On Saturday, the NLL welcomed 89 new members to the ranks of The Next Major League through its annual Entry Draft. Over the course of six rounds, the 14 teams went back and forth choosing prospects with talent and skill to help bolster their rosters for the future, both near and far.
CJ Kirst was selected first by the Toronto Rock, making him the second American player to go first overall after Brennan O’Neill last year. The Rock actually held the first three picks in the draft (one their own, two acquired in trades) and selected Ty English and Owen Hiltz at numbers two and three. All three are left-handed offensive shooters, with English able to play forward as well as push the ball in transition.
It was a life-changing afternoon for those three men and many more. Read on for some of the highlights.
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Those seven players join the already drafted Deacan Knott (PHI), Thomas Kiazyk (SSK), Andrew Vradenburg (HFX), Calum Leaver-Preyra (GA), Nicholas Volkov (ALB, just traded to OTT) and Zach Thompson (SSK).
There are more players from that Blaze team to come – players like Owen Tasse (brother of Payton, drafted this year by Halifax), Alexis Simard, Owen Wills, Josh Rosa and Brooks English – yes, younger brother of Sam and Ty.
Similarly, it was Robert Morris University leading the way on the academic side with six draft picks:
It didn’t take long for the first goaltender to come off the board. Peterborough Jr. A Lakers goalie Waukiigan Shognosh was picked 14th overall by the Buffalo Bandits. Shognosh was named Goaltender of the Year in the OJLL after going 15-8-0 with a 7.51 goals-against average over the summer.
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Immediately, talk began of Shognosh becoming the heir apparent to Matt Vinc, but ’23 draft pick Evan Constantopoulos, who led the Orangeville Northmen to the Minto Cup tournament this summer, is still in the mix for the Bandits.
Caleb Khan of the Langley Thunder was the only other goalie drafted in the first round, at pick 17 by Las Vegas. The next goalie wasn’t picked until the fourth round, with Saskatchewan taking Mathias Houlahan from Nepean Jr. B.
The last three goalies were picked in round six:
Ari Steenhuis, son of former Buffalo Bandits great Mark Steenhuis, was drafted with the last pick in the first round, 18th overall, by the San Diego Seals. Steenhuis, the 19-year-old transition player from St. Catharines, announced his NCAA eligibility just seven days before the draft. It was a surprise; Steenhuis has an older brother, Tye, who was expected to be drafted first, but he is still in school at Hobart.
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Mark Steenhuis was a Bandits stalwart and an NLL great for 16 seasons until his retirement in 2018. The San Diego Seals didn’t even exist when Mark retired, but since 2019 the Seals have faced the Bandits seven times. The Bandits hold a 6-1 advantage in the series but from 2023 on, the games have been fiercely competitive including a 5-4 Buffalo win in the quarterfinals this season – the lowest scoring NLL playoff game in history.
Despite growing up a Bandits fan, Ari Steenhuis’ loyalties now lie elsewhere.
This year’s draft class was exceptionally deep, filled with talent that makes predicting outcomes more challenging than ever. With so many players capable of making an impact, it’s no surprise to see movement beyond the projections. The following five names stand out as high-value selections — with teams recognizing the potential for these players to rise into greatness at the pro level.
Drafted: 2nd round, pick 33 by OttawaOttawa got an absolute steal picking Aston up with the last pick in the second round. The Toronto Beaches forward scored an astounding 116 points in 30 games this summer – 41 goals and 75 assists. Those are jaw-dropping numbers.
Drafted: 3rd round, pick 35 by TorontoI’ve personally watched Moran-Weekes play lots of lacrosse, both in Jr. A and the MSL, and he always played with potential. In three years of junior with the Mimico Mountaineers he put up 249 points in 77 games – that’s an average over four points a game.
Drafted: 3rd round, pick 36 by the FireWolvesFridge is a workhorse defender who helped the Coquitlam Adanacs win the 2024 Minto Cup, and was one of Teddy Jenner’s favourite draft-eligible players. After teams filled specific needs first with their picks, Jenner called Fridge the best available player at any position.
Drafted: 3rd round, pick 41 by GeorgiaThe Swarm got a steal in Calgary native Kean Moon in the middle of the third round. Moon surprised everyone in his rookie WLA season, finishing third in scoring for the Adanacs and then third in league playoff scoring among a battery of NLL superstars.
Drafted: 4th round, pick 49 to Calgary
Jack Royer averaged over four points per game with the Edmonton Miners for three straight seasons. Additionally, Royer led the fourth-place England squad in goals (10) and points (4) at the World Box Lacrosse Championship in 2024, where he had to face the likes of powerhouse programs such as Team Canada, USA and the Haudenosaunee twice. Many thought he could be upwards of a second-round talent this year, so when he fell to Calgary in the fourth round, it was a great value add for a player who knows what Alberta lacrosse is all about.
Lacrosse talent and passion are in your genetics, and several draftees were not the first members of their family to be drafted recently. These five players all had brothers who beat them to that special moment.
There will be no ribbing between Ty and his brother Sam about who was drafted higher – Sam was picked 2nd overall by the Rock last year, just as Ty was this year. Younger brother Brooks is next – can he continue the 2nd overall legacy of the English family?
Chris’ brother Pat was signed as a free agent last season by the San Diego Seals, so he never had that draft moment. He made it into one game last season and will now compete with Chris for a roster spot on the Seals.
Kirst will be the fourth brother in his family to suit up in an NLL uniform, following Connor (Las Vegas), Colin (Las Vegas) and Cole (Halifax). He is part of a family dynasty that may one day equal the Sutters of hockey fame.
The Mimico brothers! Aiden bests Angus in the draft day department, going 26th overall to Georgia. Angus was selected last year at number 57 by Buffalo.
Both Marinier brothers will have long NLL careers. Matt, the older brother and a 6’6 bruising defender, will enter his fifth pro season this year with the Ottawa Black Bears. He is a former second round pick, taken in the second round by Philadelphia in 2019. As the sixth overall pick, Alex can hold that over his little brother when he needs some leverage.
