IL Indoor

Update: Colorado officially announces trade of Gait’s rights to Rochester for Andrew Potter and the Knighthawks’ first round draft picks in 2009 and 2010

NLL Insider has confirmed with sources close to the Gary Gait trade-talks, that a deal between the Colorado Mammoth and Rochester Knighthawks has indeed been finalized, and will also include Gait’s playing rights for the NLL’s proposed professional outdoor league.

The same sources also confirmed that the NLL is planning on launching their new field league in the Fall of 2009, as previously rumoured.

The trade will see both Gait’s indoor and outdoor playing rights going to Rochester, while the Colorado Mammoth receive Andrew Potter and Rochester’s first round pick in both the 2009 and 2010 Entry Draft.

Potter, a first round draft pick for the Hawks in 2007, comes off a solid summer with the St. Catharines Athletics after seeing limited minutes in his rookie year with Rochester last winter.

Gait’s outdoor rights were apparently the sticking point that had the two teams going back-and-forth over the past week until a deal was finalized late yesterday afternoon. Sources say that paper work from both sides was submitted to the league earlier this morning and an official announcement is expected to be made by the Knighthawks shortly.

Gait last played in the NLL during the 2005 season with the Mammoth, later taking over head coaching duties with the franchise after his retirement, where he won an NLL title with the team in 2006.

For the past few years, the NLL has hinted at the launching of a new field lacrosse league, and last year had planned an outdoor showcase in Colorado, but had to cancel the game after complications with player’s MLL contracts that prohibited them from playing for “competing” leagues.

NLL Insider’s sources say that last years cancellation did nothing to hinder the league’s plans of launching a new league, which they are still very much serious about. The talk from most unnamed team officials NLL Insider spoke with was that the new league would likely launch in September of 2009.

Stay tuned to NLL Insider for more breaking news and analysis on Gaits return to the NLL.

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