Editors Note: A previous version of this article did not include Jordan Stouros or Curtis Conley. The article has been updated to include those players.
The news of the week in the NLL is the Black Bears and the league’s return to Ottawa.
The Capital region has been a growing source of talent for the NLL, and several current players grew up playing in Ottawa. Let’s have a look around the league at some of the Ottawa talent on NLL rosters.
Panther City Lacrosse Club
Callum Crawford and Ty Thompson
Crawford, who’s hometown is listed as Ottawa, has competed in 252 career games throughout his NLL career, scoring 1243 points in that time. Crawford played his minor in Gloucester, and competed in junior lacrosse for Gloucester, Nepean, and the Ottawa Titans.
Thompson grew up playing for Nepean (and lists it as his hometown), and was a member of the Orangeville Northmen club that won the 2019 Minto Cup. Originally drafted by the Riptide, Thompson arrived in Texas after a stint in Colorado. Thompson had 288 points in 76 career games for the Nepean Knights of the Ontario Jr. B Lacrosse League.
Buffalo Bandits
Kyle Buchanan and Cam Wyers
A key member of the Bandits 2023 championship team, Buchanan has played in 171 career games during his NLL career, scoring close to 600 points. Buchanan lists Nepean as his hometown, and played his minor lacrosse in Nepean, and played Jr. for four different clubs including the Ottawa Titans.
Wyers was the first round draft pick by the Bandits this season and has competed in all nine games for the club, picking up 37 loose balls and causing 8 turnovers. The Ottawa native played minor for the Nepean Knights, and competed for the Gloucester Griffins in junior. Wyers eventually played his last two seasons of junior lacrosse for the Toronto Beaches. He played collegiately at Loyola University in Maryland and also competes in the PLL for the Utah Archers.
Albany Firewolves
Sam Firth, Nathan Grenon, and Cam Badour
Firth is currently competing in his first season for the Albany Firewolves after playing the 2023 season for the Vegas Desert Dogs. He won the 2022 NLL championship with the Mammoth, and notably scored his first career goal in the NLL finals. Firth has already scored a career high 24 points this season for the Wolves.
Firth joined Thompson as a member of the 2019 Orangeville Northmen Minto Cup team. In 79 career games for the Nepean Knights in junior, Firth sniped 154 goals, 194 assists, and 348 points.
A Stittsville native, Grenon is playing his first season in Albany alongside Firth after playing his first two seasons in Panther City. Grenon has scored 6 goals and 7 assists in seven games for the Firewolves so far this season. Another member of the Nepean Knights minor association, Grenon competed alongside Wyers with the Toronto Beaches in junior, before playing the bubble season with Brampton. Grenon was the USILA midfielder of the year in 2021 while competing for the Mercyhurst Lakers.
Badour is currently on the practice roster for the Firewolves. After battling back from several injuries, Badour was selected in the third round of the 2022 NLL draft. Badour played his minor lacrosse for the Gloucester Griffins and split his time in junior between Gloucester Jr. B, and St. Catharine’s Jr. A. Badour played four seasons for the Duke Blue Devils.
Toronto Rock
Tyler Hendrycks
Hendrycks has chipped in 3 goals and 2 assists through five games this season for the Rock. He was selected with the 35th pick of the 2022 NLL draft by Toronto. Hendrycks scored 47 points in 20 games for the Nepean Knights in Jr. B, before finishing his career with the Peterborough Lakers. Hendrycks played three seasons for the High Point Panthers and also competed at Trent University.
New York Riptide
Corson Kealey, Curtis Conley and Will Johnston
The Ottawa native Kealey is slated to make his NLL debut tonight for the Riptide. Kealey played his entire junior career for the Toronto Beaches, and was selected with the 19th overall selection by the Rochester Knighthawks in the 2021 NLL Entry Draft.
Johnston is currently the backup goaltender for the Riptide after being drafted with the 34th overall selection of the 2021 NLL draft. Johnston played in 11 games for Nepean Jr. B in 2019 before finishing his junior career in Beaches. In 2022, Johnston won the Sanderson Memorial Award as the most valuable goalie for the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League and led the Beaches to a Minto Cup appearance.
Conley played nine games last season for the Riptide and is currently on the practice roster. He was selected by Colorado in the third round of the 2020 NLL draft, and played his first season in Colorado. Conley lists his hometown as Ottawa.
Halifax Thunderbirds
Jordan Trottier and Jake Fox
Trottier has played in five games for the Thunderbirds this season, scooping 8 loose balls. He played over the past two seasons with Rochester, Georgia, and Panther City. Trottier played in 17 games for Nepean Jr. B over two seasons, and finished his career with the Peterborough Lakers. He was selected with the 28th overall selection of the 2020 NLL Draft by Colorado Mammoth, and played his NCAA lacrosse for RIT.
The recently signed Fox is with Halifax after stops in Panther City, Albany, and New York. Fox has scored 58 points in 34 career games. Listing Embrun, Ontario, as his hometown, Fox played collegiately at Johns Hopkins. He was selected with the 19th overall selection of the 2019 NLL Entry Draft.
Saskatchewan Rush
Thomas Kiazyk
Currently on the practice roster for the Rush, the Stittsville native Kiazyk was the goaltender for the 2022 Nepean Knights club that won the Founders Cup. Her was selected with the 20th overall selection of the 2023 draft.
Colorado Mammoth
Jordan Stouros
The Ottawa native Stouros has played one game this season as a member of the Philadelphia Wings after being traded from the Colorado Mammoth. Stouros has competed in 27 regular season games as a member of the Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Knighthawks, and now the Wings. Stouros was drafted with the 23rd overall selection of the 2020 NLL draft by Buffalo.
Did we miss someone? Let us know in the comments below.
Jake Gasperetti and Curtis Conley are on the New York practice roster.
Jordan Stouros is on the Philadelphia practice roster.
Maybe want to double check this but per the transactions page that’s where those 3 are.
You missed Jordan Stouros with the Philadelphia Wings
Jordan Stouros with the Philadelphia Wings
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