The National Lacrosse League officially announced the 2018-19 NLL Season Award winners. All awards are based on regular season performance and voted on by head coaches, general managers and the League’s Board of Governors.
The 2018-19 season brought success for the NLL’s 11 active franchises, their front office staff, players, and fans. With growth in fan engagement and partnerships coming from the front offices, the teams embraced and left a lasting mark on their local communities by helping organizations such as the Smilezone Foundation and Right To Play. On the floor, the players battled for their fans and teammates, showcasing the talent and brotherhood that defines the National Lacrosse League and its tradition.
Leading the league, the Calgary Roughnecks’ Dane Dobbie was named the 2018-19 NLL Most Valuable Player finishing the regular season with 47 goals, 68 assists, 115 points, and 69 loose balls. Following the voting for the season awards, Dobbie led the Roughnecks’ through the NLL Playoffs and on to claim the NLL Cup, the fourth championship title for the franchise.
The Rookie of the Year award was claimed by the San Diego Seals’ Austin Staats after being selected first overall in the 2018 Entry Draft and grabbing 61 points with 32 goals and 29 assists in the 2018-19 Season.
On the business side, the Toronto Rock’s Terri Giberson won NLL Executive of the Year for her leadership across all facets of the Rock’s business from mentoring and growing staff, to building the Rock’s brand equity and ensuring the ultimate fan experience both in-arena and in their community.
Additionally, the Buffalo Bandits’ Steve Dietrich was named General Manager of the Year after his team put on an impressive regular season performance which led them to the post season and an NLL Finals appearance.
The complete list of 2018-19 NLL Season Awards finalists and recipients are as follows:
(Click on name to view acceptance speech)
Teammate of the Year:
John Ranagan – Georgia Swarm
Sportsmanship Award:
Lyle Thompson – Georgia Swarm
Defensive Player of the Year:
Graeme Hossack – Rochester Knighthawks
Transition Player of the Year:
Challen Rogers – Toronto Rock
Goaltender of the Year:
Matt Vinc – Buffalo Bandits
Rookie of the Year:
Austin Staats – San Diego Seals
Most Valuable Player:
Dane Dobbie – Calgary Roughnecks
Head Coach of the Year (Les Bartley Award):
John Tavares & Rich Kilgour – Buffalo Bandits
General Manager of the Year:
Steve Dietrich – Buffalo Bandits
Executive of the Year:
Terri Giberson – Toronto Rock
Media Person of the Year (Tom Borrelli Award):
Tyson Geick – Lacrosse Flash
Additionally, the 2018-19 NLL All-Pro and All-Rookie Teams have been announced. The teams are comprised of the top vote getters for the season awards.
First Team All-Pro
Dane Dobbie – Calgary Roughnecks – Forward
Lyle Thompson – Georgia Swarm – Forward
Challen Rogers – Toronto Rock – Transition
Graeme Hossack – Rochester Knighthawks – Defense
Kyle Rubsich – Saskatchewan Rush – Defense
Matt Vinc – Buffalo Bandits – Goaltender
Second Team All-Pro
Eli McLaughlin – Colorado Mammoth – Forward
Callum Crawford – New England Black Wolves – Forward
Zach Currier – Calgary Roughnecks – Transition
Steve Priolo – Buffalo Bandits – Defense
Brodie Merrill – San Diego Seals – Defense
Christian Del Bianco – Calgary Roughnecks – Goaltender
All-Rookie Team
Austin Staats – San Diego Seals – Forward
Ian MacKay – Buffalo Bandits – Transition
Matt Rambo – Philadelphia Wings – Forward
Kyle Killen – Colorado Mammoth – Forward
Trevor Baptiste – Philadelphia Wings – Transition
Brendan Bomberry – Georgia Swarm – Transition
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 13 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
