National Lacrosse League Announces Player Transaction Dates
Ahead of 2018 Season
PHILADELPHIA, June 21, 2017 – The National Lacrosse League (NLL), the largest men’s professional indoor lacrosse league in North America, has announced a series of dates for key transactions as teams build out their rosters leading up to the 2018 season.
Beginning July 1, trades and roster transactions are permitted among teams. The NLL free agency period will then open on August 1, allowing teams to contact, speak and sign Rostered Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) and Rostered Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs), per the League’s listing of identified players, for the 2018 season and beyond.
Should a restricted free agent sign an offer sheet with another club, the team with rights to the RFA will have 72 hours to match the offer. As per the terms of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, if a team loses an unrestricted free agent to another club, they may be eligible to receive compensatory draft pick(s) for the following season(s).
The list of RFAs and UFAs is as follows:
Buffalo Bandits
Restricted Free Agents
· Joe Smith
· Kevin Brownell
· David Diruscio
· Craig England
· Mitch Jones
· Nick Weiss
Potential Restricted Free Agents*
· Alex Kedoh Hill
· Steve Priolo
· Dhane Smith
Unrestricted Free Agents
· David Brock
· Ryan Benesch
· Billy Dee Smith
· Andrew Watt
Calgary Roughnecks
Restricted Free Agents
· Tyler Burton
· Riley Loewen
· Garrett McIntosh
· Mitch Wilde
Potential Restricted Free Agents*
· Dan MacRae
· Karsen Leung
Unrestricted Free Agents
· Mike Carnegie
· Curtis Manning
· Creighton Reid
· Jeff Shattler
Colorado Mammoth
Restricted Free Agents
· Alex Buque
Unrestricted Free Agents
· Greg Downing
· Ilija Gajic
· John Grant
· Zack Greer
· Brad Self
Georgia Swarm
Restricted Free Agents
· Alex Crepinsek
Potential Restricted Free Agents*
· Brodie MacDonald
· Johnny Powless
Unrestricted Free Agents
· Mitch Belisle
New England Black Wolves
Restricted Free Agents
· Bill O’Brien
· Zac Reid
Potential Restricted Free Agents*
· Kevin Crowley
Unrestricted Free Agents
· Kevin Buchanan
· Brett Bucktooth
· Ryan Hotaling
· Evan Kirk
· Derek Suddons
· Darryl Veltman
Rochester Knighthawks
Restricted Free Agents
· Mike Manley
Unrestricted Free Agents
· Paul Dawson
· Jarrett Davis
Saskatchewan Rush
Restricted Free Agents
· Nik Bilic
· Marty Dinsdale
· John Lafontaine
· Adrian Sorichetti
Potential Restricted Free Agents*
· Jeff Cornwall
· Ryan Dilks
· Brett Mydske
Unrestricted Free Agents
· Aaron Bold
Toronto Rock
Restricted Free Agents
· Paul Rabil
Potential Restricted Free Agents*
· Damon Edwards
Unrestricted Free Agents
· Kasey Beirnes
· Sandy Chapman
· Jeff Gilbert
· Rob Marshall
· Pat Merrill
· Brandon Miller
Vancouver Stealth
Restricted Free Agents
· Tyler Garrison
· Tye Belanger
· Travis Cornwall
· Justin Salt
Potential Restricted Free Agents*
· Matt Beers
· Joel McCready
Unrestricted Free Agents
· Garrett Billings
· Rhys Duch
· Tyler Hass
· Ian Hawksbee
· Curtis Hodgson
· John Lintz
· Peter McFetridge
· Chris O’Dougherty
· Tyler Richards
· Cliff Smith
· Rory Smith
· Corey Small
*If a potential RFA’s team does not qualify the player prior to August 1, then he is an eligible RFA. If he is qualified by his team, then he is removed from the RFA market.
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional indoor lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of nine franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, New England Black Wolves, Rochester Knighthawks, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock and Vancouver Stealth. The Georgia Swarm was crowned winner of the 2017 Champion’s Cup in the League’s 31st season. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.