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The Western Lacrosse Association general managers, armed only with scouting reports from two years ago in 2019, will select today in the 2021 draft. The graduating juniors, of course, had their 2020 seasons wiped out by the pandemic.
“Unfortunately, these players were denied their final season of junior just as a lot of them were coming into their own,” said Victoria Shamrocks GM Chris Welch.
“It makes it tougher for the teams doing the drafting.”
It’s an unusual situation all-around.
“It’s been hard on the graduating players, and the junior coaches who may have been building a class for three or four seasons and then lost the payoff season, but it’s happening to everybody in every sport,” said Rod Wood of Victoria, chair of the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League.
Many of the B.C. players, however, will be playing field lacrosse as the NCAA Div. 1 season is scheduled to take place this spring. The B.C. Junior A League hopes to offer the players a box season, too, when they return home for the summer from the NCAA.
“We are cautiously optimistic,” said Wood.
“We are looking at 14 to 21 games starting in mid-May. We are considering everything from cohort situations to round-robins. We need fans but are willing to give it a shot and take a financial hit to do it.”
It’s all about the players, added Wood.
Last season’s lost class will be featured tonight in the draft in a belated last hurrah. After several starry WLA drafts, this one doesn’t feature as many marquee-level performers but will still offer up some players that will be of immediate or long-term use for WLA teams.
“There are some solid players through the first two rounds but it tapers off after that,” said Wood.
“There appear to be lots of guys in the middle of the pack range but I don’t think anybody is going to land a late find.”
As the defending WLA champions from 2019 – the 2020 season was dark due to the pandemic — the Shamrocks will select seventh and last. The Coquitlam Adanacs, 2019 basement dwellers, will pick first. They will be followed in order by the Langley Thunder, Burnaby Lakers, Nanaimo Timbermen, New Westminster Salmonbellies, Maple Ridge Burrards and Shamrocks. The draft will go eight rounds.
“There is talent at the top of the draft, and it’s a decent year for Island players, but overall it’s not a deep draft,” said Welch.
Among those top-end Islanders are Austin Madronic from Harvard of the NCAA and the Junior Shamrocks, Caleb Kueber of Mercyhurst of the NCAA and Junior Shamrocks and Thomas Vaesen of Montevallo of the NCAA and Junior Timbermen and Will Johansen of Robert Morris of the NCAA and the Junior Timbermen.
This will be the second year for a territorial protection, in which each WLA team will be allowed to protect one player from its catchment area. That player can’t be taken by another team. If a team does not protect a player, it will receive a compensatory pick. Teams will present their territorial protection choices to the league tonight before the start of the draft. Welch would not say if the Shamrocks will protect a player in their territory or who he will be.
The draft will be conducted tonight via Zoom and webcast beginning at 7 p.m., with Brad Challoner and Jake Elliott hosting, and can be followed on WLA social media channels or via the WLALacrosse.com.
“We are looking at a couple of options, from a full to reduced season,” said WLA commissioner Paul Dal Monte, about the 2021 campaign.
“We have the benefit of time in that we play in summer,” said Dal Monte, who added the WLA will release 2021schedule this month.
“Our players have such passion for the game and are anxious to get on the floor.”
The issue of fans being allowed into the venues will depend on the provincial health guidelines in effect this summer.
“Ideally, every team wants fans in the stands,” said Dal Monte.
“But we want to keep our players and fans safe.”
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com