PARIS – Rob Diehl, media relations representative for the Canadian Lacrosse League was amongst the league’s top brass, coaches and general managers at the Syl Apps Arena in Paris for the 2015 Entry Draft and Combine, Saturday.
The Southwest Cyclops will operate out of the Apps Arena this coming lacrosse season after sharing facilities with the Ohsweken Demons this past season. The franchise began as the Brampton Inferno.
“The combine is really the first opportunity for a lot of these players to display their talent. This is a chance for everybody to come to one spot and showcase these players and possibly earn a roster spot,” explained Diehl.
After some drills and scrimmages, the GMs and coaches caucused together before the 2015 entry drafts began later that evening. The contenders came from a wide range of backgrounds, from Jr. C, Jr. B and Jr. A to the US leagues.
NLL star Jim Veltman will be league commissioner this year and he was pleased with the number of players and the skill levels at this year’s combine.
“I think the GMs and coaches are looking for guys who have good skills to begin with,” said Veltman. “After that, it’s about character, who’s giving it their all, then conditioning. Who came to camp in shape and who didn’t.”
The semi-professional CLax league is set to enter its fourth year when play begins January 10th in Durham, where the Turfdogs will take on last year’s Creators Cup champions, Niagara Lock Monsters.
The Cyclops’ inaugural home game will be January 31st, at the Syl Apps Arena beginning at 8 p.m. The Ohsweken Demons get their season going Sunday, January 18 at 2 p.m., when they host last year’s Champions, the Niagara Lock Monsters.
The Ohsweken Demons did not participate in the draft, as they are already packed with so much Six Nations talent, there was no need. But around the league, several players were drafted, including:
1. Niagara Lock Monsters – (G) Zack Boychuck
2. Niagara Lock Monsters – (O) Mike Melnychenko
3. Barrie Blizzards – (O) Connor Latimer
4. Southwest Cyclops – (O) Dan Keane
5. Niagara Lock Monsters – (T) Gage Board
6. Niagara Lock Monsters – (O) Mark Vradenburg
7. (No choice)
8. Southwest Cyclops – (O) Brandon Benn
9. Southwest Cyclops – (O) Tyler Ferreira
10. Niagara Lock Monsters – (T) Dustin Gatt
11. Barrie Blizzards – (O) Cam Monroe
12. Southwest Cyclops – (O) Brady Heseltine
13. Niagara Lock Monsters – (G) Doug Buchan
14. Southwest Cyclops – (T) Brandon Clelland
15. Southwest Cyclops – (T) Eric Guiltinan
16. Southwest Cyclops – (T) Patrick Miles
17. Durham Turfdogs – (O) Brandon Armstrong
18. Southwest Cyclops – (D) Connor Campbell
19. Barrie Blizzard – (D) Darryl Robertson
20. Niagara Lock Monsters – (D) Connor Eustace
21. Niagara Lock Monsters – (O) Brock Levick
22. Southwest Cyclops – (T) Tom Masterson
23. Southwest Cyclops – (D) Grant Sokolowski
24. Durham Turfdogs – (O) Kyle Clancy
25. Durham Turfdogs – (T) Alex Henderson
26. Southwest Cyclops – (D) Spencer Allen
27. Barrie Blizzard – (T) Mike Mawdsley
28. Niagara Lock Monsters – (T) Brooker Muir
29. Southwest Cyclops – (D) Travis Burton
30. Durham Turfdogs – (T) Thomas Hoggarth
31. Barrie Blizzard- (D) Broedie Birkof
32. Barrie Blizzard – (G) Alexis Buque
33. Durham Turfdogs – (T) Eric Shewell
34. Southwest Cyclops – (T) Brandon Slade
35. Barrie Blizzard – (D) Sheldon Burns
36. Niagara Lock Monsters – (O) Trevor Learn
37. Durham Turfdogs – (D) Dalton Lundy
38. Southwest Cyclops – (O) Shane MacDonald
39. Barrie Blizzard – (D) Alex Brennan
40. Niagara Lock Monsters – (O) Devin Sartor
41. Durham Turfdogs – (T) Nevan Sullivan
42. Southwest Cyclops – (O) Brandon Anger
43. Barrie Blizzards – (O) Zach Kozlowski
44. Durham Turfdogs – (G) Brett Perras
45. Durham Turfdogs – (O) Bryden Curran
46. Southwest Cyclops – (O) Andrew Campbell
47. Barrie Blizzards – (G) Brett Kloepfer
48. Southwest Cyclops – (T) DJ Nedelko
