This is one re-write that I had hoped not to have to do.
Two days before the deadline for declaration of opening-day rosters, the National Lacrosse League announced that the Vancouver Ravens would be "removed from the schedule" this season, ostensibly due to their inability to negotiate a new arena lease. Faced with a six-digit bill for rent from Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment (owners of GM Place and the locked-out NHL's Canucks) amidst a reported US$1 million debt load, the Ravens' Tom Mayenknecht, who has already mounted several salvage efforts using his own money, had to find a new barn.
Mayenknecht had been negotiating an agreement for the Pacific Coliseum, a 15,500-seat arena that is part of Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition complex, and home to the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants. Like too many other almost-done deals in the team's short history, this one fell through, and the Ravens were out of options. Although statements from the club and the League sounded guardedly optimistic about a return some time down the line, the dispersal draft leaves little doubt. The Ravens are done, gone the way of the Express, Rebel and Saints, and a revised ten-team schedule has already been announced.
Tom Mayenknecht is my nominee for 2005 NLL Executive of the Year. It's one thing for a GM like, for example, last year's recipient, Colorado's Steve Govett, to spend ownership's money in pursuit of a championship, and more power (no pun intended) to him. It is quite another to, as Mayenknecht has on more than one occasion, hazard one's own personal assets to keep your operation solvent.
I am as puzzled as anyone as to why the Ravens had such troubles, even at the gate, given that the province is one hub of the traditional Ontario-BC lacrosse axis. A quick look at the population might suggest an explanation.
According to the 2001 Census of Canada, the metro Vancouver population is approximately 1.97 million. Three-quarters of a million people immigrated before 2001, and the vast majority of them are from the Pacific Rim. As well-known names like Gill and Dalep might suggest, the south Asian/Indian community does have some affinity with lacrosse, but most of this one-third of the urban population has little or no history with our sport. This situation bears not only on a pro lacrosse fan base, but also on opportunities for finding local ownership money, since a significant proportion of these "new Canadians" are business owners of not inconsiderable success and wealth. It may take a generation for lacrosse to catch on in this new community if at all.
While I am very dissappointed about the fall of the Ravens, the really big news this winter is Gary Gait's announcement on October 26 that 2005 will be his last NLL season.
The man who dominates the individual scoring section of the pro indoor lacrosse record book, No. 22 will take one last crack at a Champion's Cup, the one trophy to elude him in the NLL era, for the Colorado Mammoth. In 1998, the Wings won the championship 2 games to 0 over his Baltimore Thunder. Two seasons later, the Toronto Rock spoiled his birthday, and brother Paul's retirement party, with a double-OT, 12 - 11 semi-final win over his Washington Power at the Air Canada Centre. Last spring, the upstart Calgary Roughnecks came to Denver's Pepsi Center like the proverbial skunk at a garden party, and left with a 13 - 11 victory that propelled them to their championship triumph over the Buffalo Bandits.
Unlike their "big brothers" in the National Hockey League, the NLL owners and the Professional Lacrosse Players Association managed to avoid disaster by successfully negotiating a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement, though not without their share of histrionics, posturing and dire warnings of losing the season (a bluff by the owners so obvious as to embarrass an on-line poker player). The deal includes modest increments in player salaries and benefits, and revenue-sharing that covers income from League television, sponsorship and licensing agreements.
What impact will the NHL's lockout have on NLL attendance? The short answer would be that it cannot but help, especially now, since the chances of salvaging a shortened season all but evaporated with Gary Bettman's curt dismissal of the players' most recent proposal. Back in the summer, NLL Commissioner Jim Jennings made it pretty clear that any move to take advantage of the NHL lockout would be at the initiative of individual teams. The schedule stayed at 16 games per team, and pre-season exhibitions did not increase much over previous years. The clear reason is cost --- you have to spend money, on travel, accommodations and related expenses, to make money. There is insurance coverage to be extended, extra arena dates and costs to be determined, not to mention that TV production costs are the same, pre- or regular season. There was not nearly enough time for owners to re-work budgets and training camp schedules, --- all this, without even considering the availability of players who have day jobs.
If the NHL impasse extends into next winter, there might be a real opportunity for an extended NLL season, given the extra lead time, but to what long-term end? When hockey does resume, possibly minus a franchise or two, extra dates for lacrosse disappear. With six of ten NLL teams with ownership ties to NHL clubs and/or arenas, and Jim Jennings' business model, the time to expand, either the League or the schedule, is when the NHL is healthy, not when it is in self-imposed limbo.
The other noteworthy development is that the Minnesota Twin Cities will be home to the newest NLL club. [see earlier pieces for my opinions about singular collective team names). Although there was an ultimate irony to the original announcements about the League's 11th franchise, coming as they did before the demise of the Ravens, the Swarm seem to be off on the right foot, with ownership by the local NHL franchise. More irony here, since the Minneapolis-St. Paul area was home to the original NHL North Stars, a contender under GM Lou Nanne, who eventually decamped to "Big D" to become the Dallas Stars, before the arrival of a new franchise to be called the Wild [another wince here], now taking form under up-and-coming GM Doug Risebrough.
Into this tradition of sterling General Managership comes Marty O'Neill, to whom the Philadelphia Wings had turned after the retirement of Tony "Rock Crusher" Resch. O'Neill, and coach Adam Meuller were unable to right the Wings, who remain adrift pending judgement, which I have no doubt will be swift in coming from the 'Wingnut Nation', on the performance of Orangeville, Ontario's Lindsay Sanderson, who cut his NLL teeth in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, teamed up with brother Terry.
Finally, several previously experimental rule changes will be permanently adopted for 2005. Sudden-death overtime periods are extended from 5 to 15 minutes, teams will dress 18 players, including 2 goalies, and five-minute major penalties for boarding, checking from behind, illegal cross-checking, charging and high-sticking, will also carry an automatic game misconduct if the foul results in injury. More interesting is some further hybridizing of the NLL's mix of field and box rules: passing back into the crease becomes a loss-of-possession infraction, contact on loose balls is extended from one to three yards off the ball, and, most puzzling, trapping and clamping are now deemed "legal" face-off moves.
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