Cody Jamieson wins MVP, Logan Schuss earns Rookie of the Year award
The National Lacrosse League announced the 2014 NLL Season Award winners during the first-ever Season Awards Ceremony at Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (TRAC) in Oakville, Ontario on Sunday night. Players, coaches and executives from around the league were joined by family, friends and fans to celebrate the three finalists for each award before honoring the winners.
The awards event was highlighted by Rochester Knighthawks forward Cody Jamieson, who won the 2014 NLL MVP award after leading the league in points this past season. Minnesota Swarm forward Logan Schuss, the first overall pick from the 2013 NLL Draft, was voted as the 2014 NLL Rookie of the Year.
The complete summary of award winners, including NLL All-Pro and All-Rookie Teams, are listed below:
Most Valuable Player – Cody Jamieson (Rochester Knighthawks)
Jamieson won the 2014 NLL scoring title with 108 points, tied for second in the league in assists (72) and tied for sixth overall with 36 goals. Jamieson recorded at least six points in a game nine times and 10-plus points a league-high four times. The fourth-year pro scored eight power play goals, tied for 10th-most in the league, and recovered 70 loose balls which were 17th-most among NLL forwards. Jamieson helped lead the Knighthawks to the top of the East Division and second in the NLL with a 14-4 overall record. Jamieson, who hails from Six Nations, Ontario and played collegiately at Syracuse University, was the first overall pick in the 2010 NLL Entry Draft.
Toronto Rock forward Garrett Billings was the runner-up for the award for the third-straight year while Rochester Knighthawks goaltender Matt Vinc finished third in the voting.
Rookie of the Year – Logan Schuss (Minnesota Swarm)
Schuss led all rookies in goals (36), assists (37), points (73) and power play goals, and finished fourth in loose balls (77) this year. The 36 goals by Schuss were tied for the sixth-most in the NLL and his 73 points ranked second on the Swarm and 16th in the league overall. Schuss recorded at least one point in all 18 games played and four or more points in 10 contests. Schuss won the NLL Rookie of the Month award three-straight times from February to April. The Ladner, B.C. native played collegiate lacrosse at the Ohio State University and was the first overall selection in the 2013 NLL Entry Draft.
Colorado Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward was the runner-up for the award while Edmonton Rush forward Robert Church finished third in the voting.
Goaltender of the Year – Matt Vinc (Rochester Knighthawks)
Vinc, two-time defending NLL Goaltender of the Year, finished second in the league in save percentage (.798), tied for second in wins (12), and third in goals against average (9.56), saves (595) and minutes played (947:43) in 2014. The Knighthawks allowed the second-fewest goals in the NLL (167) and finished atop the East Division with a 14-4 record as Vinc allowed 10 or fewer goals in 10 games this year. The nine-year NLL veteran is the only goalie in league history to win the Goaltender of the Year award four times (2010, 2011, 2013 & 2014). The St. Catharines, Ontario native played collegiately at Canisius College and was drafted in the first round (6th overall) of the 2005 NLL Entry Draft.
Edmonton Rush goaltender Aaron Bold was the runner-up for the award while Buffalo Bandits goalie Anthony Cosmo, who won the award in 2007, finished third in the voting.
Transition Player of the Year – Jordan MacIntosh (Minnesota Swarm)
MacIntosh, who becomes just the second player in NLL history to win the Transition Player of the Year award twice, was third on the Swarm in points in 2014 and led all NLL transition players in points (61) and goals (23) while finishing second in assists (38). The third-year pro ranked second in the league with 204 loose balls, sixth with 198 faceoffs won and tied for 10th in the NLL with 25 forced turnovers. The Oakville, Ontario native played collegiately at RIT and was Minnesota’s first-round selection (4th overall) in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft.
Former Philadelphia Wings transition player Brodie Merrill, who won the award in 2009 & 2010, was the runner-up while Edmonton Rush transition player Jeremy Thompson finished third in the voting.
Defensive Player of the Year – Kyle Rubisch (Edmonton Rush)
Rubisch, the first player in league history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award three times (2012, 2013 & 2014), led the NLL in 2014 with a league-record 61 forced turnovers, 25 more than the second-highest total. The fourth-year pro recorded nine points (2+7), 25 penalty minutes and 156 loose balls, which ranked seventh in the league and second among both defensemen and non-faceoff men. The shutdown defender helped the Rush limit opposing teams to a league-low 157 goals this year. The Brampton, Ont. native, who played collegiately at Dowling College, was the second overall selection in the 2010 NLL Entry Draft.
Edmonton Rush defenseman Chris Corbeil was the runner-up for the award while Buffalo Bandits defenseman Steve Priolo finished third in the voting for the second-straight year.
Head Coach of the Year (Les Bartley Award) – Derek Keenan (Edmonton Rush)
Keenan becomes the first coach in league history to win the Les Bartley Award three times after coaching Edmonton to a historic season which included a league-record 14-0 start and culminated with a 16-2 record as the top overall seed in the NLL standings to clinch the franchise’s first home playoff game. The Rush allowed a league-low 157 goals and finished second in the league with 220 goals scored. The Oshawa, Ont. native, who played three seasons in the league, has been head coach of the Rush since 2009. Keenan had five previous years of head coaching experience after five seasons as an assistant coach. Keenan, who also serves as the Rush’s general manager, previously won the Les Bartley Award in 2006 and was a co-winner in 2010.
Rochester Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen, who won the award in 2011, was the runner-up while Calgary Roughnecks head coach Curt Malawsky finished third in the voting.
General Manager of the Year – Derek Keenan (Edmonton Rush)
Keenan, who marks the first GM in NLL history to win the General Manager of the Year award three times, led Edmonton to a 14-0 start and 16-2 record as the top overall seed in the NLL standings, clinching the franchise’s first home playoff game. The Rush allowed a league-low 157 goals and finished second in the league with 220 goals scored. Building through the draft, Edmonton had two players finish in the top five of rookie scoring. Keenan also won the GM of the Year award in 2006 and 2010.
Calgary Roughnecks general manager Mike Board was the runner-up for the award while Rochester Knighthawks general manager Curt Styres, who won the award in 2011, finished third in the voting.
Executive of the Year Award – John Bean (Calgary Roughnecks)
As part of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), Bean has led a skilled team of ticketing, sponsorship and in-game promotion to drive significantly improved results. As a member of the NLL Board of Governors, John continues to assist the league and all its partners by focusing the NLL and its member teams on the current financial model. In addition, John serves as a member and chairman of the NLL Audit Finance Committee. As Chief Operating Officer of the CSEC, John led the rebuild efforts of the Scotiabank Saddledome’s entire event level following the devastating floods of 2013. This immense undertaking was finished in just 65 days while a project of this scope and magnitude normally takes three or four times that to complete.
Edmonton Rush owner Bruce Urban was the runner-up for the award while Rochester Knighthawks owner Curt Styres, who won the award in 2011, finished third in the voting.
Sportsmanship Award – Garrett Billings (Toronto Rock)
Billings becomes the first player in NLL history to win the Sportsmanship Award outright twice. The first player in league history to record three-straight 100-plus point seasons, the fifth-year pro registered just two penalty minutes in 15 games played before suffering a season-ending knee injury. The Langley, BC native, who played collegiately at the University of Virginia, was the sixth-overall pick in the 2009 NLL Entry Draft.
Buffalo Bandits forward Shawn Williams, who won the award in 2010, was the runner-up while Edmonton Rush forward Curtis Knight finished third in the voting.
NLL All-Pro First Team
Forward – Cody Jamieson, Rochester Knighthawks (2nd selection)
Forward – Garrett Billings, Toronto Rock (3rd selection)
Forward – Shawn Evans, Calgary Roughnecks (3rd selection)
Transition – Jordan MacIntosh, Minnesota Swarm (2nd selection)
Defense – Kyle Rubisch, Edmonton Rush (3rd selection)
Goaltender – Matt Vinc, Rochester Knighthawks (5th selection)
NLL All-Pro Second Team
Forward – Dane Dobbie, Calgary Roughnecks (1st selection)
Forward – Adam Jones, Colorado Mammoth (1st selection)
Forward – Curtis Dickson, Calgary Roughnecks (2nd selection)
Transition – Brodie Merrill, Philadelphia Wings (6th selection)
Defense – Chris Corbeil, Edmonton Rush (1st selection)
Goaltender – Aaron Bold, Edmonton Rush (2nd selection)
2014 NLL All-Rookie Team
Logan Schuss (Forward- Minnesota Swarm)
Dillon Ward (Goaltender- Colorado Mammoth)
Robert Church (Edmonton Rush)
Karsen Leung (Calgary Roughnecks)
Tyler Digby (Vancouver Stealth)
Garrett Thul (Philadelphia Wings)
The 2014 NLL Season Awards were determined by a vote of the league’s Board of Governors, General Managers and Head Coaches at the end of the regular season.
The weekend at TRAC culminates with the 2014 NLL Draft on Monday, Sept. 22, which will air live on YouTube via The Lacrosse Network (YouTube.com/TLN) starting at 7 p.m. ET.
