Dal Monte ideal fit as new WLA boss
Incoming commissioner has strong background in the sport to go with marketing prowess
Getting Paul Dal Monte to sign on as commissioner should be one of the best things to happen to the Western Lacrosse Association.
Where it will rank for Dal Monte is to be determined.
The WLA is a seven-team, summer box lacrosse loop. It’s undoubtedly filled with people with good intentions. It’s far too often felt, though, like it has been bogged down in old rivalries or perceived old rivalries and the caretakers of the clubs have rarely been able to band together to promote the product.
They seem to quarrel more than come together.
Dal Monte is well versed in promotions. He spent 15 years in marketing and brand management with the Vancouver Canucks and has been doing similar work for five years with Telus.
He’s also a lacrosse guy. He won three Mann Cup national Senior A championships as a WLA player with the New Westminster Salmonbellies. He coached the Burnaby Lakers to three Minto Cup national Junior A crowns and also became bench boss of the Vancouver Ravens, the Lower Mainland’s first incarnation of a wintertime National Lacrosse League club.
The WLA has obviously had lacrosse people running the show. They’ve also had people with marketing backgrounds involved. They’ve never had somebody quite like Dal Monte. He’s ideal, just as long as the league’s power brokers are willing to listen.
Dal Monte, who turns 58 Tuesday, was intense as a player and coach. He’s also regimented. His Lakers and Ravens teams were always structured and organized. He’s coming in with a plan. Be assured of that. He’s not bound to have patience for people who aren’t keen on moving things forward. Be assured of that, too.
He hasn’t had a large, full-time role in lacrosse for several seasons now and that would seem to be a plus. He can’t be tagged as a Salmonbellies guy or a Lakers guy or a Maple Ridge Burrards guy. That kind of thing has been a problem in the past.
In his words, he’ll have a “neutral and objective perspective” and he hopes “that’s something of value.”
“I’m Switzerland. I’m trying to help everybody,” he said.
With his Ravens knowledge, it will be interesting if he fosters better relationships between the WLA and the NLL’s newest Lower Mainland entity, the Vancouver Stealth. Dal Monte says that he did receive a congratulatory note from Stealth general manager Doug Locker when the WLA made its announcement about him joining the league last week.
Far too often, it has felt like summer and winter lacrosse act like the other doesn’t exist, even though they’re trying to attract a similar fan base with many of the same players.
“I think it’s a good question,” Dal Monte said when asked about creating more of a unified front between the NLL and WLA. “I want to hear from the (WLA) governors about whether they believe there’s value in trying to find synergies and alignments.
“If it helps grow the fan base and support the game, you have to keep an open mind.”
— LINKEDIN PHOTO