ROCHESTER – The Rochester Knighthawks announced they have signed Trevor Stacey to a two-year deal. On Sept. 18, the Knighthawks selected Stacey in the fifth round (44th overall) of the 2017 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft.
“I am pretty excited,” he said. “Honestly, I am just ready to start. Getting to training camp is what I am looking forward to right now.”
Rochester selected the 6-foot, 200-pound defenseman one day after he posted some of the most impressive results at the 2017 NLL Combine. Among the 72 NLL hopefuls participating in the pre-draft evaluations, Stacey finished sixth overall. In five of the seven events, he placed in the Top 10, which included second-place finishes in the broad jump and pro agility workout.
For the Knighthawks’ brass, his numbers at the Combine only reinforced their desire to take the 20-year-old defensive standout. On draft night, Knighthawks scout Stuart Brown called him “one of the toughest defenders in the draft.”
That assessment was reinforced by Knighthawks VP of Player Personnel Jody Gage, who scouted Stacey during his playing career with the Junior “A” Six Nations Arrows.
“Trevor is one of the toughest players in junior lacrosse,” said Gage. “It was nice to see his development each year. He really worked out hard and that’s what impressed us the most at the Combine. He showed very well and was in the Top 10 in testing. You can see that he really wants this.”
This summer, the Arrows rugged defender accumulated 107 penalty minutes in eight regular season games. He capped off the year by winning his third championship with Six Nations.
“I was lucky to be there for three or four years and win three Minto Cups,” he said. “It’s a great accomplishment. I have one season left to go after one more Minto. Hopefully, I can win that one as well.”
Stacey has also represented his nation on several occasions, playing for Team Iroquois at the Canadian Nationals at the Bantam and Midget levels. In 2016, the Kahnawake product took his game to the international stage. Playing close defense for the Iroquois Nationals, he won a bronze medal at the FIL U19 World Field Lacrosse Championship.
Knighthawks alternate governor Gewas Schindler, who was the general manager for the U19 Iroquois team at the time, witnessed the evolution of Stacey’s game after he competed against the best players in the world at his age group.
“By playing internationally, it helped him to be a better all-around player and he grew up a lot,” said Schindler.
“He has always played at a high level. He was 16 when he played for the Six Nations Arrows,” added Schindler. “Not too many people can say that.”
Before making the move to Junior “A”, Stacey played three seasons with the Junior “B” Kahnawake Hunters, collecting 233 PIMS in 23 games.
In November, Stacey will take his first shot at playing professional lacrosse as he attends Knighthawks training camp. After hearing his name called at the draft, he is even more motivated to achieve his childhood dream of playing in the NLL.
“I am running a lot; that’s going to be a major key,” he said. “I am training in the gym as much as I can.”
