Roughnecks look to scratch 10-year itch
Veteran star Dobbie, part of Calgary’s 2009 NLL title, has high hopes for this year
It’s been too many years since people around these parts celebrated a NLL championship.
Dane Dobbie knows it, since it was way back in his first full season with the local club that the Calgary Roughnecks carried away the Champion’s Cup.
“What has it been?” queried the Riggers star veteran. “Nine years since we won the last one?” Actually, it’s been 10, Dane. In fact, the trophy has since taking on a new shape and a new name, called the National Lacrosse League Cup. Catchy, it’s not.
But regardless of what it looks or sounds like, it’s something the Roughnecks would like to recapture one day.
This year would be a fine time to make that happen.
“Obviously, the championship is a goal every year,” said Dobbie, who is entering his 12th NLL season, all with the Roughnecks.
“I’ve been coming into it every year thinking we have a good crack at the can,” Dobbie continued. “And to be honest with you, this league has such good parity in it, I truly believe every team does have a chance every year.
“We’re excited to get going at it. You’re always wanting to set your eyes on the final prize, but I think this year we’re just looking at individual games and practices and just trying to get better every time we step on the floor as a group.
“Our goal is to get there, and we’re going to chip away at it one game at a time.”
The quest begins Saturday, when the Roughnecks host the Vancouver Warriors at the Saddledome (7 p.m., nll.com).
And a return to the glory year of 2009 — led by legends Tracey Kelusky and Kaleb Toth — wouldn’t be particularly out of the question for the 2019 edition of the Roughnecks, which seems to have stacked up the talent in recent seasons to make itself a contender for the Champion’s … er … National Lacrosse League Cup.
“Yeah, for sure (we stack up with that championship team),” said Dobbie, whose 41 goals led the 2009 Roughnecks. “It’s hard for me to go back to those days, because I was a young kid so I was all ears and eyes back then. Now I’ve kind of taken on a little bit more of a leadership role because I’ve been in the league so long.
“The game has changed so much since then, but what Tracey and Kaleb did for Calgary … those guys sent the Roughnecks franchise in the right direction. I truly believe that.
“Then you bring in Josh Sanderson (with a team-leading 103 points) and Curt Malawsky — a heart-and-soul guy who would do anything to win.”
Malawsky, of course, is now head coach of the Riggers, entering his seventh year behind the bench here and sporting the added role of assistant general manager since his arrival in 2012.
The only other holdover from 2009 helps give the team spirit with his win-at-all-costs attitude and is just as key as Dobbie in trying to bring back a championship.
“It was more the mentality of that team that made us successful,” Dobbie said. “Winning was everything. Losing wasn’t OK. And that’s something which we need back — it’s not like we’ve ever said it was OK to lose because it wasn’t.
“But it’s just that group of guys — we went into the building every night and thought we were going to win. It was a great team. I’d love to see us go back there and get that done again.”
That will all unfold in due time over the next several months.
Confidence, however, is the key to being a true contender, says Dobbie, himself now chasing Jeff Shattler’s club record of 416 assists (he’s got 380) after surpassing Shattler’s previous records for goals (371) and points (751) last season.
“It’ll be a lot easier to say if we have that after we play a few games or after the first quarter of the season,” Dobbie said.
“We’ve got to come in with confidence within our group. But I think our league is so tight that it comes down to compete level and who’s willing to go that extra distance.”
The Riggers, of course, want it to be them.
“When it comes down to it, you (have to) look at some of the stuff we’ve done in the off-season by making trades and bringing in some key players and then having the last three years of very strong drafts,” Dobbie said.
“So if there’s a time, I believe it’s now and within the next two or three years. Now it’s up to us to actually have that success.”
To be honest with you, this league has such good parity in it, I truly believe every team does have a chance every year.