Jeff Teat
Some players are undeniable, and some stat lines are even more so. Ottawa Black Bears captain Jeff Teat has not only led his team in scoring for eight straight games, but has remained atop the League leaderboards for nearly as long. Teat currently leads the NLL in points, goals, assists, and Power Play goals, and even reigns supreme as the forward with the most loose-ball pickups. Teat has continued to cement himself as a clutch player to be relied on by teammates in crucial moments, and faceguarded by opponents with a win on the wire. He can and will shoot from anywhere, and isn’t afraid to drop back on defense and throw himself in front of a shot if it means an extra possession. His efforts have anchored the Black Bears’ position in the upper half of the League rankings and as a serious postseason contender.
Brett Dobson
Championing the Georgia Swarm and solidifying an MVP run from between the pipes, Brett Dobson stands out as a one-man army heading a squad full of rookies. With 62 goals let up and 379 saves made, as well as dishing out three assists of his own, Dobson has been a defensive force between the pipes. He currently holds an 86% save percentage, as well as averaging 7.15 goals against a game, the lowest in the League among all starting goalies. Dobson has spent the majority of the season not only staying big in the net, but quarterbacking Georgia’s presence in transition, finding the open man and making the risky pass for his three assists on the season.
Andrew Kew
But Denver might be host to the unexpected darkhorse pick for MVP. After spending almost four weeks on the Injured Reserve, Colorado’s Andrew Kew has put together what could be the biggest turnaround of the season. With only four games played this season, Kew has notched 14 of his 16 goals in his last three outings, putting up a career-high seven goals in Week 10’s 20-9 victory against the Buffalo Bandits. At present, he’s on track to not only catch up to the top scorers but potentially dethrone the would-be king, Jeff Teat.
CJ Kirst
Toronto’s ROI on their first overall pick has been near immediate– CJ Kirst has blown into the NLL and made his name known in every corner of the League. He came into the League with a season of professional competition already under his belt and fit himself right into the Toronto offensive battery. With 19 goals on 35 points to his name, as well as two Power Play goals and assists, Kirst has risen through the ranks as the highest scoring rookie of the 2025 season so far. He’s received nothing but praise from his teammates since he hit the turf at TD Coliseum, finding his flow in transition and proving his worth on the defensive end, accruing 44 loose balls, a block and nine caused turnovers.
Owen Hiltz
With a first-season resume cooking at a temperature this high, Rookie of the Year is Kirst’s award to lose. However, the Rock is host to several first-round rookies with something to prove. Fellow 2025 first-rounder Owen Hiltz has been an equally fast-rising star in Hamilton, with 16 goals on 30 points, and five Power Play goals. The lefty forward out of Syracuse has been an unstoppable force behind and in front of the net and has quickly become a key cog in the Toronto offensive system.
Nolan Byrne
But every rook is dealt a different hand– while Kirst and Hiltz have been allowed to flourish under the watchful eye of the Toronto Rock’s substantial veteran presence, Nolan Byrne has been asked to take up a substantial amount of offensive responsibility alongside Lyle Thompson and Shayne Jackson in Duluth. Despite the ask, the rookie from Greely, Ontario has amassed an impressive 12 goals on 23 points, including two power-play assists and two shorthanded goals. On a team made up of half vets and half greenhorns, Byrne has cemented himself not only as a contributor but as a player with a long career in the NLL ahead of him.
VOTE FOR THE
MIDSEASON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Alex Simmons
The 2025 season is the year of the shooter, and with so many massive offensive presences around the League, it could come down to a coin toss to crown the OPOTY. Leading the charge is Oshawa’s star shooter, Alex Simmons. Though the FireWolves’ record might not reflect their efforts, Simmons has amassed 62 points to snatch the second seat in midseason stats, and he’s even closing in on Ottawa’s Jeff Teat for the League lead in goals. The 2023-24 Rookie of the Year has cemented himself as a leader on the offensive line, unafraid to take the extra shot, to get dirty in the loose ball battle, or lay a hit for teammates when he has to.
Keegan Bal
It’s also no secret that Vancouver’s Keegan Bal is one of the NLL’s most dangerous active forwards. After a 43-goal and 112-point run in the 2024 season, Bal has made sure you’ve heard his name the most during this year’s Vancouver broadcasts, racking up 18 goals on 60 points. His dodge-downhill-and-draw-the-slide approach to offense has crowned Bal the go-to player on the Power Play (5 PPG, 20 PPA), and has put him in the quarterback position through the season, being second in assists behind Ottawa’s Jeff Teat (45A).
Ryan Keenan
In Saskatchewan, captain Ryan Keenan has been putting on a show, to say the least. In his seven games played so far, Keenan has racked up 22 goals on 54 points, with six power-play goals and 8 power play assists. In their last seven consecutive wins, he put up 38 of those points and led the Rush in points scored for all but two of those games. His efforts have earned him three Rush Player of the Game awards and skyrocketed him back to the top of the scouting report.
VOTE FOR THE
MIDSEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Callum Jones
With so many powerhouse offensive teams in the League this season, defense has become a major area of concern for many squads, with several players stepping up to lead their teams through the March to May. Ottawa’s Callum Jones has been an absolute steamroller in his second season in Ontario, quick to the slide and heavy with the checks, marked as the go-to guy in the Black Bears’ defensive battery. Jones also currently leads the League in caused turnovers and is third in the League in loose ball pickups (22 CTO, 90 LB).
Michael Grace
Close behind, however, is another young buck, Georgia’s standout rookie defender Michael Grace. On a team with so much fresh talent, Grace fit himself into the Swarm’s second-year defense smoothly and immediately. His quick pick recoveries and sharp field awareness have made him an indispensable component of the Swarm’s off-ball defense, and his physical one-on-one approach has awarded him 16 caused turnovers t-third on the leaderboard. Additionally, his three goals and five assists have also put him on the League’s watchlist in transition.
Robert Hope
Where Grace and Jones are willing to put their opponent’s body on the line, Colorado captain Robert Hope’s approach is a bit more selfless. While still having racked up 70 loose balls for the Mammoth, Hope has put his body on the line every play to keep Colorado’s win streak alive. As of Week 10, Hope leads the Mammoth and the League with 16 confirmed blocked shots. Though not quite on pace to break his own 2nd All-Time record, his willingness to throw everything he has, including himself, in the line of fire if it means getting the ball up the turf makes him not only a worthy captain, but a worthy contender for DPOTY.
VOTE FOR THE
MIDSEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Bryan Cole
Transition players are a tough breed to pin down, with each player dedicated to different roles and shining in different areas. While goals and assists are usually a tell-tale sign of an effective transition player, there’s still more to consider to paint the full picture. Georgia’s Bryan Cole has been a tremendous force in space for the Swarm this season, and his 22 assists on 30 points have placed in the upper echelon of offensive-minded transition players. He’s the first to get back on defense, and, more often than not, the first player downhill on a Swarm breakaway. Cole has been a quarterback through the midfield for a team packed full of rookie talent, and has stood out as the Swarm’s spatial marker in settled offense.
Mike Messenger
Saskatchewan’s Mike Messenger is a sharp contrast to Cole, standing out as less of a transition player and more of a tunnel-visioned defender who refuses to let a matchup go. With 77 loose balls, 10 caused turnovers and 12 blocks, Messenger is the cornerstone for the Rush’s midline– destructive in the man-to-man, first to the rebound, and the last line of defense before goaltender Frank Scigliano even gets a whiff of the shot– and with 10 points to his name (5G, 5A), you’d be hard pressed to find a scarier matchup on the run.
Zach Currier
San Diego’s Zach Currier, on the other hand, feels like the complete package. With 99 loose balls, 12 caused turnovers and five blocks, Currier has been putting in the work on the backend and he only gets tougher out in space. Not to mention, he’s a terrifying downhill dodger on the Seals’ left side with 20 points (7G, 13A) to his name.
VOTE FOR THE
MIDSEASON TRANSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brett Dobson
With goaltenders, the best of the best are easy to spot. No tricks, all saves and averages, and the numbers always reflect the best of the best. From a pure numbers standpoint, Dobson has a hard lock on Tendy of the Year, leading the Swarm to a now 6-3 record and a fourth seed, and racking up the leading GAA and making 379 saves.
Christian Del Bianco
Not far behind, however, are Vancouver’s Christian Del Bianco and Colorado’s Dillon Ward. Del Bianco still sits a whole game behind Dobson, but it’s entirely possible that he could be caught up in total saves following Georgia’s bye week in Week 12. CDB has stopped an equally staggering 338 saves this season, and is averaging 9.26 goals against a game for an 82% save percentage. Additionally, with his seven assists so far this season, he became the fourth goalkeeper in League history to reach 100 points on 100 assists.
Dillon Ward
Ward, as well, has been responsible for his defense’s undeniable success this season, stopping 317 shots and only letting 66 through to average 8.80 goals against average.
VOTE FOR THE
MIDSEASON GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR
Derek Keenan
Coaches are a lot like goalies; the numbers in the win and loss columns mean the most, but it’s also the pieces they use to get there that contribute to each head coach’s mythos. There are naturally certain undeniables, of course, in that Saskatchewan’s co-head coach and general manager Derek Keenan would absolutely be on this list. On top of an 8-1 record, and being the first team to five, six seven, and eight wins this season. Keenan has now suited up to coach 304 career games, and along the way, he secured his 182nd career coaching win, making the legendary coach the winningest in League history.
Ed Comeau
Right behind Keenan is Georgia head coach Ed Comeau. After spending the majority of the 2024-25 season fighting uphill for a seat at the playoff table and bowing out in the first round, Comeau has led a roster based around rookies, second-years and a handful of key veterans to a 6-3 record and fourth seed in the League rankings. Additionally, to commemorate his 250th game coached, Comeau took his Swarm to Halifax for a third straight victory and his 146th career win (2nd All-Time for Games Coached and Coaching Wins).
Curt Malawsky
But this Coach of the Year conversation would be incomplete without bringing the boys in black and gold into the picture. With a 6-2 record and a new lock on the third seat in the NLL team rankings, Warriors head coach Curt Malawsky has taken the Vancouver rebuild into a successful continuation from the 2024 season, and with a star-studded new roster. Despite all the off-season shakeups, Malawsky has turned his Warriors into a high-functioning squad under his ‘system of sacrifice.’
