Below are some of the smaller items which made news in the National Lacrosse League between March 2001 and April 2001, including trades, rumors, odd facts and injury updates.

20 April 2001:
• Jim Veltman, captain of the top-seeded Toronto Rock, may have pushed his luck a little too far in an article appearing today on the Canadian Press wire. Speaking of tomorrow night's semifinal against the Washington Power, Veltman said, "They have five or six guys that are very good, then I think their talent level drops after that... Five on five, we feel we can expose some of their weaknesses." Whether that comment becomes bulletin board fodder for the Power, seeking a 3-0 sweep against the two-time defending champs, or gets laughed off as foolishness remains to be seen. After all, while Veltman is probably correct that the Rock would bash the Power five-on-five, he's conveniently forgetting that his team never got much of a chance at five-on-five defense in the two regular-season meetings. The Power offered up a highly-successful run-and-gun offense, and that's a major reason why the fourth-seeds are going for the sweep of the first-seeds and not the other way around.
• An arthritic left ankle may mean the end of Paul Gait's career very soon. If the Washington Power wins the Champion's Cup, Gait will retire from indoor lacrosse as the third-highest scorer in league history. If, however, the Power falls short, he wants to return for a last dance next season, but even that isn't a guarantee. "Knowing you are playing without all your ability has been very difficult," he said. "The ankle has hurt my conditioning and there are some days when I can't even jog, but I'm hoping there is a breakout game coming. My goal is to go out with a championship."

 

26 March 2001:
• Dave Stilley has fine timing. The Philadelphia Wings captain and his fiancee, Colleen Crumlish, began planning for their wedding long before the season started, and scheduled it for this weekend. What they didn't know then is that Dave would be forced to choose between his honeymoon and his role as team leader in the Wings' critical home-and-home series against the Washington Power. The compromise? Dave and Colleen will be married on Friday, Dave will play in Saturday's game at the First Union Center, and the newlyweds will head off to the Virgin Islands on Sunday to begin their honeymoon. "Colleen has a very demanding work schedule," said Stilley. "This was the only weekend she could take some time off. When we set our wedding date, we didn't have our Wings schedule. Once the schedule was released, we didn't expect the teams to be so close vying for playoff positions."

 

24 March 2001:
• Commissioner Jim Jennings' next State of the League address is this Wednesday, and among other issues, NLL's expansion plans are expected to be addressed. An update on broadcast deals for the playoffs could also be on the agenda.
• The Columbus Landsharks have a flashy new web site, at www.columbuslandsharks.com. Produced by Columbus Sports Ventures, the web site is long on flash and reasonably deep on explaining indoor lacrosse to the casual fan, but is short on info for the hard-core fan. Team news is scant and player stats are non-existent. If that's the price that had to be paid for a professional-looking site, though, perhaps it was worth it.
• Ed Fay, who suffered a ruptured Achilles' tendon in the Ottawa Rebel's loss to Washington last week, had surgery on Tuesday to repair the injury and faces six to nine months of rehabilitation. In eleven games, Fay scored seven goals had fourteen assists.
• The Philadelphia Wings have signed Chris Panos, who sat out the entire season so far for personal reasons. The fifth-year pro -- acquired from New York last March after stints with the Boston Blazers, Buffalo Bandits, and Baltimore Thunder -- replaces John Gagliardi, who was placed on injured reserve with a separated shoulder.
• Speaking of holdouts, the Rochester Knighthawks brought one of their own into the fold. Lindsey Plunkett, the Knighthawks' first round pick (eighth overall) in the September 2000 draft, had been playing for the St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey League. Marc Landiault was placed on injured reserve to open a roster spot for Plunkett.

 

20 March 2001:
• The Philadelphia Wings' special St. Patrick's Day jerseys not only inspired the Wings to a victory (yeah, right) over the New York Saints, but also gave a helping hand to Philadelphia-area charities. Six of the kelly green jerseys were auctioned off, raising $11,960 for the Children's Miracle Network and other causes. Goaltender Dallas Eliuk's jersey was sold for $2,600, with Jake Bergey's number 66 close behind, at $2,500. Also auctioned were the jerseys of Tom Marechek and Kevin Finneran, as well as two non-numbered jerseys autographed by the entire team. "We were absolutely overwhelmed with the response to the auction," said Wings general manager Jim Rogers. "It did so well that we are looking to expand the event next season."

 

14 March 2001:
• Reports out of Canada suggest that Brad Banister is so optimistic of his expansion bid's chances, he has already selected the team nickname. Banister denies that he's gone quite that far for his would-be Calgary team, but sources say the name will have something to do with oil. Oil, of course, is where Banister made his money.
• Winless in eleven tries this season, the Ottawa Rebel is trying something different. In advertisements this week in Ottawa newspaper, the Rebel logo is sporting a five o'clock shadow and the team declares, "We've been working hard to bring you a win, but now it's time to resort to superstition. Collectively, we've decided not to shave until we win a game. Hey, it may work. Regardless, you'll see great, hair-raising lacrosse action. Naturally, we're itching to see you." Anybody think Opening Night 2002 will also be ZZ Top Night at the Corel Centre?
• The Philadelphia Wings will be sporting green jerseys this week against New York, in honor of St. Patrick's Day. After the game, the specialty jerseys will be auctioned off for charity.

 

13 March 2001:
• The Matt Disher / Derek Collins first reported by the Outsider's Guide last night, was made formal today. In addition to Collins, the Ottawa Rebel will surrender a third-round pick in the September 2001 draft and a player to be named later to receive the holdout Buffalo Bandit goaltender. "We're very pleased to acquire a goaltender with Derek's ability," said Bandits general manager Kurt Silcott. "Derek is very excited to play for a team that is in the middle of the playoff hunt and I'm certain that this challenge will bring his game to a new level." Rebel head coach Mark Vitarelli is equally excited by the trade. "Matt's a good goalie who wants to play," Vitarelli said. "This trade makes an impact statement to our team and our fans. We have not given up on this season."

 

12 March 2001:
• The Buffalo Bandits' wheeling and dealing continues, this time featuring a swap of goaltenders. The Bandits have sent Matt Disher to the Ottawa Rebel in exchange for Derek Collins. What makes the trade unique is that neither man has won a game this season -- Disher has been sitting out in a season-long dispute with Bandit management, while Collins has manned the nets for all eleven Rebel losses this season. Disher likely will jump right in as Ottawa's starting goaltender, while Collins' fate is unclear -- his stats provide a decent argument for him becoming the starter in Buffalo (he got little support in Ottawa), but he's not head-and-shoulders above either of the other Bandit netminders, Phil Wetherup and Scott Komer.

 

11 March 2001:
• The Columbus Landsharks were eliminated from playoff contention with yesterday's 15-9 loss at New York. The best the 'Sharks can hope to finish is 6-8, but two teams (Toronto and Washington) have more than six wins, and either Buffalo or Rochester must reach seven (because they each have six, and they play each other twice). Also, according to research conducted by the Outsider's Guide's Chad Gambone, there is no combination of outcomes that can put the Landsharks into fourth place, by themselves or in a tie for position.

 

8 March 2001:
• The NLL's online Pro Shop is up and running. T-shirts, sweatshirts, polo shirts, baseball caps, and replica jerseys for all nine teams (as well as generic NLL versions) are available, at http://www.do-e-com.net/merchants/nllproshop.
• The Albany Attack today named Josh Sanderson an assistant captain, filling a vacancy created when Ted Dowling was traded to the Buffalo Bandits. Sanderson's appointment to Dowling's former position may be a parting blow to the well-travelled veteran -- rumors over the past few weeks suggest that Dowling and Sanderson were rivals for the role of team leader.

 

7 March 2001:
• A familiar face has returned to the Washington Power. This past weekend, after a stint on injred reserve, Kip Fulks returned to action. Fulks has played for the franchise every season since 1996, when it was the Baltimore Thunder. A roster spot for Fulks was created with the release of John Tillman, another veteran of the team. Tillman had played for the Thunder from 1997 to 1999 and was a player to be named later in the Gary Gait trade of December 1997, although he never plaed for Philadelphia.
 

6 March 2001:
• The Albany Attack recently signed former minor-league hockey player Jim Moss to a free-agent contract. Moss had a stop with Huntington of the notorious East Coast Hockey League. However, he is no stranger to lacrosse, having played in the Junior A level of the Ontario Lacrosse Association.

 

2 March 2001:
• The Buffalo Bandits, seeking to develop some semblance of a defense, have signed 6'3", 220-pound Jamie Hackel, who will make his professional debut tonight. Hackel takes the roster spot of Bob Henry, who was placed on injured reserve with a sprained knee.
• Never mind that the team is still weeks clinching a playoff spot, let alone securing a home game in the postseason -- the Toronto Rock is freezing ticket prices for any playoff games it might host. "We feel that our season-ticket holders should be commended for their loyalty," Rock managing director Brad Watters said. "We have the greatest fans in the National Lacrosse League and the Toronto Rock want to show our appreciation for their support."