CsusTA93yu pic.twitter.com/mzuuw8JOXm

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 14, 2020

Yes, Vancouver have become a much more significant club in his career for Bure than Florida.But even in the sunny state, “Russian Rocket” had an excellent four years, having twice won the “Maurice Richard Trophy” (2000, 2001). Even Panthers fans in a recent poll named the Russian the best player ever to play for their club. To this day, Bure is one of the top 5 Florida top snipers in history.

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90,000 Washington defeated San Jose dry, Ovechkin scored 744th goal in the NHL – news

Washington Capitals beat San Jose Sharks in the NHL regular season.The meeting ended with a score of 4: 0.

San Jose

Washington

The author of the second goal in the match was Alexander Ovechkin, who distinguished himself in his corporate style. He scored a goal, being outnumbered. Thus, Ovechkin scored for the 272nd time on the power play, which is the second result in the history of the league. He needs to score twice more to match Dave Andreychuk’s 274 power play goal.

At the end of the meeting, Ovechkin scored another goal, sending it into the empty net of the Sharks. For the 36-year-old hockey player, this puck became the 744th in his career.

Ovechkin also scored 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 18 games on a +12 utility this season and returned to a sole third in the NHL’s top scorer race this season. He is second only to Dreisatl and his Oilers partner Connor McDavid (35 and 33 points respectively).

Another important achievement – the Russian hockey player played his 1215th career match in the North American League and reached 108th place in the NHL by this indicator.He repeated the result of the retired Claude Lemieux (1215).

Vegas

Columbus

In other matches, Vegas have won a strong-willed victory over Columbus, winning back from the score 0: 2. Russian striker “Vegas” Yevgeny Dadonov spent 18 minutes and 59 seconds on the court, giving an overall usefulness of “-1”. Edmonton defeated Chicago and continue to lead the Western Conference.

NHL.Regular season

San Jose Sharks – Washington Capitals – 0: 4 (0: 2, 0: 0, 0: 2)

Goals: Shiri, 2:17, 55:10 … Ovechkin , 13:58 (big), 58:56.

Vegas Golden Knights – Columbus Blue Jackets – 3: 2 (0: 2, 1: 0, 2: 0)

Goals: Kolesar, 27:07. Smith, 44:45 (men.). Janmark-Nülen, 53:53. – Nyquist, 0:45. Texier, 8:42 (men.).

Edmonton Oilers – Chicago Blackhawks – 5: 2 (4: 1, 0: 0, 1: 1)

Goals: McDavid, 10:16.Barry, 11:19 (big). Yamamoto, 15:16 (men). MacLeod, 18:32. Dreiseitl 56:28 (men.). – Debrinkat, 7:40 p.m., 49:00 p.m.

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Team of young stars of Russia: who is expected in the NHL

Their unanimous opinion is that the “Russian factor” is gone. Now nothing prevents you from choosing KHL players high in the draft. And those who have not yet been selected can go to the NHL directly in the summer – for example, Sergei Bobrovsky once walked this way.

NHL.com / ru made the top ten most interesting players of the Russian national team, which many clubs in the North American league would dream of getting.

Ilya SOROKIN

goalkeeper, 21 years old, CSKA (contract until 2018)

NHL club: New York Islanders (draft 2014, No. 78)

Season 2016-17: 20 matches, 13 wins, 94.1%, 3 zero games

Karjala Cup: 2 matches, 2 wins (5: 1 with Finland, 3: 0 with the Czech Republic)

The first goalkeeper of the national team, about whom Martin Broder responded in flattering tones: “I am amazed at the calmness of this guy.And he reads the game very well. “Sorokin missed only one goal in 120 minutes. Last season he ousted Viktor Fast from the CSKA goal. He won the bronze medal of the World Championship. A pupil of the Novokuznetsk ice hockey school, like Bobrovsky. There is no doubt Islanders in 2018 They will do everything to sign this diamond goalkeeper. And Yaroslav Khalak will be 33 by that time.

Igor SHESTERKIN

Goalkeeper, 20 years old, SKA (contract until 2019)

NHL Club: New York Rangers (2014 draft, no. 118)

2016-17 season: 18 matches, 13 wins, 94.3%, 6 zero games

Karjala Cup: 1 match, 1 win ( 3: 2 with Sweden)

SKA reminds CSKA of the allied times, when the army team took out everyone in the domestic championship, and each player had excellent statistics.But even in such a club, Shesterkin jumps over his head, making a cracker in every third match. At the Karjala Cup, he conceded two goals, both outnumbered. So Igor is not to blame for a single puck. Shesterkin is expected to play at the 2017 World Cup. This goalkeeper has a great future. Of course, Henrik Lundqvist is the lump in the Rangers goal. But in 2019 he will turn 37. The time will come to give way to the young. By the way, how do you like this New York derby: Sorokin vs. Shesterkin?

Andrey MIRONOV

defender, 22 years old, Dynamo M (contract until 2018)

NHL club: Colorado Avalanche (draft 2015, No. 101)

Season 2016-17: 11 matches, 4 (1 + 3) points

Karjala Cup: 3 matches, 0 points

A classic Dynamo defender who knows how to fight or catch an opponent in the mill.This was also distinguished by Vitaly Davydov and Valery Vasiliev, and later – Darius Kasparaitis. It is unlikely that Mironov will become the new Unfriendly Ghost. But he is very tough and unyielding. At the Karjala Cup, he was the captain of the Russian national team and participated in several fights, of which he emerged victorious. A year ago I took the silver at the World Championship. Such defenders are needed “Colorado”, where in recent years the defense has been limping.

Alexey BEREGLAZOV

defender, 22 years old, Metallurg Mg (contract until 2017)

NHL club: not selected

Season 2016-17: 26 matches, 8 (1 + 7) points

Karjala Cup: 3 matches, 1 (1 + 0) point

A pupil of Metallurg Magnitogorsk and the main defender of the team, with which he won the Gagarin Cup last season.A versatile person who knows a lot on the court. He played for the senior Russian national team last season. And in Helsinki he scored his first goal when he successfully joined the attack after a pass from Nikita Gusev and shot the Czech goalkeeper with a mighty snap. Differs in size (194 cm / 93 kg). He also has a comfortable situation – the contract ends after this season, and no one chose him in the NHL draft. In principle, Bereglazov should receive offers from several clubs in the league. And what if you take him to Pittsburgh to his fellow countryman Evgeny Malkin?

Nikita GUSEV

forward, 24 years old, SKA (contract until 2018)

NHL club: Tampa Bay Lightning (draft 2012, No. 202)

Season 2016-17: 25 matches, 30 (10 + 20) points

Karjala Cup: 3 matches, 4 (2 + 2) points

Top scorer of the Russian national team in Helsinki.The person who scores more points for playing SKA. The extreme forward from the famous troika, where Vadim Shipachev and Evgeny Dadonov are in charge. In general, Guseva chose Tampa in the draft long ago. And he could well repeat the path of his friend Nikita Kucherov, with whom he played for children in “Polar Bears”. Probably, someone is confused by Gusev’s dimensions (180 cm / 82 kg). But he doesn’t have to be a two-meter grenadier, he has his own trump cards. Our prediction is that Nikita will go to the NHL in 2018, because he is already ripe for this league.And he wants to play there.

Valery NICHUSHKIN

forward, 21 years old, CSKA (contract until 2018)

NHL club : Dallas Stars (draft 2013, No. 10)

Season 2016-17: 15 matches , 11 (5 + 6) points

Karjala Cup: 3 matches, 4 (1 + 3) points

Nobody in this Russian national team has been picked higher in the NHL draft than Nichushkin. Such attention of the press is not riveted to anyone as to Valera. In the match against the Finns there was his benefit, when Nichushkin scored 3 (0 + 3) points.He scored an excellent goal in the minority against the Swedes. Yes, in “Dallas” our striker had a crisis. The reason for this is, first of all, a difficult operation on the hip. Now Valery in CSKA comes to life, adding with every match. And he does not hide the fact that he now has prohibitive motivation. He wants to prove that they put an end to him early. Nichushkin will leave for the NHL in 2018, and he will be a ready player for this league – seasoned, with experience.

Vladimir TKACHEV

forward, 23 years old, Ak Bars (contract until 2017)

NHL club: not selected

Season 2016-17: 29 matches, 20 (11 + 9) points

Karjala Cup: 3 matches, 3 (2 + 1) points

Another emerald for scouts – his contract ends after this season, and nobody chose Tkachev in the draft.Winner of bronze medals at the junior and youth world championships. One of the most promising players of Ak Bars, and he is appreciated by the former coach of the national team Zinetula Bilyaletdinov. Scored two goals in Helsinki – Finns, as well as Czechs, having distinguished himself in the minority. Good physique, strong guy (183 cm / 95 kg). Already a ready player, but it is important for him to get into his NHL club, where he will be trusted. How lucky Artemy Panarin was with “Chicago”.

Anatoly GOLYSHEV

forward, 21 years old, Avtomobilist (contract until 2019)

NHL club: New York Islanders (draft 2016, No. 95)

Season 2016-17: 24 matches , 9 (3 + 6) points

Karjala Cup: 3 matches, 2 (2 + 0) points

A very talented forward, who played with Nichushkin and Andrey Svetlakov.Scored a double in the first match with the Finns. And in the third, with the Czechs, he was slightly injured and did not play to the end. For persistence he received the nickname Tolya-Gol. Last season he scored 25 goals in 56 games for Avtomobilist. This year the statistics are much more modest. But the reason for this is the uneven attitude on the part of coach Andrei Razin, who was eventually fired. Golyshev should grow into a good sniper, but the Islanders will have to wait another three years.

Alexander BARABANOV

forward, 22 years old, SKA (contract until 2019)

NHL club: not selected

Season 2016-17: 26 matches, 21 (12 + 9) points

Karjala Cup: 3 matches, 2 (1 + 1) points

Strong guy (179 cm / 89 kg) admired by legendary coach Vladimir Yurzinov: “Did you see how Barabanov dodged two Swedes and shoved the puck under the goalkeeper? The guy played in the Soviet style! “He plays well for SKA, promises to grow into a very good forward.According to the idea, Alexander should be chosen in the 2017 draft. It’s strange that no one paid attention to him before.

Andrey SVETLAKOV

forward, 20 years old, CSKA (contract until 2019)

NHL club: not selected

Season 2016-17: 17 matches, 5 (2 + 3) points

Karjala Cup: 3 matches, 2 (1 + 1) points

He showed himself well at the last youth world championship, where he took silver, after which he settled in CSKA and started playing in the first Russian team.He showed himself as a center link with Nichushkin and Golyshev. I was not at all lost, I was confident in myself. We think that Svetlakov should be chosen in the 2017 draft. This forward will soon be in sight.

Copying the North American system is disastrous for our hockey

In an interview with Sportbox.ru, the head coach of Atlant Moscow Region, Sergei Svetlov, compared the Russian national team with the football Barcelona, ​​called the four-month vacations in the KHL a disaster and was horrified at the lack of a hockey player training system in the country.

– How will the past season be remembered?

– There is no desire to act as a critic and salt the wounds. Everybody understands that for our national teams – the main, youth and junior – the year was not the best. But failure is a good lesson for us. It is good that the shortcomings and shortcomings have come to light now.

– The failure of the national team at the World Cup a few months before the Olympics – a systemic glitch or simple bad luck?

“All these words about bad luck are trying to find an easy way to explain the reasons for the failure.Although, it is probably wrong to judge by one World Championship. Here’s a recent example – the Champions League semi-finals, Barcelona come to Munich and lose to Bayern 0-4. The best team in the world, the most expensive, the most successful was simply none! For Barça, of course, it was a shock, but it happens. You have to understand that the national team is the end result of all the work that has been carried out from bottom to top. What needs to be done now? First of all, we need to deal with schools, because personnel training is the number one issue.Our country is big, there are many kids, but there are not enough quality players for the KHL. We cannot recruit players of a good average level for 20 Russian teams, let alone highly qualified personnel.

– What problems did the last World Cup highlight?

“What happened was not a fire or an earthquake. But you need to think about it. There are many problems. We need to revise our entire system, starting from the bottom. In my opinion, this is where the main problems lie – schools, personnel training, and the qualifications of trainers.After watching the youth championship, I was surprised by how much our guys are technically worse than the same Swedes, Czechs, Americans and Canadians. But before this aspect was our advantage – we were more technical, and we were proud of it. The saddest thing is that now in Russia there is no training system. Coaches in schools work as they want, many have neither education nor qualifications. I think that smart people from the KHL and FHR need to sit down, think, draw up training programs for hockey players, try to convey elementary knowledge to every club, to every school, to every coach.

– What needs to be done to prevent the Helsinki fiasco from repeating itself in Sochi?

– Zinetula Bilyaletdinov is a competent specialist with a big school behind him. There is time to find ways out of this situation before the Olympics. Our team can show good hockey, and it deserves a better result. When all is well, we all roll quietly in the same harness. But as soon as something is wrong, we immediately begin to fuss, worry, look for the guilty.And you just need to think about what is going on in our economy. In my opinion, we do not need to copy some Finnish, Swedish or Canadian systems – we have to go our own way. We had a domestic system, which was one of the best in the world. We had our own teachers who taught us hockey science. We had our own schools and methods. You don’t have to bury your history, your experience. We must develop it, and not be someone’s pathetic excuse. Any copy is a parody of the original.

– But we ourselves gave up on all this, copying the NHL system based on self-training, with drafts and long vacations …

– We do not need this path.An attempt to introduce a self-training system following the example of North America, in my opinion, is erroneous. Our guys do not know how to work like that, they are not accustomed to this from childhood. We have a different mentality. The union is demanding – more days off, more holidays. I am totally against it! Moreover, I am simply shocked: there is no such thing in any country in the world! Yes, hockey players have 2-3 months of vacation in the NHL, but they play there under 100 games a season! And we play 50 matches in the regular season – this is negligible. If the team performed more or less successfully and flew out in the first round of the playoffs, the hockey players receive four months of rest.And the trade union with the KHL forbids us to train players, they are left to their own devices – it’s just a disaster, especially for young people! Of course, we are preparing a self-study program, we distribute plans to everyone, but this is not a solution to the problem. We are all gamers in our national hockey, our school was famous for this at all times. We didn’t run, we didn’t push – we played hockey. How can one player prepare individually for a team sport? Yes, he can learn to run fast, but who will give him game thinking? Where can he learn this if he hasn’t done anything for four months?

– A coaching seminar was held in Finland during the World Championships.Were there any similar issues discussed there?

– Of course. We spoke with Swedish and Finnish specialists – no federation gives players three months of rest. Maximum 30 days, and that’s ok, no more. And the rest of the time they train, go to training camps, work according to certain cycles. There are a lot of educational games – basketball, handball, football, there are exercises to develop coordination, game thinking, and mobile movement. When you are in a team, it is easier for you to work.In my time, everyone played great football, basketball – whatever you want! And today young people come to the team – they do not know how to somersault, they jump and stick their heads into the ground. They don’t know how to play football, they can’t hit the ball with their feet … This is what you need to do in the summer – outdoor games, acrobatics, coordination, learn to control your body! There is no time for this in the season, there is a lot of money, there is a purposeful work on the result. But the worst thing is that they don’t teach this either, they also chase after the result.The coaching staff is under constant pressure, no one wants to wait – neither in the KHL, nor in the MHL, nor below. There is no time, the result is needed today. Nobody thinks about personnel training. And the union and the agents are fighting – let’s have more days off!

– What changes have you noticed after returning to the KHL?

– The level of hockey has grown in general: the game has become more meaningful, there is a professional approach in terms of everyday life and organization of the work process, the audience’s interest has grown significantly, large and beautiful arenas are being built.It is clear that there are drawbacks, but the KHL is a young league, it is improving. Although our neighbors rivals do not stand still: the same Swedes, Finns, Czechs – we raise and cherish them ourselves. The best players come to us, and we take them to an even higher level. Why then be surprised that they beat us? Their potential is higher, they have a constant influx of personnel – this can be seen from the youth teams.

– What problems prevent us from developing?

– Inflated contracts for young guys.This moment, coupled with unqualified agents, spoils the youth. From a young age, players are taught to focus only on money – they sell, resell, throw from place to place, and it does not matter whether they play or not. As a result, the guys at the age of 18-20 are offered some crazy million-dollar contracts. At some point, they become well-fed and satisfied, they don’t need anything else – life is good, there is nothing to strive for, everything is easy and simple to get. This is fundamentally wrong.

– Vyacheslav Fetisov believes that intermediaries represented by agents and numerous managers have a detrimental effect on our hockey.

– This is true. Some agents may have up to ten players on one team, which may affect the result. But many of them are not interested in this very result – they care about finances. The more expensive the better. And the guys are ruining this – they no longer want to plow, they complain to the agents. The agent goes to the management and complains about the coach, tells the player – collect the bag, we are leaving. Do you understand what it all turns into? The coach has no real levers to manage the team, the agents decide everything.

– What can be done to change the situation?

– Today we admire Switzerland – indeed, the example of this country provides an answer to many questions. While working in Germany, I myself found a time when the Swiss, in order to raise the level of hockey, began to invite class specialists to schools to improve their technique, basic skills, and create a training program. In Switzerland, a special committee was formed, which is engaged in the development of methods and programs, a whole scientific team works there, which offers various systems of special training at different ages.All this is being discussed, common ways of developing hockey in the country are being sought. In addition, significant financial investments have been made directly in youth and youth hockey. Today, the Swiss ice hockey school is able to compete with the strongest countries, and getting to the final at the last World Championship is far from an accident. Switzerland has been striving for this success for many years, and today it is reaping the benefits. But with us everything turned out the other way around: no one needs children, all the money is upstairs – now we will buy all the best players, the best coaches in Europe… This, of course, is not the case if we think about Russian hockey. The system needs to be built.

Ekaterina Baleva, Sportbox.ru

90,000 media learned about Khimki’s interest in the second number of the NBA draft :: Basketball :: RBC Sport

Last season, 29-year-old Derrick Williams played for Turkish Fenerbahce

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Derrick Williams

(Photo: Andreas Gora / Global Look Press)

Khimki near Moscow may sign a contract with forward of the Turkish basketball club Fenerbahce Derrick Williams, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reports.

It is clarified that the agreement of the 29-year-old Williams with Fenerbahce will expire in the coming days. Also Italian Milan is interested in his services.

RBC sent a request to the press service of Khimki.

In 2011, Williams was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft in the first round under the general second number. The forward also entered the North American League for the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers.In total, Williams played 428 games in the NBA, averaging 8.9 points and making four rebounds per game.

Former CSKA basketball captain explained leaving the team

Williams spent the 2018/19 season at Bayern Munich, with which he became the champion of Germany.In the summer of 2019, he moved to Fenerbahce. In the last Euroleague season, which ended ahead of schedule due to the spread of coronavirus infection, Williams participated in 28 games, gaining 11.3 points and making 3.2 rebounds per match.

On March 27, it became known about the early completion of the VTB United League season due to the pandemic. The formal champion was not determined due to non-observance of the sports principle. The first place at the time of the stoppage of the championship was occupied by Khimki with a difference of wins and losses of 18-1. CSKA was second (15–4), Lokomotiv-Kuban finished the top three (14–6).

90,000 The puck from Barnaul

entered the top 3 goals of the season according to the NHL

The puck of the native of Barnaul entered the top 3 goals of the season according to the NHL
Photo: andrei_svechnikov37

Svechnikov is playing in the NHL for the second season, he was selected by Carolina in the 2018 draft as the second number.Canadian Sportsnet named him the most progressive player in the league

The lacrosse puck of Russian forward Carolina Hurricanes (Canada) Andrey Svechnikov took third place in the list of the best goals of the 2019/20 season according to the National Hockey League (NHL). The press service of the league informs about it.

20-year-old pupil of Altai hockey became the first author of such a goal in the history of the NHL. Moreover, Svechnikov scored two such goals in the season.

OOPS … ANDREI SVECHNIKOV (@ ASvechnikov_37) DID IT AGAIN !!! pic.twitter.com/ziLRCsxKGY

– NHL (@NHL) December 18, 2019

This season, the 20-year-old striker has played 68 matches in which he scored 61 points (24 goals + 37 assists). In total in the North American League, he played 150 games, gaining 98 points (44 + 54).

The lacrosse style became popular after Finn Mikael Granlund’s puck against the Russian team in the 2011 World Cup semifinals.With this method, the forward from outside the goal throws the puck on the edge of the stick into the opponent’s goal.

Svechnikov was born on March 26, 2000 in Barnaul. His older brother Eugene also plays as a striker for the Detroit Red Wings. The hockey player’s family moved twice to gain access to the best teams for their sons – first to the Moscow region, then to Kazan. In 2016, he moved with his mother to Muskegon (Michigan, USA).

90,000 Catapult reaches a milestone with 1,000 teams in North America

Catapult recently passed the milestone of 1,000 North American teams using its world’s finest product portfolio.

While Catapult’s global customer base spans 137 countries and 39 sports, North America is a key geography with the 11 or 15 largest customers worldwide by revenue. The elite clientele of the group includes 29 of the 32 National Football League (NFL) teams and all 31 National Hockey League (NHL) teams. After football, Catapult’s two largest sports in terms of customer base are focused on the North American market, namely American football (257 teams) and ice hockey (203 teams).

Catapult is also active in the US university system and currently has 584 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams as clients spanning 372 universities. Catapult sees a good opportunity to continue this momentum in the NCAA market, where the NCAA has over 9,000 teams and over 460,000 NCAA student athletes who compete in 24 sports every year.

The North American market was one of the first to adopt Catapult’s full suite of technology solutions, and a growing number of organizations are now using the full suite of solutions.wearable technology, video analysis and athlete management solutions. These include, among others, the Cardinals of Arizona, the University of Virginia, and the University of Louisville.

Catapult entered the North American market in early 2013 and quickly formed partnerships with global brands such as the New York Giants (NFL) and Dallas Mavericks (NBA). The company currently has a significant presence in the United States, with approximately 150 employees based primarily in Boston, making it the largest office in the world.Catapult has also formed several strategic partnerships in North America, including with Prevent Biometrics, ShotTracker, UM-ESSI, and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.

Catapult Executive Chairman Dr. Adir Schiffman said: “Catapult’s Australian roots mean that our North American business is often underestimated, despite being our largest revenue geography. We continue to emphasize Catapult’s status as a global leader in technology for excellence in sports, and North America is an important contributor to that vision.

“Catapult is one of the very few Australian technology companies to have industry-leading success in North America, a rare feat. We are very grateful to all our partners for trusting our technologies and striving to develop our powerful innovation stream for the benefit of all our customers around the world.