NLL Announces 2018-19 Season Award Winners
July 19, 2019 - National Lacrosse League (NLL) News Release
PHILADELPHIA - 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
National Lacrosse League Stories from July 19, 2019
- NLL Announces 2018-19 Season Award Winners - NLL
- Rush Re-Up Shattler for Two More Seasons - Saskatchewan Rush
- Crawford Named to All-Pro Team - New England Black Wolves
- Dane Dobbie Named 2019 NLL Most Valuable Player - Calgary Roughnecks
- NLL Names Eli McLaughlin Second-Team All-Pro and Kyle Killen All-Rookie - Colorado Mammoth
- Lyle Thompson Named to NLL All-Pro First Team; Brendan Bomberry Named to NLL All-Rookie Team - Georgia Swarm
- Vinc, Priolo, MacKay Earn 2019 End-Of-Season Honors - Buffalo Bandits
- Georgia Swarm Unveil New Membership Site - Georgia Swarm
- Austin Staats Named NLL Rookie of the Year - San Diego Seals
- NY Riptide Show Support for Veterans at Shootout for Soldiers Event on Long Island - New York Riptide
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
