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BUF at SD - Sat. 10pm ET on ESPNews Schedule

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 2
FINAL
Philadelphia
8
Halifax
18
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Vancouver
8
Toronto
19
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
San Diego
15
New York
14
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Albany
11
Buffalo
10
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Rochester
16
Georgia
11
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Colorado
6
Saskatchewan
18
WK
2
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL
Las Vegas
11
Panther City
13
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
12
San Diego
13
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Toronto
7
Rochester
11
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Vancouver
9
Calgary
11
WK
3
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
5
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Panther City
9
Las Vegas
3
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Buffalo
11
Toronto
8
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Rochester
14
Albany
13
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Philadelphia
13
Georgia
12
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Halifax
20
New York
11
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Colorado
12
Panther City
9
WK
5
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
Halifax
13
Buffalo
18
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
San Diego
17
Calgary
14
Sat, Dec 31
FINAL
Panther City
9
Saskatchewan
11
WK
6
Fri, Jan 6
FINAL
Philadelphia
14
Las Vegas
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Panther City
9
Rochester
17
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Halifax
14
Albany
11
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Buffalo
18
Georgia
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Toronto
15
New York
7
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Calgary
8
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Vancouver
11
San Diego
16
WK
7
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Albany
11
Halifax
10
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
10
Colorado
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Halifax
8
Toronto
17
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Panther City
12
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Georgia
9
Buffalo
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
San Diego
10
Calgary
14
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Las Vegas
16
Vancouver
19
Sun, Jan 15
FINAL
Rochester
11
New York
8
WK
8
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Buffalo
12
Rochester
15
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
15
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
Toronto
14
Philadelphia
5
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
New York
16
Albany
10
WK
9
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Rochester
7
Halifax
17
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Buffalo
13
Philadelphia
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Buffalo
16
New York
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Las Vegas
10
Saskatchewan
15
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL/OT
Toronto
11
Calgary
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
San Diego
13
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Panther City
20
Vancouver
7
WK
10
Fri, Feb 3
FINAL
Georgia
10
Colorado
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL/OT
Calgary
12
Halifax
11
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
New York
14
Toronto
22
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Albany
5
Philadelphia
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Rochester
10
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Panther City
10
San Diego
12
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
14
Vancouver
8
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Colorado
8
Las Vegas
13
WK
11
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Toronto
11
Georgia
10
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
13
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Halifax
14
Rochester
16
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Albany
12
New York
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Vancouver
13
Panther City
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Colorado
9
Calgary
13
WK
12
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
9
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
16
San Diego
11
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Georgia
7
Toronto
16
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
Albany
10
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
12
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Colorado
7
Panther City
13
Sun, Feb 19
FINAL
New York
12
Halifax
13
WK
13
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Panther City
12
Colorado
14
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Calgary
9
Las Vegas
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL/OT
New York
10
Rochester
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Albany
4
Georgia
20
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Vancouver
16
Saskatchewan
12
WK
14
Fri, Mar 3
FINAL
Buffalo
10
Halifax
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
New York
12
Philadelphia
19
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
San Diego
15
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Rochester
8
Toronto
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL/OT
Georgia
9
Albany
8
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
10
Panther City
16
Mon, Mar 6
FINAL
Toronto
10
Philadelphia
11
WK
15
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL/OT
Halifax
9
Buffalo
10
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL
Calgary
16
Colorado
10
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Albany
6
Toronto
12
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Philadelphia
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
San Diego
12
Saskatchewan
11
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
5
Sun, Mar 12
FINAL
Rochester
19
Georgia
18
WK
16
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
11
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
San Diego
16
Vancouver
9
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Georgia
13
Philadelphia
12
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Toronto
12
Halifax
14
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Albany
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Colorado
13
Buffalo
8
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
8
Panther City
11
Sun, Mar 19
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
9
Rochester
8
WK
17
Fri, Mar 24
FINAL
San Diego
17
Panther City
9
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Toronto
11
Albany
9
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Halifax
14
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Georgia
13
New York
8
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Calgary
14
Saskatchewan
6
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL/OT
Buffalo
7
San Diego
6
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Colorado
12
Vancouver
14
Sat, Mar 25
FINAL
Rochester
7
Las Vegas
12
WK
18
Fri, Mar 31
19:00:00
New York
Georgia
Fri, Mar 31
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Colorado
Fri, Mar 31
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sat, Apr 1
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Apr 1
20:00:00
Albany
Panther City
Sat, Apr 1
21:30:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 2
13:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Sun, Apr 2
18:00:00
Rochester
Philadelphia
WK
19
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sat, Apr 8
22:30:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
WK
20
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Georgia
Albany
Sat, Apr 15
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 15
21:30:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 15
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
WK
21
Fri, Apr 21
20:30:00
Calgary
Panther City
Sat, Apr 22
18:00:00
New York
Halifax
Sat, Apr 22
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 22
21:30:00
Colorado
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 22
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Apr 23
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Albany
WK
22
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Halifax
Georgia
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 29
22:30:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
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Where Are They Now?: Nick Carlson

Welcome to NLL.com’s weekly feature, Where Are They Now? Every week we will be catching up with former NLL players to hear what they are up to. If you want to hear from any former players, send us a tweet @NLL.

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Nick Carlson, 38, who played with the New York Saints in 2002-2003, and the Colorado Mammoth from 2003-2012, and again with the Mammoth during the second half of the 2013-2014 season. 

Carlson was drafted fifth overall in the 2002 NLL Draft by the New York Saints, and was on the 2006 Colorado Mammoth team that won the NLL Cup.

Carlson was born and grew up in Nanaimo, British Columbia and now lives in Evergreen, Colorado.
———————————————————————

NLL.com: What are you up to these days?

Carlson: I’m living in Evergreen, Colorado, which is about 30 minutes west of Denver. I’m married and I have two kids of my own and a stepdaughter, Riley, who is 11.


My other daughter who is about to turn five is named Aspen and I have a son, Harlan, who just turned three. I’ve been busy raising the family with my wife, Bresee.  

I’ve been working for a company called MedTronic, a Medical Technology company, and I’m in charge of their spine robotics navigation division in one of their territories here in Colorado.

NLL.com
: What does that job entail?

Carlson: I’m responsible for selling all the spinal implants for adult and pediatric spine issues. One of my hospitals is the Children’s Hospital of Colorado where I work 90% of the time. We operate on all the kids out there who have Scoliosis. We provide equipment for the surgeons to help their patients.

If someone breaks their neck or is in a serious injury, we provide the implants to help stabilize the spine. I’m in the operating room every single day as well as helping support the staff with our equipment.

NLL.com: How did you get involved with Medical Sales?

Carlson: After the 2006 season, the year we won the NLL Cup, I got to know our team physician (Dr. Phil Stull). I knew that lacrosse wasn’t going to pay all the bills and I realized I would have to start doing something else soon.

He knew a couple of these companies and I got the job through him. At first I was working a very basic form of the job, and over time the job was getting more and more demanding. Lacrosse was extremely important to me but it was a perfect segway into not being able to play anymore.

NLL.com: How are you still involved in lacrosse?

Carlson: Interestingly enough, the last two years I’ve been helping my college roommate who also played lacrosse for Calgary and San Jose (Travis Gillespie). I’ve been helping him coach the Chinese Taipei team. I helped coach in the world games in Israel last year as an assistant.

I’m going to Hong Kong for the Hong Kong lacrosse open to coach the team over Easter weekend. It’s been really fun. It’s been difficult to stay involved but it was my passion and it was everything I ever cared about growing up. I didn’t want to just say, “See you later lacrosse.”

Locally, I help out as much as I can with Matt Brown and his whole Denver Elite Box Lacrosse Program. I try to get out to some of those games and practices and help them coach. They want me to do it more, but it’s tough with juggling family.   

I still bring the kids and family down to Mammoth games all the time. We are probably at five games per year.

NLL.com: What is your most fond memory of playing in the NLL?

Carlson: It’s cliche and probably what everyone has said, but it’s winning the NLL Cup in 2006.

(2006 Mammoth head coach Gary) Gait was my idol growing up. I watched him play when I was younger, and me and my friends thought he was the best thing ever. He was one of the reasons I signed with Colorado. He was still playing and he said to me, ‘You could play with me for a few seasons’ and I said Yeah I’d like to do that (laughs). He ended up coaching us in 2006. That’s the best memory. The championship was icing on the cake, but that whole season was just amazing. We had such a great run at the end of the year and I remember Steve Govett was a great GM to play for. It was a magical year.



NLL.com: Do you still keep in touch with any of your teammates and if so, which one (s)?

Carlson: The main one is Tom Effington. We started playing for the Mammoth the same year and we stopped at the same time. He lives in Denver and he was a DU kid. He’s one of my best friends.

I talk to Jamie Hanford a lot, as well as Gavin Prout and Jay Jalbert. Those are the main guys I stay in touch with. Scott Stapleford as well.

NLL.com: What was the hardest part about retiring and hanging up the cleats?

Carlson: It just took a little shot of your pride out. You go, ‘I guess I’m too old.’ I follow the NHL and NFL and I looked at it so differently when I was younger. I thought you could play forever unless you were hurt. But you get to that point of losing a step. You’re a split second slower and then there’s a nagging injury that bothers you more than you used to. You’re more sore after games.

Lacrosse is one of those things that I did my whole life. I played since I was five. It was everything I ever wanted to do as a kid and it comes to an end real quick. It’s a slap in the face.

It was super hard the first week after retiring, but at the time I had a long term girlfriend who I wanted to be my wife one day and you start looking around and you realize that life is not all about lacrosse and that there’s a lot more to this world than the game.

When you’re playing, that’s all that it is. Eat, breathe, sleep lacrosse and that’s all that’s on your mind.

NLL.com: You won the NLL championship with the Mammoth in 2006. Can you describe how tough it is, and what it takes to get through three rounds of the playoffs on your way to the championship?

Carlson: It’s a grind. It’s mentally and physically challenging. Especaily in the NLL where your team isn’t together the whole week. It’s how do you stay a close team and remain tight over those five or six days when you’re not playing so that when you come back to practice, you’re firing on all cylinders. And then of course you have to go out and perform.

In 2006, the one thing Gary and the coaching staff did was basically, we all bought in to the system and it was this is your role, don’t try and do more than that. We focused on that all season.

It’s a lot of being mentally tough and saying Okay, I gotta get through the week, eat right, sleep right and be hydrated so that when we show up for practice we’re ready to go and Saturday night is go time. It was do or die. There were no series back then.



NLL.com: What do you think the biggest difference is with today’s lacrosse game compared to when you played?

Carlson: I think there is more talent. Or the volume of talent is more. There are always the super talented lacrosse players, but now when I watch games I see there are more kids playing at a younger level and the interest in getting to the pro level is there and the competition is better which is why I think the league is expanding. Philadelphia, San Diego, New York….

When I played, an expansion team would win maybe two games, but there weren’t as many good players to make up a whole team.  Now, every team is competitive every single night.

On other side of it, the younger kids – the 21 year olds coming out college – they are all bigger, stronger, faster, and more conditioned. You don’t really find the 5’9 guy anymore. They are all 6’2 or bigger.

NLL.com: Who was the toughest player you ever went up against?

Carlson: I played a transition/defense role mainly. The guy I always had a super tough time with is probably Dan Dawson. I was a lefty D guy so I’d match up with him sometimes and I’d be like ugh, here we go. He was tall, lanky and smart – which is probably why he’s still playing. That’s one that comes to mind. I think there could be a really long list there. Tracey Kelusky and Kleb Toth, both with Calgary, were tough to handle too as well.

NLL.com: Favorite sport and team to follow besides lacrosse?

Carlson: It’s hard living in the United States and not follow the NFL. It’s impossible. I was a huge hockey fan growing up but with the exposure of football it’s hard not to follow. You could say the Broncos but I also like the Patriots. I like the dynasty programs, Tom Brady of course. I love watching those guys at their highest level and watching how the hall of famers approach the game on a Sunday.

It was great watching Peyton Manning every week a couple of years ago in Denver and watching what he does differently to prepare for his game.

NLL