Make no mistake, it will be a very different-looking group that dons the green and white of the defending Mann Cup-champion Victoria Shamrocks in 2016.
Dan Dawson, Aaron Bold, Daryl Veltman, Ryan Dilks and Steve Priolo will not be back to help defend the national Senior A lacrosse championship, captured before a raucous crowd at The Q Centre last September. Dan MacRae鈥檚 status is also in question.
Another blow will be the loss of local product Karsen Leung. The speedy transition player is stepping away from the game for a year as the Shamrocks go in search of a fourth straight Western Lacrosse Association crown, beginning May 20, at home, against the Nanaimo Timbermen.
Training camp is set to open Monday at The Q Centre minus those big names, and several more still battling it out in the National Lacrosse League.
Most were questionable to return, but Leung鈥檚 absence was a surprise.
鈥淗e鈥檚 decided he鈥檚 not playing, and we鈥檙e just going to leave it at that. In general, a lot of these guys have played a lot of lacrosse with the Mann Cup and pro league, and that does take its toll on bodies. I would like to see Karsen playing, but he鈥檚 decided to take the summer off,鈥� Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes said.
鈥淚 was a little surprised at that, but, after you win a championship, there is going to be a turnover for guys. That part of their resum茅 is filled up and some don鈥檛 see the importance of building on the legacy of the team.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I try to instill in these guys, that there鈥檚 that legacy and responsibility of keeping this team strong and to do something we鈥檝e never done, in winning Mann Cups back to back.鈥�
That challenge, and simply getting through the WLA, just got a lot tougher minus some star players, but, as the clich茅 goes, they don鈥檛 play sports on paper.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be tougher, yeah, but look at the Victoria Royals 鈥� sometimes you get a whole lot more out of less and that鈥檚 where we鈥檒l be initially at the start,鈥� Heyes said. 鈥淭here will be players who become available as rosters get sorted out.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure we鈥檙e going to keep things open. Right now, I鈥檓 going to work with what I鈥檝e got and I still think we have a strong core of experienced guys who are going to be good.鈥�
Heyes will have to wait for the likes of Jesse King, Corey Small, Rhys Duch, Tyler Burton, Tyler Hass (if he signs) and possibly Rory Smith (if he clears medically).
Jon and Greg Harnett are also due back and veterans Ethan Garland, Matt Yager, Ben McCullough, Cory Conway, Matt Roik and Cody Hagedorn should be around this week, along with future prospects.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have a small core of guys at camp from last year. We鈥檒l have some draft picks and Paul Brebber, who we traded for, will be here as well,鈥� said Heyes.
鈥淭here will be walk-ons as well, former draft picks who haven鈥檛 played elsewhere and some Senior B players from Nanaimo will be trying out.鈥�
Camp starts Monday at 6 p.m.
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