From Ice to Turf: Zac Masson’s Unique Journey to the NLL

Sports are a young person’s game. In the major North American professional leagues, rookies are typically fresh out of college or junior leagues, and if they don’t make a team right away, that’s it – find a new career. But lacrosse is unique in that it’s a sport that stays with you, and your pro dream is never dead. Whether you’ve been toiling in a minor league, or flying across an ocean to play both sports simultaneously, lacrosse is always an option.

And Zac Masson, a 28-year-old defender in his first NLL season, knew that when he left his pro hockey career behind this year to join the Albany FireWolves. Hockey has kept his skills sharp, even though he hasn’t played lacrosse since his junior A days with the Orangeville Northmen, the club from which he graduated in 2017.

“It makes me smile and I like it. It’s something fun to lean into for sure,” Masson said about being referred to as a “28-year-old rookie.”

His first three games were a success, although he recognizes he has much catching up to do and is managing his expectations appropriately.

“I was very excited for the new challenge and opportunity and redirecting my focus on another avenue,” Masson described. “Like anything, trying something new can be a bit daunting, but it leads to continued personal growth. So on the playing side, I knew the muscle memory would still be there having played into young adulthood… It felt really natural getting back out there.”

RoughNecks at Albany 12/14/24,

Heading into the 2017 draft, Masson had the same potential as players like Jake Withers and Zach Currier, according to lacrosse insider Stephen Stamp. In five seasons with Orangeville, Masson scored 69 points in 93 games and picked up 182 PIMS.

The Toronto Rock picked him in the second round, but Masson already had other plans – he was also a skilled junior hockey player with the Langley Rivermen in BC, and the University of Alaska had offered him a scholarship to play D1 lacrosse for the Seawolves in Anchorage.

“I just had a great opportunity in front of me after playing junior hockey out west, and I jumped right on it. Alaska is an incredible place,” Masson said. “I was fortunate to earn a good scholarship, which was a goal of mine.”

Alaska wasn’t as much of a culture shock as one might think.

“It kind of felt like you were still in Canada in a lot of ways. I mean, people are very friendly up there. And it’s the main city, so it’s not like you’re out in the middle of nowhere – it’s got everything you need and there’s lots to do. If anything, I think it was a bigger city than a lot of the places we played in the Midwest. We had to fly to every game, so that was cool. It was a pro experience getting a flight to every away game.”

The weather was moderate, similar to Ontario, but the days got very short in the fall. Wildlife was abundant, and Masson clearly remembers seeing his first moose early on in his freshman year.

“This great big moose walks by the window and we’re all taking pictures and videos of it, and the teacher just kind of looks over and then is like, ‘Oh, your first moose.’ And all the other people in the class weren’t even bothered by it.”

He fished, visited a wildlife sanctuary, and tried snowboarding and snowmobiling, but lacrosse wasn’t an available activity.

“I don’t think lacrosse really has much of a foothold in the state, but I think it’d be really cool to grow that there because obviously there’s a lot of history there,” he said, referencing classes he took on the history of Indigenous Alaskans. “It’d be tough in the winter months, but I think there is a dome up there, so that’d be really cool to get a program going.”

The idea of playing lacrosse again was never far from Masson’s mind, and he signed with the FireWolves in 2021 but ended up playing three more seasons of hockey first.

“After I played out of junior, I wanted to take the opportunity to direct all my time and attention to one sport, and I am very fortunate for the journey that has taken me on. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and was kind of getting the itch to pick up the stick again. It took a lot of time and consideration, and I’m excited for a new adventure, and a new challenge, and to put all my energy into lacrosse.”

He hasn’t left hockey completely behind, donating his time to help coach various teams in the Guelph area, where he’s back home with his parents.

“I’m just kind of doing some coaching and consulting, getting used to the adjustment of not having to be at the rink every day practicing. It’s definitely weird. It was weird not playing lacrosse for a while, and then definitely weird anytime you make a switch, but I’m very excited about it.”

Sports have taken Masson across the globe: He was raised in Newmarket, ON, and after his time in Langley and Anchorage, he spent a year in Paris playing hockey while finishing his MBA remotely. Hockey then took him to Atlanta, and then Birmingham, where he played two years in the SPHL.

His parents are enjoying having him home now, but they understand that his profession means a lot of time spent away from home.

“They were pretty excited (when he decided on Alaska),” Masson said. “My mom had been on a cruise through Alaska before, but they were really excited to get to come and visit. It is a long way to go for sure from Ontario, but when they did come up, they really enjoyed it. It’s a pretty cool place, so wasn’t hard to convince them to come.”

We thought he was a “hockey guy”? Welcome back, Zac!

Zac Masson is your @NLL Rookie of the Week fueled by @Gatorade ⚡️#GetFiredUp🔥 pic.twitter.com/iLRV3DZSNH

— Albany FireWolves Lacrosse Club (@AlbFireWolves) December 10, 2024

Masson scored the first two goals of his NLL career in Albany’s 15-4 win over Toronto in Week 2. He credited the team’s joga sessions as a big help on the first marker. Joga is yoga tailored for athletes, and yes, it’s real. Masson laughed when he first heard the term.

“I was like, why do they keep saying joga? And then I was like, oh, okay, it is a thing. But no, it’s just nice to see the guys during the week and do a little mobility and stuff like that. The lady that runs it for us is really good.”

Masson finished off a two-on-one with Jackson Nishimura for his first goal after captain Colton Watkinson intercepted a pass.

“Nishimura made a nice pass to me at the doorstep and I was able to finish. It was a nice team play and it was kind of funny; it was kind of like the yoga connection on that goal.”

Don’t expect two-goal games to be the norm, though. Masson said the most developed aspect of his game is on the defensive side of the ball.

Albany Firewolves Saskatchewan Rush at Albany 11.30.24

“I bring the energy and the compete and intensity and I strive to be consistent every night while contributing to our defensive unit.”

Masson has been a sponge so far in practices and games, paying attention to tips from teammates and coaches to help get him back to elite defender status.

“One of the things I’ve learned and tried to carry with me over the years is that you can learn something from everyone,” he shared. “So there’s been a lot of different little things I’ve picked up from guys, different aspects of the game, even chatting with the goalies. I feel like they’ve all welcomed me in.”

Albany is next in action on Saturday, December 28 when they visit the Halifax Thunderbirds at 6 p.m. ET.