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CHOSEN BY THEIR PEERS: NLL PLAYERS SURVEY

06/06/2006

Inside Lacrosse magazine has conducted its annual NLL Players Survey, delving deeper into the 2006 season and gaining perspective from the guys who play the game. Find out who the players chose as the most valuable player in the league, the top rookie of the year, and which road arena is the toughest to play in. These are just a couple of the questions posed to players by Inside Lacrosse as the magazine took their annual look at the league from the players perspective.

MVP
John Grant, Rochester
He's got the best stick skills in the league, great size and power and can shoot the lights out. This was an easy one for the NLL players. Interesting that two goalies ranked this high, though.
2. Nick Patterson, Minnesota
3. Anthony Cosmo, San Jose
4. John Tavares, Buffalo

Coach of the Year
Derek Keenan, Portland
Keenan darn near doubled up Sanderson in this one. He's earned it, taking an expansion team to the playoffs.
2. Lindsay Sanderson, Philadelphia
3. Adam Mueller, Minnesota

Rookie of the Year
Brodie Merrill, Portland
Jim Veltman has led the NLL in looseballs for 13 of the last 14 years, including eight straight. But with three games to play at press time, Merrill, who was less than .2 GBs behind Veltman, had the chance to overtake the legend. Regardless, Merrill got an expansion team to the playoffs.
2. Sean Greenhalgh, Philadelphia

Best Offensive Player

John Grant, Rochester
Not much has changed since last season here. The big, strong lefty absolutely dominated the voting in this category.
2. John Tavares, Buffalo
3. Colin Doyle, Toronto

Best Defensive Player
Brodie Merrill, Portland
Is there a bigger honor than being named an All-Star Game starter as a rookie? Being voted the best defender in the league by your peers has to be. The voting here was tight, but Merrills all-around game gave him the edge.
2. Andrew Turner, Edmonton
3. Thomas Hajek, Philadelphia

Best Goalie
Anthony Cosmo, San Jose
His save percentage and goals against average weren't the best in the league, but his fellow players think he is. Cosmo won what was a tight race.
2. Dallas Eliuk, Portland
3. Nick Patterson, Minnesota
4. Bob Watson, Toronto

Coach You’d Most Like To Play For
Terry Sanderson, Toronto
Gary Gait, Colorado
We’ve got a tie, ladies and gentlemen. Sanderson headed up the defending champs and Gait is the best player of all-time. Tough call there.
3. Walt Christianson, Edmonton
4. Darris Kilgour, Buffalo

Best Fighter
Tim O'Brien, Toronto
If the voting for this one was a fight, O'Brien won with a first-round knockout. It wasn't even close.
2. Thomas Hajek, Philadelphia
3. Shawn Evans, Rochester
4. David Morgan, Portland

Best In Transition
Steve Toll, Rochester
Mark Steenhuis, Buffalo
Speed is the common denominator here, as both Toll and Steenhuis have afterburners.
3T. Jay Jalbert, Colorado
3T. Brodie Merrill, Portland

Toughest Place To Play
1. Toronto
2. Buffalo
3. Rochester
4. Philadelphia

Best player ever: Gary Gait or John Tavares
JT broke Garys all-time scoring record this year but Gait still is the best in the majority of players eyes.

Gait: 63%
Tavares: 37%