2021 Premier Lacrosse League season
| 2021 Premier Lacrosse League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Premier Lacrosse League |
| Sport | Field lacrosse |
| Duration | June 4 – September 19 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| 3rd Season | |
| Finals champions | TBD |
| Runners-up | TBD |
The 2021 Premier Lacrosse League season will be the third season for the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). 2021 will represent a return to the tour-based format that the league followed in 2019 after playing a bubble tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns.[1] 2021 also represents a return to one unified professional Field Lacrosse format after Major League Lacrosse and the Premier Lacrosse League announced they were merging on December 16, 2020.[2] This monumental merger sees the Cannons Lacrosse Club moving from the MLL to the PLL as an 8th team set by expansion draft. Like last season, this year will begin with the Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club competing as defending league champions.
Expansion
The addition of an eighth team, the Cannons Lacrosse Club, allows for schedule flexibility and natural bye weeks to occur for each team throughout the season.[3] While the MLL fielded six teams last season and the PLL fielded seven, the post-merger PLL chose to expand by only one team to maintain the highest level of competition. The Cannons will form their initial PLL roster core through an expansion draft of unprotected players from the other seven clubs. Former MLL players will have a chance to join a roster through a new player draft, occurring on March 25.
Player movement
The 2021 PLL waiver wire and trading period began on February 9. On February 28, expansion draft protected rosters are due and the waiver wire closes. On March 11, the Cannons Lacrosse Club will conduct their expansion draft and on March 25, the entire league will participate in an entry draft for former MLL players. The waiver wire with then reopen for the Cannons on March 26 and for the rest pf the teams on March 30. The 2021 collegiate draft will be held on April 6. The conclusion of player movement through trade windows and the waiver wire is set for April 30.
| A | Attack | D | Defense | FOS | Faceoff Specialist | ||
| G | Goaltender | LSM | Long Stick Midfield | M | Midfield | ||
| SSDM | Short Stick Defensive Midfield |
Waiver wire
The first league waiver wire period began on February 9. Notable players to change teams at this time included:
Trades
The following notable trades were made during the 2021 league year:
- February 11: Atlas traded A Rob Pannell to the Redwoods for the third overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft and a second round pick in the 2022 College Draft.[4]
- February 25: Chaos traded A Connor Fields to the Archers for M Ian MacKay.[5]
- February 28: Atlas send M Paul Rabil and the sixth overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft to the Cannons for the ninth overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft, eighth overall pick in the 2021 College Draft, and a 2022 College Draft first round selection.[6]
- March 2: Atlas send A Ryan Brown to the Waterdogs for the eleventh overall pick in the 2021 College Draft.[7]
Notable retirements
The following notable players retired prior to the 2021 season:
- A Kevin Buchanan - Began his professional field career with the Los Angeles Riptide in 2008. Also spent time with the Bayhawks, Chicago Machine, and Boston Cannons. Buchanan spent the last two seasons with the Chaos Lacrosse Club. He retires with 282 career points outdoors. At the time of his retirement, Buchanan also had 421 points in the NLL.
- A Matt Danowski - Seven-time All-Star, Three-time All-Pro, and Co-Captain of the 2018 World Champion Team USA. Played for the Pride, Lizards, Hounds, Bayhawks, and Chrome during his 13-year career.
- M Jeremy Sieverts - Seven-time All-Star and five-time champion in both the MLL and PLL after going undrafted. Played eleven season with the Bayhawks, Outlaws, and Whipsnakes.
- SSDM Ty Warner - Drafted by the Florida Launch in 2018. Two-time PLL champion with the Whipsnakes and George Boiardi Hard Hat SSDM of the year (2020 PLL Championship Series). Warner announced he was stepping away from lacrosse to focus on medical school and his rights will be retained by the Whipsnakes through the 2022 season should he choose to return.
Other retirements
- Andrew Hodgson
- Brian Karalunas
- Joe Locascio
- Brent Noseworthy
- Nick Ossello
- Tyler Pfister
- Brett Schmidt
Expansion Draft
The Cannons Expansion Draft will take place on Thursday, March 11 to select an initial roster from players left unprotected by their team come March 1.[8]
Expansion Draft Format:
- 18 Round Draft
- Max 3 players selected per existing PLL team
- Existing teams will protect 14 players (1-2 goalies + 12-13 field players)
- Teams must protect players selected in the 2020 College Draft
Player Entry Draft
All former MLL players, totaling more than 100 athletes, are currently without teams. Some of these players, along with NLL and other non-collegiate athletes without professional field experience, will be selected to team rosters in a specially formulated three-round draft on March 25. The expansion Cannons will be selecting first in each round and the selection slot of other teams was determined by lottery draw on February 10.[9]
| Rnd. | Pick # | PLL Team | Player | Pos. | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Cannons | Lyle Thompson | Attack | Albany |
| 1 | 2 | Archers | Graeme Hossack | Defense | Lindenwood |
| 1 | 3 | Atlas | Daniel Bucaro | Attack | Georgetown |
| 1 | 4 | Waterdogs | Liam Byrnes | Defense | Marquette |
| 1 | 5 | Chrome | Randy Staats | Attack | Syracuse |
| 1 | 6 | Cannons | Zach Goodrich | Short Stick Defense | Towson |
| 1 | 7 | Whipsnakes | Chris Aslanian | Attack/Midfield | Hobart |
| 1 | 8 | Chaos | Max Adler | Face-off | Bentley |
| 2 | 1 | Atlas | Michael Rexrode | Defense | Rutgers |
| 2 | 2 | Archers | Ryan McNamara | Midfield | Marquette |
| 2 | 3 | Redwoods | Ryan Lee | Attack | RIT |
| 2 | 4 | Waterdogs | Mikie Schlosser | Midfield | Michigan |
| 2 | 5 | Chrome | Sean Sconone | Goalie | UMass |
| 2 | 6 | Atlas | Andrew Newbold | Defense | Sacred Heart |
| 2 | 7 | Whipsnakes | Charlie Hayes | SSDM | Detroit Mercy |
| 2 | 8 | Chaos | Challen Rogers | Midfield | Stony Brook |
| 3 | 1 | Cannons | Nick Marrocco | Goalie | Georgetown |
| 3 | 2 | Archers | Warren Jeffrey | Defense | Vermont |
| 3 | 3 | Redwoods | Isaiah Davis-Allen | SSDM | Maryland |
| 3 | 4 | Waterdogs | Ben Randall | Defense | Ohio State |
| 3 | 5 | Chrome | Colin Heacock | Midfield | Maryland |
| 3 | 6 | Atlas | Brendan Sunday | Attack | Towson |
| 3 | 7 | Whipsnakes | Bryan Cole | Midfield | Maryland |
| 3 | 8 | Chaos | Kyle Jackson | Midfield | Michigan |
College Draft
Due to NCAA eligibility rules in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many college seniors returned for a fifth year of eligibility in the spring 2021 season.[10] As a result, this year's draft on April 26 was expected to be among the most talent saturated in years.[11] It once again aired on NBCSN beginning at 10:30 EDT and hosted by Paul Burmeister, along with analyst Ryan Boyle on the broadcast. PLL coaches called in via video call for breakdowns of their draft picks.[12]
Format:
- Each club was awarded four picks, with the exception of Atlas LC and Chaos LC, which own six picks each.
- Eligible players must currently be in their senior season.
Coaching changes
- Cannons Lacrosse Club – Following weeks of uncertainty, Sean Quirk was officially named the head coach of Cannons Lacrosse Club on January 19.[13] Quirk served from 2016 through the 2020 season as the head coach of the MLL's Boston Cannons. In 2020, he was named MLL Coach of the Year.[14] On February 9, the Cannons announced the return of John Klepacki (Boston Cannons) and addition of Sean Kirwan (Virginia) to the assistant coaching staff.
Schedule
The 2021 tour schedule will run eleven weeks long, including three playoff weekends and an All-Star game.[15] A total of 43 games will take place in this time frame.
| Week | Date | Games | Time (ET) | Venue | City | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 4 | Cannons 11–12 Redwoods |
7:00 pm | Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA (Boston) | TBD | |
| June 5 | Whipsnakes 13–7 Chaos |
5:00 pm | |||||
| Archers 18–6 Atlas |
7:45 pm | ||||||
| June 6 | Waterdogs 7–13 Cannons |
1:00 pm | |||||
| Chrome 11–14 Redwoods |
3:45 pm | ||||||
| 2 | June 11 | Chaos vs. Waterdogs | 7:00 pm | Fifth Third Bank Stadium at Kennesaw State University | Atlanta, GA | ||
| June 12 | Whipsnakes vs. Cannons | 12:00 pm | |||||
| Redwoods vs. Atlas | 3:00 pm | ||||||
| June 13 | Chrome vs. Waterdogs | 1:00 pm | |||||
| Chaos vs. Archers | 3:45 pm | ||||||
| 3 | June 25 | Whipsnakes vs. Atlas | 8:00 pm | Homewood Field | Baltimore, MD | ||
| June 26 | Redwoods vs. Chaos | 5:15 pm | |||||
| Waterdogs vs. Archers | 8:00 pm | ||||||
| June 27 | Cannons vs. Atlas | 12:00 pm | |||||
| Chrome vs. Whipsnakes | 2:45 pm | ||||||
| 4 | July 2 | Archers vs. Chrome | 7:00 pm | Shuart Stadium | Long Island, NY | ||
| July 3 | Redwoods vs. Waterdogs | 12:00 pm | |||||
| Cannons vs. Chaos | 3:00 pm | ||||||
| July 4 | Chrome vs. Atlas | 12:15 pm | |||||
| Whipsnakes vs. Archers | 3:00 pm | ||||||
| 5 | July 9 | Waterdogs vs. Cannons | 8:00 pm | TCO Stadium | Eagan, MN (Minneapolis) | ||
| July 10 | Redwoods vs. Whipsnakes | 6:00 pm | |||||
| Atlas vs. Chaos | 8:45 pm | ||||||
| July 11 | Chrome vs. Waterdogs | 5:15 pm | |||||
| Cannons vs. Archers | 8:00 pm | ||||||
| PLL All-Star Game | July 18 | All-Star Game | 7:00 pm | PayPal Park | San Jose, CA | ||
| Skills Competition | 9:30 pm | ||||||
| 6 | July 30 | Atlas vs. Chrome | 9:00 pm | Weidner Field | Colorado Springs, CO | ||
| July 31 | Archers vs. Redwoods | 7:15 pm | |||||
| Waterdogs vs. Whipsnakes | 10:00 pm | ||||||
| August 1 | Chaos vs. Chrome | 2:00 pm | |||||
| Atlas vs. Cannons | 4:45 pm | ||||||
| 8 | August 13 | Redwoods vs. Whipsnakes | 6:00 pm | Tom and Mary Casey Stadium at the University of Albany | Albany, NY | ||
| Archers vs. Chaos | 8:30 pm | ||||||
| August 14 | Atlas vs. Waterdogs | 4:15 pm | |||||
| Cannons vs. Chrome | 7:00 pm | ||||||
| August 15 | Chaos vs. Redwoods | 2:00 pm | |||||
| Archers vs. Whipsnakes | 4:45 pm | ||||||
| 9 | August 20 | Playoffs: Quarterfinals | 8:30 pm | Rio Tinto Stadium | Salt Lake City, UT | ||
| August 21 | Playoffs: Quarterfinals | 2:30 pm | |||||
| Playoffs: Quarterfinals | 6:00 pm | ||||||
| 10 | September 5 | Playoffs: Semifinals | 11:00 am | Subaru Park | Philadelphia, PA | ||
| Playoffs: Semifinals | 1:30 pm | ||||||
| 11 | September 19 | PLL Championship | 12:00 pm | Audi Field | Washington, D.C. |
Tour Map
Standings
| 2021 Premier Lacrosse League Standings | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | GB | SF | SA | Diff | |||||||||
| Redwoods | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | 26 | 22 | 4 | |||||||||
| Archers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.5 | 18 | 6 | 12 | |||||||||
| Whipsnakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.5 | 13 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||
| Cannons | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1.0 | 24 | 19 | 5 | |||||||||
| Chrome | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1.5 | 11 | 14 | -3 | |||||||||
| Chaos | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1.5 | 7 | 13 | -6 | |||||||||
| Waterdogs | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1.5 | 7 | 13 | -6 | |||||||||
| Atlas | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 2.0 | 6 | 18 | -12 | |||||||||
Records, milestones, and notable statistics
- January 12 – The league reveals edits to the former Boston Cannons logo, a team crest, and motto for the upcoming season. [16]
References
- ^ "The Premier Lacrosse League thrived despite the coronavirus pandemic". axios.com.
- ^ "Premier Lacrosse League Merging with Major League Lacrosse to Unify Outdoor Game". sportico.com.
- ^ "PLL absorbs MLL in merger, unifying pro outdoor lacrosse leagues". nbcsports.com.
- ^ "Rob Pannell Traded to Redwoods LC". lacrossebucket.com.
- ^ "Chaos LC trade Connor Fields to Archers LC for Ian MacKay". lacrosseplayground.com.
- ^ "Atlas-Cannons Trade: Paul Rabil to Cannons". premierlacrosseleague.com.
- ^ "Ryan Brown Traded to Waterdogs LC". Premier Lacrosse League. 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
- ^ "PLL announces expansion draft, entry draft and college draft details". lacrosseplayground.com.
- ^ "ARCHERS LC AWARDED NO. 2 PICK IN 2021 PREMIER LACROSSE LEAGUE ENTRY DRAFT". uslaxmagazine.com.
- ^ "Division I Council extends eligibility for student-athletes impacted by COVID-19". ncaa.org.
- ^ "Which DI Seniors are Coming Back in 2021?". lacrossebucket.com.
- ^ https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/articles/2021-college-draft-presented-by-champion-scheduled-for-april-26th
- ^ "SEAN QUIRK NAMED HEAD OF COACH OF PLL'S CANNONS LC". uslaxmagazine.com.
- ^ "BOSTON CANNONS SEAN QUIRK NAMED MLL COACH OF THE YEAR". trifectanetworksports.com.
- ^ "Premier Lacrosse League Announces 2021 Season With 43 Games Over 11 Weekends". premierlacrosseleague.com.
- ^ "Premier Lacrosse League Unveils New Logo, Branding for Cannons LC". uslaxmagazine.com.