National Lacrosse League Announces Player Transaction Dates Ahead of 2018 Season

The National Lacrosse League (NLL), the largest men’s professional indoor lacrosse league in North America, has announced a series of dates for key transactions as teams build out their rosters leading up to the 2018 season.

Beginning July 1, trades and roster transactions are permitted among teams. The NLL free agency period will then open on August 1, allowing teams to contact, speak and sign Rostered Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) and Rostered Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs), per the League’s listing of identified players, for the 2018 season and beyond.

Should a restricted free agent sign an offer sheet with another club, the team with rights to the RFA will have 72 hours to match the offer. As per the terms of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, if a team loses an unrestricted free agent to another club, they may be eligible to receive compensatory draft pick(s) for the following season(s).

The list of RFAs and UFAs is as follows:

Buffalo Bandits

Restricted Free Agents

• Joe Smith
• Kevin Brownell
• David Diruscio
• Craig England
• Mitch Jones
• Nick Weiss

Potential Restricted Free Agents*

• Alex Kedoh Hill
• Steve Priolo
• Dhane Smith

Unrestricted Free Agents

• David Brock
• Ryan Benesch
• Billy Dee Smith
• Andrew Watt

Calgary Roughnecks

Restricted Free Agents

• Tyler Burton
• Riley Loewen
• Garrett McIntosh
• Mitch Wilde

Potential Restricted Free Agents*

• Dan MacRae
• Karsen Leung

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Mike Carnegie
• Curtis Manning
• Creighton Reid
• Jeff Shattler

Colorado Mammoth

Restricted Free Agents

• Alex Buque

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Greg Downing
• Ilija Gajic
• John Grant
• Zack Greer
• Brad Self

Georgia Swarm

Restricted Free Agents

• Alex Crepinsek

Potential Restricted Free Agents*

• Brodie MacDonald
• Johnny Powless

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Mitch Belisle

New England Black Wolves

Restricted Free Agents

• Bill O’Brien
• Zac Reid

Potential Restricted Free Agents*

• Kevin Crowley

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Kevin Buchanan
• Brett Bucktooth
• Ryan Hotaling
• Evan Kirk
• Derek Suddons
• Darryl Veltman

Rochester Knighthawks

Restricted Free Agents

• Mike Manley

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Paul Dawson
• Jarrett Davis

Saskatchewan Rush

Restricted Free Agents

• Nik Bilic
• Marty Dinsdale
• John Lafontaine
• Adrian Sorichetti

Potential Restricted Free Agents*

• Jeff Cornwall
• Ryan Dilks
• Brett Mydske

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Aaron Bold

Toronto Rock

Restricted Free Agents

• Paul Rabil

Potential Restricted Free Agents*

• Damon Edwards

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Kasey Beirnes
• Sandy Chapman
• Jeff Gilbert
• Rob Marshall
• Pat Merrill
• Brandon Miller

Vancouver Stealth

Restricted Free Agents

• Tyler Garrison
• Tye Belanger
• Travis Cornwall
• Justin Salt

Potential Restricted Free Agents*

• Matt Beers
• Joel McCready

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Garrett Billings
• Rhys Duch
• Tyler Hass
• Ian Hawksbee
• Curtis Hodgson
• John Lintz
• Peter McFetridge
• Chris O’Dougherty
• Tyler Richards
• Cliff Smith
• Rory Smith
• Corey Small

*If a potential RFA’s team does not qualify the player prior to August 1, then he is an eligible RFA. If he is qualified by his team, then he is removed from the RFA market.