With a strong stable of players entering Monday鈥檚 National Lacrosse League draft, Victoria product Jesse King could hear his name called anywhere within the top four spots as teams gather to form their future in Toronto.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 really talk much about it. People contact me, but it鈥檚 so wide open,鈥� King said after winning the Mann Cup with his home-town Victoria Shamrocks and heading back to finish his degree at Ohio State University.
鈥淭here are just so many talented players. Turner Evans, who scored an incredible backhand against us [in Game 6 of the Mann Cup for Peterborough], is in the draft. Guys like Randy Staats, Lyle Thompson, Graeme Hossack 鈥� there are so many athletic and determined and amazing players in this draft.
鈥淵ou could go anywhere,鈥� stressed King, a left-handed forward who can score with the best of them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a dream come true to get drafted into the NLL and I think everyone should be happy wherever they go in the NLL.鈥�
Evans also played at Ohio State University. One can鈥檛 forget Wesley Berg, a right forward from the Oakville Rock and University of Denver; Thompson, RF, is from the Onondaga Redhawks and U of Albany; Hossack, LD, with Brooklin Redmen and Lindenwood University; Staats, RF, from the Six Nations Chiefs and Syracuce University; and Derek Searle, a left defender with the KW Kodiaks and RIT is also in the mix.
The Georgia Swarm select first and also have the third, fifth and sixth selections, so there is plenty of talk about possible trades in the first round.
The Rochester Knighthawks pick second, the Calgary Roughnecks go fourth and seventh, with the New England Black Wolves and Saskatchewan (formerly Edmonton) Rush selecting ninth.
The draft begins at 4 p.m. Pacific time.
The host Toronto Rock do not select until 10th, the first choice of the second round with the Buffalo Bandits next at 11. The nearby Vancouver Stealth pick 19th and 21st with compensatory selections and the entire draft will go six rounds.
GOING FOR GOLD: Four members of the Victoria Shamrocks are in line today to earn the gold medal at the World Indoor Lacrosse championship as sa国际传媒 faces Iroquois at Syracuse鈥檚 Carrier Dome this afternoon. Goaltender Aaron Bold and defender Ryal Dilks can add their third titles of the year, adding to the Mann Cup and NLL crowns. Dan Dawson is a captain of the Canadian team and Steve Priolo is the fourth Shamrock in the group. sa国际传媒 has won three straight world titles.
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