National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United Stat ...
season, the 26th in the history of the NLL, began on January 8, 2012 and ended with the Championship game on May 19, 2012. The
Rochester Knighthawks
The Rochester Knighthawks (also known as the K-Hawks) are a professional box lacrosse team in the North Division of the National Lacrosse League. They play in Rochester, New York at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
The Knighthawks are ow ...
won their third NLL Championship, and first-ever in Rochester, defeating the
Edmonton Rush
The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from 2006 NLL season to 2015.
The team announced on July 20, 2015, that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the 2016 sea ...
9-6 in the final game.
Mid-way through the off-season, the
Boston Blazers
The Boston Blazers were an indoor lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The Blazers were based in Boston, Massachusetts, and began play in the 2009 NLL season.
The team was owned by Tim Armstrong, the former President of Advertis ...
announced that they would not be participating in the 2012 season due to problems in securing a facility in which to play. A
dispersal draft
A dispersal draft is a process in professional sports for assigning players to a new team when their current team ceases to exist or is merged with another team. Like most other sports drafts, most dispersal drafts are conducted in North America.
...
was held and
Dan Dawson
Dan Dawson (born December 11, 1981) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player for the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League, Brampton Excelsiors (MSL) of Major Series Lacrosse, and is currently a free agent in Major League Lacrosse. Daws ...
, for the third time in his career, was the first overall pick, heading to the Philadelphia Wings. Kyle Rubisch was taken second by the
Edmonton Rush
The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from 2006 NLL season to 2015.
The team announced on July 20, 2015, that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the 2016 sea ...
, and the
Minnesota Swarm
The Minnesota Swarm was a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League who played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 2004 until 2015. The team's previous owners (Minnesota Sports & Entertainment) who also own the NHL's ...
Josh Sanderson
Josh "Shooter" Sanderson (born April 23, 1977 in Orangeville, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional lacrosse player. Sanderson played 19 seasons in the National Lacrosse League including nine with the Toronto Rock.
In 2002, as a member of th ...
with the third and fourth picks. The Swarm immediately traded Sanderson to the
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock are a professional box lacrosse franchise based in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team was the first Canadian franchise in the NLL. ...
.
Casey Powell
Casey Powell (born February 18, 1976) is a Hall of Fame American former college and professional lacrosse player from West Carthage, New York. In 1998, he graduated from Syracuse University, where he was a four-time USILA All-American. Powell was ...
, after a knee injury in the MLL Championship game, wasn't chosen until the second round when the
Rochester Knighthawks
The Rochester Knighthawks (also known as the K-Hawks) are a professional box lacrosse team in the North Division of the National Lacrosse League. They play in Rochester, New York at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
The Knighthawks are ow ...
took a chance. Powell did not play in 2012 at all.
Both defending division champions got off to rough starts in 2012, as the Toronto Rock lost their first two and the
Washington Stealth
The Washington Stealth were a member of the National Lacrosse League, the professional box lacrosse league of North America from the 2010 NLL season through the 2013 NLL season. They were based in Everett (part of the Seattle metropolitan are ...
lost their first three. The Rock recovered and won their next three, eventually finishing atop the East division, but the Stealth had their worst season in franchise history, finishing 4-12 and the only team out of the playoffs. The Buffalo Bandits won their first two games but then went on a franchise-record six-game losing streak, during which head coach and GM
Darris Kilgour Darris Kilgour is a former professional lacrosse player and coach. Kilgour currently is the head coach of the Seneca WarChiefs ( FNJBLL). He is from the Tuscarora Indian Reservation near Lewiston New York.
Player
Kilgour played for the Buffalo B ...
called the team "stupid" and "pathetic", and said "I totally question the hearts of basically everybody but about four guys on our team". The Bandits won three of their last four games to finish in fourth place in the East and getting a first-round playoff game against the Toronto Rock.
The
Colorado Mammoth
The Colorado Mammoth are a box lacrosse team playing in the National Lacrosse League. The Mammoth have played at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, since the 2003 season. They are owned by Stan Kroenke, who is also the owner of the Colorado Avalanch ...
only won 5 games in 2011 but in 2012, they had surpassed that total before losing a game. The Mammoth began the year winning 6 in a row and finished with an 11-5 record, good for second in the west behind the 12-5
Calgary Roughnecks
The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and play their home games on WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome. The te ...
. Despite having a league-high 12 rookies playing on the roster, the
Minnesota Swarm
The Minnesota Swarm was a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League who played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 2004 until 2015. The team's previous owners (Minnesota Sports & Entertainment) who also own the NHL's ...
surprised many finishing third with a 9-7 record.
The 2012 season will be known as a record-breaking year in the NLL. John Grant, Jr. was named league MVP for the second time in his career after scoring 116 points, breaking
John Tavares
John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft ...
' eleven-year-old single-season scoring record. Grant also scored his 500th career goal and 1000th career point during the season. Toronto Rock forward Garrett Billings finished only two points back of Grant but amassed 82 assists, breaking the old record of 74.
Team movement
The
Boston Blazers
The Boston Blazers were an indoor lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The Blazers were based in Boston, Massachusetts, and began play in the 2009 NLL season.
The team was owned by Tim Armstrong, the former President of Advertis ...
announced in September 2011 that they would not participate in the 2012 season. A dispersal draft was held on September 9, 2011, as the Philadelphia Wings took Blazers captain and top scorer
Dan Dawson
Dan Dawson (born December 11, 1981) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player for the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League, Brampton Excelsiors (MSL) of Major Series Lacrosse, and is currently a free agent in Major League Lacrosse. Daws ...
first overall.
Final standings
Playoffs
Milestones and events
Pre-season
* September 1, 2011: The Boston Blazers announced that they would not be participating in the 2012 season.
* September 23, 2011: The NLL announced that there would be several rule changes for the 2012 season. The major changes were:
** For major penalties, the team will be short-handed for five minutes ''or'' if the opposing team scores three (rather than two) goals.
** When a team gains possession of the ball in their own end, they now have eight seconds (rather than ten) to get the ball over centre.
** When the whistle is blown to indicate a loss of possession, the player with the ball must immediately put it on the floor. Throwing it or rolling it away is now a penalty.
** Goaltender pads will be one inch narrower.
* October 26, 2011: The playoff format has changed for the 2012 season. Eight teams will still make the playoffs, four from each division, and the single-game elimination format is retained. However, if the fifth-place team in the West Division has a better record than the fourth-place team in the East, the West division team will take its place. This "crossover" rule is already in use in
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
and the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
.
* November 29, 2011: The NLL announced several more rule changes for the 2012 season:
** Challenges to on-field calls will be limited to one per team per half
** The maximum length of a stick is reduced from 46 to 42 inches.
* The Philadelphia Wings announced that during the February 12 game against the
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse team in the East Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, t ...
, the Wings players will wear special jerseys with their
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
user names instead of their last names. The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off after the game, with the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
Regular season
* January 21, 2012: John Grant, Jr. became the fifth player in NLL history to score 1000 points with an assist on a Derek Hopcroft goal in
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
's 13-12 overtime win over the
Calgary Roughnecks
The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and play their home games on WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome. The te ...
. Grant started the season with 30 points in three games.
* January 26, 2012:
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock are a professional box lacrosse franchise based in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team was the first Canadian franchise in the NLL. ...
captain Colin Doyle suffered a lower body injury early in the Rock's 13-11 defeat of the Knighthawks. The injury kept him out of the lineup during the Rock's game against the
Calgary Roughnecks
The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and play their home games on WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome. The te ...
the next night, ending his consecutive game streak at 188 games. Doyle is now tied with
Steve Toll
Steve Toll (born June 16, 1974 in St. Catharines, Ontario) is a former lacrosse player and current executive in the Canadian Lacrosse League. In his 14-year National Lacrosse League career, Toll won five NLL Championships four with the Toronto Roc ...
for the NLL record.
* February 13, 2012: The
Edmonton Rush
The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from 2006 NLL season to 2015.
The team announced on July 20, 2015, that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the 2016 sea ...
traded holdout
Athan Iannucci
Athan Iannucci (born April 15, 1982) is a professional lacrosse player. He played collegiate lacrosse at Hofstra University. Iannucci played professional lacrosse for the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. He was a member of the n ...
and a second-round draft pick to the
Washington Stealth
The Washington Stealth were a member of the National Lacrosse League, the professional box lacrosse league of North America from the 2010 NLL season through the 2013 NLL season. They were based in Everett (part of the Seattle metropolitan are ...
in exchange for
Paul Rabil
Paul Rabil (born December 14, 1985), is an American former professional lacrosse player and co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League. He played for the Cannons Lacrosse Club and Atlas Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League, as well as the ...
and a first-round pick. Iannucci was acquired from the Philadelphia Wings in the off-season for Brodie Merrill, but never signed with the Rush.
* February 15, 2012: Five members of the
Rochester Knighthawks
The Rochester Knighthawks (also known as the K-Hawks) are a professional box lacrosse team in the North Division of the National Lacrosse League. They play in Rochester, New York at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.
The Knighthawks are ow ...
were suspended indefinitely by the league after a "brawl" at a restaurant in
Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, on the north bank of the Minnesota River, above its confluence with the Mississippi River, south of downtown Minneapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 89,987, ma ...
.
Cody Jamieson
Cody Jamieson (born July 17, 1987) is a Mohawk lacrosse player from the Turtle Clan at Grand River. He plays for the Halifax Thunderbirds of the National Lacrosse League, the New York Lizards of Major League Lacrosse, and the Six Nations Chiefs in ...
, Tyler Burton, Sid Smith, Travis Hill, and
Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall is a 1,051-seat concert hall in Boston, Massachusetts, the principal performance space of the New England Conservatory. It is one block from Boston's Symphony Hall. It is the only conservatory building in the United States to be de ...
were arrested, charged with various misdemeanors, and released. The suspensions were lifted a week later.
* February 17, 2012: Former NLL Goaltender of the YearAnthony Cosmo was traded from the
Minnesota Swarm
The Minnesota Swarm was a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League who played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 2004 until 2015. The team's previous owners (Minnesota Sports & Entertainment) who also own the NHL's ...
to the
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse team in the East Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, t ...
for first-round draft picks in both 2013 and 2014. Cosmo was selected by the Swarm in the
Boston Blazers
The Boston Blazers were an indoor lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The Blazers were based in Boston, Massachusetts, and began play in the 2009 NLL season.
The team was owned by Tim Armstrong, the former President of Advertis ...
dispersal draft but had not played with the Swarm.
* February 22, 2012: The
Minnesota Swarm
The Minnesota Swarm was a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League who played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 2004 until 2015. The team's previous owners (Minnesota Sports & Entertainment) who also own the NHL's ...
named Associate General Manager Joe Sullivan head coach, replacing Mike Lines. No reason was given for the move.
* March 2, 2012: John Grant, who reached the 1,000-point milestone earlier in the year, scored his 500th career goal in a 16-13 win over the
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse team in the East Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, t ...
. Grant became only the third player in NLL history to reach 500 goals, the other two being
Gary Gait
Gary Charles Gait (born April 5, 1967) is a Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player and currently the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Syracuse University, where he played the sport collegiately. On January 24, 2017, ...
and
John Tavares
John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft ...
.
* March 10, 2012: Shawn Williams became the sixth player in NLL history, and second this season, to reach the 1,000-point plateau as his
Edmonton Rush
The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from 2006 NLL season to 2015.
The team announced on July 20, 2015, that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the 2016 sea ...
lost 16-9 to the
Calgary Roughnecks
The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and play their home games on WestJet Field at Scotiabank Saddledome. The te ...
. Williams joins NLL legends
Gary Gait
Gary Charles Gait (born April 5, 1967) is a Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player and currently the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Syracuse University, where he played the sport collegiately. On January 24, 2017, ...
,
John Tavares
John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft ...
Josh Sanderson
Josh "Shooter" Sanderson (born April 23, 1977 in Orangeville, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional lacrosse player. Sanderson played 19 seasons in the National Lacrosse League including nine with the Toronto Rock.
In 2002, as a member of th ...
, and Williams' former Knighthawk teammate John Grant, Jr., who reached the milestone in January.
* March 17, 2012: John Tavares scored the game-winning goal in a 13-10 win against the
Minnesota Swarm
The Minnesota Swarm was a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League who played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 2004 until 2015. The team's previous owners (Minnesota Sports & Entertainment) who also own the NHL's ...
. The goal was Tavares' 1,600th point in his 21-year NLL career.
* April 7, 2012:
Dan Dawson
Dan Dawson (born December 11, 1981) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player for the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League, Brampton Excelsiors (MSL) of Major Series Lacrosse, and is currently a free agent in Major League Lacrosse. Daws ...
recorded his 75th and 76th assists of the year, breaking the single-season assists record of 74 previously held by Dawson and
Josh Sanderson
Josh "Shooter" Sanderson (born April 23, 1977 in Orangeville, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional lacrosse player. Sanderson played 19 seasons in the National Lacrosse League including nine with the Toronto Rock.
In 2002, as a member of th ...
.
* April 23, 2012: Garrett Billings recorded his 79th assist, surpassing Dan Dawson for the league lead and setting a new mark for assists in a season.
* April 28, 2012: John Grant set a new single-season scoring record, recording his 116th point with a goal in Colorado's 16–14 loss to the
Minnesota Swarm
The Minnesota Swarm was a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League who played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 2004 until 2015. The team's previous owners (Minnesota Sports & Entertainment) who also own the NHL's ...
. Grant surpassed the record of 115 points, set by
John Tavares
John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft ...
in 2001.
* April 28, 2012: Garrett Billings finished the season with 82 assists, setting the new single-season assist record.
Media Coverage
Beginning with the 2012 NLL season, U.S. broadcast rights shifted to
CBS Sports Network
CBS Sports Network (a.k.a. CBSSN) is an American pay television network owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. When it launched in 2002 as the National College Sports Network (later College Sports Television also known as ...
, which carried eight regular season games, all of them live.
A new weekly one-hour radio show called "Toronto Rock Total Access" about the
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock are a professional box lacrosse franchise based in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team was the first Canadian franchise in the NLL. ...
began on January 2, 2012 on
TSN Radio
TSN Radio is a semi-national sports radio brand and part-time network in Canada carried on AM radio stations owned by Bell Media.TSN or
TSN2
TSN2 is a Canadian English language sports specialty channel that acts as the secondary feed of sports-centred channel The Sports Network (TSN) and owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc. It was launched in its current form on August 29, 2008.
F ...
.
The Edmonton Rush and Calgary Roughnecks announced on January 19, 2012 that their four "Battle of Alberta" games would be televised on
Sportsnet
Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then ...
.
All-Star game
The 2012 All-Star Game was held at the
First Niagara Center
KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York. Originally known as Marine Midland Arena, the venue has since been named HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center. Home to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League ...
in Buffalo on February 25, 2012. The West came back from a 9-2 deficit in the second quarter to win the game 20-18. The Calgary Roughneck's
Geoff Snider
Geoff Snider (born 2 April 1981) is a retired Canadian lacrosse player from Calgary, Alberta.
Amateur career
Growing up, Snider played for the Calgary Hornets in the Calgary District Lacrosse Association. His junior lacrosse career began with t ...
was named Game MVP, scoring 4 goals and 2 assists, and winning 22 of 26 faceoffs.
All-Star teams
* - Not playing due to injury ** - Not playing due to holdout status
Awards
Annual
All-Pro teams
First Team
* John Grant, Jr., Colorado
* Garrett Billings, Toronto
*
Dan Dawson
Dan Dawson (born December 11, 1981) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player for the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League, Brampton Excelsiors (MSL) of Major Series Lacrosse, and is currently a free agent in Major League Lacrosse. Daws ...
, Philadelphia
* Andrew Suitor, Minnesota
* Kyle Rubisch, Edmonton
*
Mike Poulin
Mike Poulin (born December 17, 1985 in Kitchener, Ontario) is a professional lacrosse goaltender wearing #30 for the Georgia Swarm in the National Lacrosse League. He formerly played for thCalgary Roughnecks the Toronto Rock and the Boston Bla ...
, Calgary
Second Team
*
John Tavares
John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft ...
Brodie Merrill
Brodie Merrill (born November 5, 1981) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player. He currently plays in the National Lacrosse League for the San Diego Seals and Premier Lacrosse League for the Cannons. Merrill is recognized by the Premier Lacross ...
, Philadelphia
* Jeff Gilbert, Minnesota
* Mike Carnegie, Calgary
*
Aaron Bold
Aaron Bold (born April 22, 1985) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player who plays goalie for the Vancouver Warriors of the National Lacrosse League. Bold was drafted in the third round (29th overall) in the 2005 National Lacrosse League entr ...
Kevin Crowley
Kevin Crowley (born November 13, 1988 in New Westminster, British Columbia) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player for the Vancouver Warriors in the National Lacrosse League Crowley is the first of only three players in the history of lacross ...
, Philadelphia
* Jordan MacIntosh, Minnesota
* Evan Kirk, Minnesota
* Johnny Powless, Rochester
* Stephen Keogh, Rochester
Weekly awards
The NLL gives out
awards
An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration.
An award ...
weekly for the best offensive player, best transition player, best defensive player, and best rookie. The "Best Overall Player" award is no longer being given out.
Monthly awards
Awards are also given out monthly for the best overall player and best rookie.
Statistics leaders
Bold numbers indicate new single-season records. ''Italics'' indicate tied single-season records.
See also
*
2012 in sports
2012 in sports various events were held, notably the Summer Olympics were held in London, United Kingdom.
Events by month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Alpine ski ...
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United Stat ...