New-look Rush ready to do battle
NLL squad enters pre-season versus Swarm with plenty of new faces
Make way for the new-look Saskatchewan Rush.
While there haven’t been wholesale changes, there have been some big ones for the National Lacrosse League squad as it heads into preseason action Saturday (7:30 p.m. game-time) against the Georgia Swarm at SaskTel Centre.
Starting in goal, Evan Kirk replaces fan favourite Aaron (Stone Cold) Bold. Veteran defender John Lafontaine is also gone, opening a full-time spot for Matt Hossick. Adam Jones was traded in the off-season, making room for Jeff Shattler, who comes over from the rival Calgary Roughnecks. Shattler beefs up Saskatchewan’s transition game.
As for the team’s transition and transformation, Rush head coach and general manager Derek Keenan doesn’t seem worried despite the changes.
“We’re not talking about wholesale changes here,” Keenan said Friday as the Rush got prepared to play host to the reigning NLL champion Swarm.
“It starts with Evan Kirk — that’s probably the biggest change. We like our change in goal. It’s just a little bit of a different look for us.”
Kirk becomes the new No. 1 netminder after the Rush moved longtime players Bold and Lafontaine to the New England Black Wolves.
While Jones was “a pretty good player for us” last season, Shattler is expected to add an extra dimension.
“Jeff brings a little more of a complete game and we like that,” continued Keenan, whose team won back-to-back Champions Cup titles before losing in the final last season to Georgia.
“Last season, we started to give up a lot of transition opportunities and possessions where a guy like Jeff is real good at taking care of business. He can play both ends of the floor. He can add stuff. He can help out on faceoffs. He’s a real good loose-ball guy.”
Rush fans can also expect to see a lot more of Hossack, who only played down the stretch last season.
“You’re going to see Matt Hossack every week,” promised Keenan. “The young guys like Hossack, Messanger and Keenan are going to improve because they’re a year older and a year better. Again, not a wholesale change. Our leadership group’s the same. Just little tweaks here and there, but I like them.”
With Nick Bilic still on the sidelines, somebody will have to fill that role.
“You know what?” noted Keenan, “one or two of our young guys are either going to make the roster or practice roster. We really liked what we saw of (2017 Rush top draft pick) Nick Finlay last week, both at practice and in the scrimmage against Toronto. (Rush No. 2 draft pick) Johnny Pearson has played extremely well, a big body on the left side of our offence. Some guys making an impact out here already are going to get an opportunity.”
The exhibition game will allow the Rush to take a look at a lot of new faces out of training camp with 21-22 players getting an opportunity. Keenan said it’s not the time to be looking for revenge against the Swarm.
“We’ll try and get that on Jan. 6 when we go down there in the regular season,” he said.
“We’re going to obviously play hard and we’re going to look at everybody. We’re going to play five goalies — I did the math and 12 minutes each works. We’re going to try and continue to build continuity on both sides of the field, put our new guys in and see what we’re going to get out of them.”
Local content will include 2017 NLL Draft pick Anthony Hallborg from the Saskatchewan SWAT.
“A real good kid and good athlete, he’ll get a chance to play in front of his hometown,” said Keenan. “He runs well. Pretty good skills. Typical of somebody from here, he hasn’t played at this level, and even the junior level he played at is a lot different level than a lot of these other guys played at in Ontario and B.C. It’s a different game but he’s been good.”