IL Indoor

Ajax Rock, Brampton Excelsiors, Brooklin Redmen, IL Indoor, Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks, MSL, Peterborough Lakers, Road to the Mann Cup, Six Nations Chiefs

Major Series Lacrosse schedule kicks off in Peterborough May 23

The Brampton Excelsiors will visit the Peterborough Lakers on Thursday May 23 to open the 2013 Major Series Lacrosse season then will return to Peterborough the following week, kicking off the season with a rivalry bang. The Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks, who selected Jeremy and Jason Noble with the first two picks in this year’s MSL draft, open their season at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena to face the Six Nations Chiefs in the first Saturday night game of the year on May 25. The Brooklin Redmen get underway Sunday May 26 when the play host to the Lakers. And the Ajax Rock plan to play the franchise’s first game in Oakville on Monday May 27. The move of the Rock to Oakville is still pending Ontario Lacrosse Association approval.

Other notable MSL contests include a pair of Brampton home games in the Memorial Arena (May 28 vs Ajax and June 20 vs Six Nations) and a Kodiaks home game in Kingston. The latter is part of a big promotion for Kingston minor and junior lacrosse that will see KW take on the Lakers Saturday June 8 in a game being called the First Capital Cup. Kingston lacrosse will be rocking that weekend with the Kingston Krossfire minor tournament going on and clinics being run by Nationwide Lacrosse founders Brad Self and Shawn Evans. READ MORE »

Behind the Scenes, CLA, IL Indoor, International, Langley Thunder, Road to the Mann Cup, WLA

Lewis Ratcliff responds to CCES announcement

Lewis Ratcliff says he didn't knowingly put any banned substance in his body. (Photo: Dan Brodie)

Lewis Ratcliff has responded to the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport announcement of his two-year sanction for failing a drug test taken at the Mann Cup last summer in an exclusive interview with IL Indoor. Following is the text of a statement that Ratcliff provided.

“On Wednesday the CCES released my name in association with banned substance testing that it conducted in Canada in 2012.

I accept full responsibility for the results of the test and I sincerely apologize for any disappointment this may have caused.

As a professional athlete I make every effort to avoid prescription and over-the-counter medications that could put me at risk. However, last fall I had a shoulder injury which will result in surgery following the current NLL season. Due to this injury, last fall I followed my doctor’s orders regarding prescriptions for the pain medicine in order to get me through the playoffs and Mann Cup. READ MORE »

CLA, International, Langley Thunder, Road to the Mann Cup, WLA

Breaking: Lewis Ratcliff receives two-year ban after testing positive for three substances at Mann Cup

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport has announced that Langley Thunder forward Lewis Ratcliff has been suspended from domestic and international competition for two years as a sanction for testing positive for three banned substances at the 2012 Mann Cup. Ratcliff tested positive for two steroids and a prohibited narcotic pain medicine, according to the CCES report. The ban took effect November 10, 2012 and runs until November 9, 2014. It means he will not be eligible for international competition or the Western Lacrosse Association, and that his scoring statistics from the 2012 Mann Cup will be stricken from the record books. Check back frequently as IL Indoor will update the story as more information becomes available.  READ MORE »

Ajax Rock, Behind the Scenes, IL Indoor, MSL, Road to the Mann Cup, Senior A

Ajax Rock planning move to Oakville, add Terry Sanderson as General Manager

It appears the Ajax Rock will be rolling about an hour down Highway 401, and they’ll be led by a new general manager when they arrive. The Major Series Lacrosse team received approval at a league meeting on Sunday to move to Oakville, where they plan to play out of the Toronto Rock Athletic Complex. And their new GM will be none other than Toronto Rock GM Terry Sanderson, team owner Rob Roche has confirmed to IL Indoor. The move is not a done deal yet, as it still needs to receive final approval from the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Roche says he is optimistic that the provincial governing body will agree to the move, since it will be better for the team and for the league, and therefore in the best interests of the game in general.

There’s little doubt that the team can’t survive much longer in Ajax. Tiny crowds and a lack of competitiveness have made it very difficult to attract players and Roche is spending a lot of his own money each year to keep it afloat. Roche hopes that moving to Oakville will help the team draw a bigger audience and is confident that adding Sanderson to the team’s brain trust will make a huge difference to its level of success. The veteran lacrosse mind has already been talking to his fellow GMs in the league to try to bolster the team’s roster. READ MORE »

CLA, IL Indoor, Inside Lacrosse, Nanaimo Timbermen, Road to the Mann Cup, Senior A, The Ballers, The Life, WLA

Nanaimo Timbermen announce Kaleb Toth as new head coach for 2013 WLA season

A few weeks ago, TMen play-by-play broadcaster Dom Abassi tweeted something akin to ‘I can’t wait to see what the new TMen coach brings to the table’, and immediately the wheels of the lacrosse world started spinning. Who in the lacrosse world could have such a dramatic effect on a team and organization that it would cause an experienced broadcaster to ponder his worth…

Well, today the Coast Windows Timbermen have announced the man that will take over for Hall of Famer Art Webster behind the bench for the 2013 season and it’s a name pretty much everyone in the lacrosse world is familiar with: Kaleb Toth. The new bench boss will bring a fiery passion, incredible work ethic and a winning pedigree that will have the players constantly striving to be better. READ MORE »

CLA, IL Indoor, Nanaimo Timbermen, Road to the Mann Cup, Senior A, The Ballers, The Buzz, Victoria Shamrocks

Scott Ranger traded to the Victoria Shamrocks for Emms, Dexter and picks

Scott Ranger has led the WLA in goals and points each of the last two summers. (Photo: Dan Brodie)

While the National Lacrosse League season heats up, teams in Canada are preparing for the summer loop and the Victoria Shamrocks are looking to make some noise as they hope to host the 2013 Mann Cup. WLA Commissioner Casey Cook has confirmed that the Shamrocks have completed a trade with the Nanaimo Timbermen for two time WLA Scoring champ Scott Ranger. In exchange for the high scoring right-hander, the Shamrocks will send the Timbermen the playing rights to Kyle Dexter and Jake Emms as well as two second round conditional draft picks (one of those picks will become a first round pick, if the Rocks are able to get to the Mann Cup). READ MORE »

IL Indoor, New Westminster Salmonbellies, Off the Rug, Road to the Mann Cup, Senior A, The Buzz, WLA

After successful draft, New Westminster Salmonbellies shake up coaching staff

Ken Thomas is out and Steve Goodwin is in. After missing the 2012 play-offs and failing to make it back to the Mann Cup since 2010, New Westminster Salmonbellies GM Dan Richardson decided it was once again time for a change. In an official statement on their website, the Bellies say that Thomas has stepped down “due to personal reasons ” and at the same time, the team opted to part ways with assistant coaches Chris Gill and Sheldon Palidwor.

Thomas replaced Bob Salt after the 2010 season, when for the third straight year the Bellies won the West but were unable to secure their 25th Mann Cup. READ MORE »

CLA, IL Indoor, Langley Thunder, Off the Rug, Road to the Mann Cup, Senior A, WLA

Langley Thunder Head Coach Rod Jensen receives six month ban from the CLA following Mann Cup investigation

In a posting on their website, the Canadian Lacrosse Association has given a final decision in regards to the status of Rod Jensen of the Langley Thunder. During the 2012 Mann Cup, we brought you numerous stories of chaos and confusion involving off-floor incidents between team officials from both Langley and the Peterborough Lakers, and Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports administrators. This all stemmed from what many call poor communications between the CLA and the teams regarding drug testing that the teams found out would be taking place at the national championships shortly before they began.

READ MORE »

CLA, IL Indoor, MSL, Road to the Founders, Road to the Mann Cup, Road to the Minto Cup, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior A, Senior B, The Life, WLA

In 2013, fighting in Canadian lacrosse will come with stiffer punishments

New CLA rules will hopefully deter players like Andrew Suitor from dropping the gloves. (Photo Courtesy: Jessica Nyznik)

A press release from the CLA has surfaced today that will see fighting in all CLA leagues from Minor to Senior enforced with much harsher penalties. Starting in 2013, any player who engages in a fight will be given a major penalty and game misconduct. There is a major caveat to the rule: if there is a clear institgator then the non-offending player will not receive a game-misconduct penalty while the instigator will receive a second major and a second game misconduct.

NOTE: This rule does not apply to CLAX or the NLL as they do not fall under CLA jurisdiction.

NOTE 1.A: Reports have been circluating that the WLA may not abide by these rules. One Governor commented to IL Indoor, however, that will have to be decided by a board of governors meeting that will take place in the coming days. Find the full press release after the jump, then head over to the boards and have your say READ MORE »

IL Indoor, MSL, Peterborough Lakers, Road to the Mann Cup

Lakers gather one more time to celebrate Mann Cup with parade, banquet

Coach Bobby Keast (right), Andrew Suitor (centre) and Tyler Carlson display the Mann Cup atop a sponsor vehicle at the end of the Lakers parade. (Photo: Stephen Stamp)

The love affair between the city of Peterborough and its Lakers continues to reach new heights. The team, which captured its fifth Mann Cup title in nine years this summer by downing the Langley Thunder four games to two, was feted with a parade through town Friday night. Festivities began with a gathering in front of City Hall. Mayor Daryl Bennett addressed the group of fans, saying the vintage cars in which the players would ride through the streets were appropriate for many of the team’s vintage players. The cars included a 1933 Buick; Tyler Carlson stood on the sideboard and exchanged high-fives with fans for much of the route. READ MORE »