Sting trade Kirkbs to Roughnecks for Secore and first round pick
October 12, 2005 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Arizona Sting News Release
GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- Arizona Sting Head Coach and General Manager Bob Hamley announced Wednesday that he has traded defenseman Rob Kirkby to the Calgary Roughnecks in exchange for forward Andy Secore and a first-round selection in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft.
The 6'3", 215 lb. Kirkby returns to the same Roughnecks team that traded him to the Sting on October 26, 2004 in exchange for Kyle Neufeld, Travis Gillespie and a 2nd round draft pick in the 2004 NLL Entry Draft. The Sting also sent a 3rd round pick in the '06 draft to Calgary in that deal. In 69 career NLL games, Kirkby has 12G-29A-61P in addition to 120 penalty minutes and 305 loose balls. He was a member of Calgary's 2004 Champion's Cup winning team.
Kirkby never played a single game for the Sting after they acquired him, however, as a nagging wrist injury kept him out of action for the duration of the 2005 season. The same injury is expected to keep him on the disabled list for at least the first month of the '06 campaign.
"It's unfortunate that it never worked out for Rob here in Arizona," said Hamley on Wednesday. "We wish him all the best back in Calgary. We're happy to be getting a great prospect in Andy Secore, and we hope he can make an impact on our team this season."
Secore was drafted in the 2nd round (20th overall) by Calgary in the 2005 NLL Entry Draft. As a member of the Six Nations Arrows this past summer in Ontario, the 5'11, 210 lb. forward registered 15 points (3 goals and 12 assists) as his team went all the way to the Minto Cup Finals. A former MVP of the Ontario Junior Lacrosse Association, Secore played alongside current Arizona players Bruce Codd and Dan Dawson as a member of the Brampton Excelsiors team that lost to the Victoria Shamrocks in the 2003 Mann Cup Finals.
The Sting are now in possession of three first-round selections in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft after having recently acquired Toronto's top pick to go along with their own, and now Calgary's. Hamley feels that having so many high selections in next year's draft is of advantage to his team:
"The crop of players coming into the league next year looks to be quite good," said Hamley. "It's always good to be in a position where your team has a solid inventory of high picks in a strong draft year."
The Arizona Sting is a professional indoor lacrosse team playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). In only their second season in the Valley of the Sun, the Sting finished the 2005 regular season with a 9-7. They went on to win the West Division Championship before losing to the Toronto Rock in the Champion's Cup Final. For more information, please call (480) 563-7825 or visit ArizonaSting.com.
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National Lacrosse League Stories from October 12, 2005
- Calgary Roughnecks Sign local Boy - Calgary Roughnecks
- All-star goaltender resigns with Mammoth - Colorado Mammoth
- Sting trade Kirkbs to Roughnecks for Secore and first round pick - Arizona Sting
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