Rochester gets 2nd & 11th picks in 2014 Draft, 1st rounders in 2015 & 2017
Just hours before the 2014 NLL Draft at Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, Ontario, the three-time defending champion Rochester Knighthawks and Vancouver Stealth have announced a trade. The Knighthawks have traded Johnny Powless and Joel McCready, along with the 9th and 23rd overall selections in the 2014 Draft, to the Stealth in exchange for Vancouver’s 2nd and 11th overall selections in 2014 along with their first-round picks in the 2015 and 2017 NLL Drafts.
“I enjoyed my three years with the Rochester Knighthawks,” said Powless. “I am looking forward to playing with Vancouver this year.”
Powless played in Rochester for three seasons and won three straight Champion’s Cups. The former first-round pick has collected 144 points (78+66) in just 50 games. In 2014, he reached career highs in goals (30) and points (53), and finished third and fourth on the team in those categories respectively. During the 2014 Playoffs, Powless scored four goals and dished out four assists in six games.
The 21-year-old forward has won six championships in the past three years. To go along with three NLL titles, he won a 2014 Minto Cup with the Six Nations Arrows. Powless was also named the Minto Cup MVP after leading the series with 21 assists and 29 points.
McCready played five seasons in Rochester, and contributed 23 goals, 27 assists and 180 loose balls in 48 games. In 2014, he notched career highs in every offensive category with 14 goals, 15 assists and 29 points. The St. Catharines, Ontario native netted his biggest goal of the year in the East Division Finals, tallying the game-tying goal in the 10-minute mini-game. The Knighthawks won the game in overtime to return to the NLL Finals. Rochester would defeat the Calgary Roughnecks to give the 26-year-old McCready his second straight NLL Championship (2013-14).
“Both players are proven winners. Johnny is a lacrosse prodigy,” said Stealth head coach Dan Perreault. “He has the ability to change the course of any game with his skill – be it a highlight reel goal or a deft pass. Being able to team him up on the floor with someone like Rhys Duch will change our entire offensive perspective.”
McCready is coming off his best season as a pro having won his second NLL Champion’s Cup. Known for his tenacity, McCready scored 29 points in 10 games for Rochester in 2014 and capped off the strong regular season showing with an explosive playoff where he notched nine points in three games.
“This is a monumental trade for our organization that brings two proven winners to Vancouver,” said Stealth president and general manager Doug Locker. “It’s not often that opportunities like this come up, and we wanted to make a statement to our fans and team of our intention to compete for the Champion’s Cup in 2015. Bottom line, this trade is a game changer. We are thrilled to welcome Johnny and Joel to the Stealth family.”
Watch the 2014 NLL Draft live on YouTube.com/TLN on Monday, Sept. 22 to see which future NLL stars will hear their names called and take the stage.
