After the
2008 season was cancelled and then reinstated, the
Boston Blazers and
Arizona Sting both announced that they would not participate in the 2008 season, and would return in 2009.[2] However, in the summer of 2008 the Arizona Sting ceased operations and its players were put in a
dispersal draft.[3] The Blazers drafted former Sting and
LumberJax forward
Dan Dawson first overall.[4]
x: Clinched playoff berth; c: Clinched playoff berth by crossing over to another division; y: Clinched division; z: Clinched best regular season record; GP: Games Played W: Wins; L: Losses; GB:
Games back; PCT: Win percentage; Home: Record at Home; Road: Record on the Road; GF: Goals scored; GA: Goals allowed Differential: Difference between goals scored and allowed; GF/GP: Average number of goals scored per game; GA/GP: Average number of goals allowed per game
August 19, 2008: The NLL announced that the
Minnesota Swarm would be moving from the East division to the West division, giving the West six teams to the East's seven.[8]
September 2, 2008: The
Rochester Knighthawks announce that Paul Suggate will be the new head coach. Freeman Bucktooth and former team captain Mike Hasen were also named assistant coaches.[10]
September 7, 2008: Just hours before the entry draft, the
Toronto Rock,
San Jose Stealth, and
Rochester Knighthawks made a blockbuster trade. Toronto sent
Aaron Wilson and a 2009 first round draft pick to Rochester, who sent
Stephen Hoar back to Toronto. Toronto also received
Luke Wiles from San Jose, while San Jose gets Rochester's first round pick in the 2008 entry draft.[11]
September 9, 2008: Rochester Knighthawks star
John Grant, Jr. announced that he would miss the entire 2009 season after undergoing emergency surgery to remove an infection in the
ACL in his left knee.[12]
October 15, 2008: The
Rochester Knighthawks acquired the rights to lacrosse legend
Gary Gait from the
Colorado Mammoth for forward Andrew Potter and first-round draft picks in both 2009 and 2010. Gait, whose single-season scoring record was shattered during the
2008 season by
Athan Iannucci, originally retired from the NLL after the
2005 season.[14]
November 11, 2008: Legendary goaltender
Dallas Eliuk announced that he will not play in 2009, taking a job as an assistant coach with the
Portland LumberJax.[15] Eliuk did not officially announce his retirement until December 9.[16] Eliuk won four NLL championships, all with the
Wings, and is the NLL's all-time leader in saves.
December 24, 2008: Less than four months after taking the job and without a single regular season game under his belt, Paul Suggate resigned his position as
Rochester head coach.[18] No reason was given for Suggate's resignation. Only two days later, the Knighthawks announced that lacrosse legend
Paul Gait had been hired as head coach.[19]
Regular season
January 3, 2009: The
Toronto Rock won the first-ever Florida Lacrosse Cup, defeating the
New York Titans 15-14 to open the season.
Blaine Manning scored the winner, his fourth goal of the game, with 38 seconds left in regulation time to seal the victory, and was named Overall Player of the Week.[20]
January 10, 2009: Jim Jennings announced his resignation as commissioner of the NLL, stating: "I feel that I have accomplished all the goals I set out to do at the NLL. I want to spend some time with my family before pursuing other opportunities and taking on the next challenge." NLL Deputy Commissioner and COO George Daniel was named Interim Commissioner.[21]
January 10, 2009:
Gary Gait scored five goals in his return to the NLL, but Rochester lost to Philadelphia 16-13.[22]
January 16, 2009: In a 23-6 loss at
Buffalo, the
Rochester Knighthawks allowed the most goals in a single game in their history. The 17-point defeat was also their most lopsided loss ever.[23]
January 20, 2009: Only three games into the season, the
Toronto Rock fired head coach
Glenn Clark and assistant coach Terry Bullen and hired former
Chicago Shamrox and
Colorado Mammoth coach
Jamie Batley as the new head coach. Assistant coach
Jim Veltman was relieved of his coaching duties, but remained with the Rock as an advisor.[24]
March 20, 2009: The
San Jose Stealth announced that offensive coordinator Chris Hall has been named head coach, while former head coach Jeff Dowling will take over Hall's post as offensive coordinator.[27]
April 11, 2009: San Jose Stealth rookie
Rhys Duch scored five goals and added three assists, giving him 86 points for the season, breaking Gavin Prout's rookie scoring record. In the same game, Stealth captain
Colin Doyle tied
Josh Sanderson's single-season assists record of 71.[28]
April 17, 2009: Calgary's
Josh Sanderson finished the season with 74 assists, breaking his own single-season record of 71. The next night, Boston's
Dan Dawson had five assists, tying him with Sanderson for the league lead and record.[29]
April 18, 2009: Rhys Duch extends his new rookie scoring record to 89, with one goal and two assists against the
Toronto Rock.[29]
Post-season
April 22, 2009: After missing the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years, the Philadelphia Wings fired GM Lindsay Sanderson. The Wings were 38-42 during Sanderson's five-year tenure, and only made the playoffs once.[30]
April 29, 2009: Toronto Rock Director of Lacrosse Operations Mike Kloepfer announced his resignation. The Rock were 19-29 in three years under Kloepfer, missing the playoffs in both 2008 and 2009.[31]
May 4, 2009: The
Portland LumberJax announced that they will not be playing in Portland next season. Executive vice president Brian Silcott said that the team will not fold, but they are looking at either moving or selling the franchise; the franchise did fold, however.[32]
May 9, 2009: Both division final games featured outstanding performances by the winning goaltenders. In New York,
Matt Vinc stopped 41 out of 44 shots and kept the
Buffalo Bandits to only three goals as the Titans defeated Buffalo 9-3.[33] In Calgary, Matt King shut the
San Jose Stealth out for the first three quarters and even scored a goal of his own - the game-winner - as Calgary destroyed the Stealth 17-5.
May 15, 2009: The Calgary Roughnecks defeated the New York Titans 12-10 to capture their second Champions Cup title.
May 19, 2009: The
Edmonton Rush fired head coach and GM
Bob Hamley after finishing last in the West for the second straight season.[34]
All-Star game
The 2009 All-Star Game was held at
Pepsi Center in
Denver on March 7, 2009.[35] The East beat the West 27-21 as Buffalo's
Mark Steenhuis scored seven goals and six assists on his way to his third All-Star Game MVP award.[36]