National Lacrosse League

One of the story lines that followed the Edmonton Rush playoff run this past season was the absence of Scott Evans. The veteran forward was a healthy scratch for six of Edmonton’s final seven games, including the playoffs and Championship Game. Edmonton went 4-2 in those six games.  It was a stunning fall for a player who had been a vital part of the Rush offense since being traded to Edmonton prior to the 2011 season.

Jesse Thomas of the Peterborough Examiner spoke with Evans for a story in the paper on Wednesday.  “They weren’t really clear with me as to why I wasn’t playing. They kind of thought I was a liability coming back to the bench”, said Evans.

Edmonton Rush General Manager & Head Coach Derek Keenan was also interviewed for the story. Keenan identified the player’s conditioning as the main issue.  “The NLL has nine teams and features over 200 of the best lacrosse players in the world and he can’t keep up being 30 or 40 pounds overweight,” said Keenan. “He’s a hard-nosed guy, he’s a gamer and I like that about him.”

Evans spoke further to the Examiner about his feelings on the benching, as well as how he plans to rebound in 2013. You can read the Examiner story here. 

The issue was first detailed by Stephen Stamp of IL Indoor.com.  Stamp’s story points out that Evans style of play may have also been a factor in the decision to take him out of the lineup.  You can read the IL Indoor story here. 

Evans has one season remaining on his current contract with the Rush.  He’s hoping to put the disappointment of the 2012 season in the rear view mirror and come back strong in 2013.