Colorado a good fit for Self
While he didn’t request a trade, Self had wanted to play in Denver for family reasons
Brad Self asked the Rochester Knighthawks for a trade to the Colorado Mammoth last summer and this week the Buffalo Bandits granted that request.
Self asked Rochester if they could move him to Colorado for family reasons. His wife Alicia is a Denver native and her father is battling health issues. Instead, Rochester dealt him to Buffalo.
Self accepted the deal and says he gave his full commitment to Buffalo. The Bandits were aware of his request but Self says he never asked Buffalo to trade him.
“We are ecstatic to be going to Colorado,” Self said. “Buffalo traded for me because they wanted me so as a competitor I’m disappointed I couldn’t help the Bandits win because they committed to me and had a great year last year.
“I really enjoyed my time there. I loved the fans and the organization and created some great bonds there in the short time i was there. I loved the way they played and how they allowed me to play. By no means did I ask for a trade but in the back of their heads they knew about my wishes.”
As Monday’s trade deadline approached, Self said Bandits GM Steve Dietrich asked him if he was Peterborough’s Brad Self salutes the Memorial Centre crowd Oct. 3, 2015 after being honoured for being a member of Team Canada’s world indoor lacrosse champion team. The National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits dealt Self this week to the Colorado Mammoth. Self will return this summer with the MSL’s Peterborough Century 21 Lakers. open to a deal if they could work something out with Colorado. Self is a free agent at the end of the season.
“(Dietrich) said they really liked me and wanted to re-sign me but knowing I wanted to be in Colorado they didn’t want to lose me for nothing,” Self said. “They really did me a favour. Had I said no, I don’t think they would have traded me.”
Self said the onus is now on him to earn a future contract with Colorado.
“I have to do a job and hope Colorado wants me back for next year,” he said.
Colorado originally drafted Self and he rejoins a team that is currently second in the West Division and stocking up for a playoff run. He was the NLL’s transition player of the year in 2016 and has 13 goals, 23 assists for 36 points in 12 games this year.
“It’s exciting to go there for family and all those reasons but from a competitive standpoint they’re playing great and are kind of the talk of the league,” Self said.
“When Zack Greer went down and then (John Grant) Junior went down and then Jeremy Noble, they’ve had a lot of different people in that lineup, a lot of people in the league thought Colorado would tank.
“They didn’t so it says a lot about that team. I’m looking forward to being a part of that. They’re obviously headed in the right direction. They’re playing well as a team and I don’t want to go in and disrupt that. I just want to do my part to be a contributor.”
Self says he’ll be back in Peterborough in the summer to play for the Century 21 Lakers and run his Nationwide Lacrosse summer camps with partner Shawn Evans.